“I thought you would think that was funny”: Burt Reynolds’ Own Goodfellas Moment Backfired for Trying to Make Robert De Niro Laugh That Resulted in a ‘Beating’
Burt Reynolds was one of the most legendary and respected actors of his time. Out of all the actors that he has met throughout his career, one that left the most lasting impression, unsurprisingly enough, was Robert De Niro. They had both studied under the same mentor and there were ways in which he saw as De Niro to be an actor who was somewhat unapproachable.
The reason for this was the fact that if there was a movie taken by De Niro, it would automatically be very hard to come by. Despite it all, they had a friendship Reynolds greatly treasured. However, there had been one time when he took a joke too far, one that the Intern actor did not appreciate at all.
Burt Reynolds’ Risky Joke
Burt Reynolds opened up during an interview with the Observer where he explained how his entire experience of knowing Robert De Niro had been. He revealed that one of the biggest tasks for Reynolds had been to try and make De Niro laugh because of his jokes. Upon discovering that the actor had a humorous side, it was only a matter of time. That was until he made a joke that went too far.
“I don’t think he goes to every picture. It’s hard to get the films that Bobby De Niro was offered because I don’t have enough New York in me and I don’t have what he has. He’s very special. And he’s a very kind man. I was surprised how nice he was. He has a sense of humor, which most people don’t think.
It was a joke regarding Joe Pesci and Goodfellas, specifically about De Niro giving the actor constant advice.
“I was kidding him and, unfortunately, went over the line as I’ve always done. I said, ‘Will you stop giving Joe Pesci advice?’ I thought he would laugh, and he just looked at me and said, ‘I don’t give him advice.’ I went, ‘Oh, excuse me. I thought you would think that was funny.’ He said, ‘It’s not funny, and I don’t give him advice.'”
When he heard Reynolds say that, he immediately looked bemused, asking him to not say that again because it was far from funny.
Burt Reynolds Finally Got What He Wanted
Upon getting the unexpected reply from Robert De Niro, Burt Reynolds found himself in a tough spot. Speaking with the Observer, he explained that he had terribly been beating himself over it for a while. However, he did not take it to heart either. Instead, he made it his mission to make De Niro smile at least once.
“I was just taking a beating for a while, and then I finally, finally made him smile. He’s a tough audience, you know.”
After various tries, Reynolds finally managed to make De Niro smile. He admitted that it was a difficult task but one that he was glad to have accomplished.
