Martin Scorsese reflects on how Robert De Niro 'protected' him from studio interference

Martin Scorsese has reflected on his special relationship with Robert De Niro, and revealed how the actor protected him from studio interference when they were young stars.

Scorsese and De Niro have collaborated on some of the most iconic movies of all time including Taxi Driver, Casino, Goodfellas and Cape Fear.

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Amazon Prime right now?

Tuesday 10 February 2026, 14:38

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now?

Monday 9 February 2026, 15:27

Their upcoming project, Killers of the Flower Moon, will be the 10th feature-length movie they have worked together on.

The first collaboration came in 1973 with Mean Streets.

By the time they worked together for Raging Bull in 1980, De Niro had won an Academy Award for his performance as a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II. Thereafter, he had the star power to protect Scorsese and his movies from studios that would not allow the director a final cut.

"I resisted Raging Bull for several years for certain reasons, but he really insisted that it’d be good for me. He’s the only one alive now who knows where I come from, as kids, as young people. So the keyword is trust, fearless, and less vanity," the legendary director told The Hindustan Times.

“He was very powerful at that time, after he won the Academy Award for The Godfather II. But even then, we always had the danger of the studio taking away the film from you. No such thing as the final cut for me at that point of time. Inevitably, the actor would comply with the studio. This guy wouldn’t do that, he' stay with you. And so I had that as a power. He was protective of me and the film.”

Killers of the Flower Moon will be released on 20 October 2023.

What movies have Scorsese and De Niro worked on?