I think it's important to have had at least a few years of obscurity, where people treat you like everybody else.
Robert De NiroYou talking to me? You talking to me? Then who the hell else are you talking to - you talking to me? Well, I'm the only one here.
Robert De NiroYou never know what you do that could be totally out of left field, which actually might work and give something fresh to the whole scene, to the character, whatever. If you have that with a director who then knows how to shape it, either in the direction, in the moment, or in the editing, then that's good.
Robert De Niro