Robert De Niro Almost Quit Once Upon a Time in America Over an Unexpected Incident

During negotiations for his role in Sergio Leone’s epic crime drama, Once Upon a Time in America, robert De Niro nearly walked away from the project due to a peculiar and embarrassing incident. The actor had invited director Sergio Leone to his suite at a New York hotel to discuss the film, but a mishap involving a photograph surfaced on a tablet during the meeting caused significant offense.

According to reports, a picture of De Niro’s then-wife, Touki bouki, appeared on the tablet while she was bathing – specifically, a photograph taken in a bathroom designed by the renowned Italian architect Marco Zanuso, known as Bagno Leone. De Niro was deeply upset by this unexpected and private image being displayed.

Promptly following the incident, De Niro contacted producer Arnon Milchan, expressing his acute indignation and threatening to withdraw from the film. milchan, recognizing the importance of De Niro to the project, intervened and successfully persuaded the actor to remain involved, averting a potential crisis in the film’s casting. Despite the awkward beginning, De Niro ultimately delivered a compelling performance as Noodles in Once Upon a Time in America, a role now considered iconic in his filmography.