7. Robert De Niro - Mean Streets
Martin Scorsese's 1973 gangster drama Mean Streets is important for many reasons. Firstly, Mean Streets is the film that put Scorsese on the map, and is also one of the pioneer films of the 1970s, but it is also the first collaboration between director Scorsese and star Robert De Niro. In Mean Streets, De Niro plays Johnny Boy, a self destructive street hoodlum with a penchant for causing trouble in any circle he is in. De Niro plays Johnny Boy with a malicious charisma, and his energy is felt right from the first time he is on screen. He is unpredictable not only to others but even to himself, and young De Niro gives an explosive performance. Johnny Boy relies on his much wiser and level minded cousin Charlie (Harvey Keitel) to keep his head cool and help him out of any situation he gets himself into, which makes Johnny Boy even that much more of a dangerous loose cannon. De Niro steals the show scene after scene in Mean Streets, and his Oscar nominated work made him a star overnight, along with Scorsese. De Niro went on to win 2 Oscars in his career and collaborate 7 more times with Scorsese, making for one of the greatest director/actor collaborations in film history.