Ranking De Niro's Performances In Scorsese Films

Actors of De Niro’s status are used to occupying the starring roles, and that’s true for most of his work with Scorsese. In Goodfellas, he plays third or even fourth fiddle, and delivers one of the most understated and underrated performances of his career. As smooth criminal Jimmy Conway, he oozes charm from the outset, making the life of a criminal look highly desirable. Sharp suits, easy money, a disregard for the rules - it’s not hard to see why the likes of Henry Hill are hypnotised.

But as the good times lead to bad, De Niro peels back the layers of this character to reveal the ice cold sociopath beneath. Without a flicker of emotion, he dispatches his so-called friends in various brutal manners just to make his life that bit easier. In a truly great piece of subtle acting, you can read his mind as he considers icing a particular irritating underling - the smile on his face when he decides to go through with it is chilling.

Joe Pesci dominates proceedings as the explosive Tommy DeVito, but his colleague’s performance is a work of tightly crafted art. As is his wont, De Niro studied the real Jimmy closely, right down to how he held a cigarette, but this is no mere imitation. Just like a gangster might, he lures you in with easy going charm, before hitting you with the obvious truth - he’s a cold-hearted killer, no more, no less.