He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. His first credited screen role was in Brian de Palma 's Greetings His comedic roles include Hi, Mom!
De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal founded the film and television production company TriBeCa Productions in , which has produced several films alongside his own. Also with Rosenthal, he founded the Tribeca Film Festival in Many of De Niro's films are considered classics of American cinema.
Six of De Niro's films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" as of Timeout magazine's list of best movies included seven of De Niro's films, as chosen by actors in the industry.
His father lived nearby, and remained close with De Niro during his childhood. De Niro attended PS 41 , a public elementary school in Manhattan, through the sixth grade. He began acting classes at the Dramatic Workshop and made his stage debut in school at age 10, playing the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.
Shortly afterwards, De Niro landed a major role in Greetings , a satirical film about men avoiding the Vietnam War draft. The film marked the first of a series of early collaborations between De Niro and director Brian De Palma.
