In 1970, Robert De Niro climbed into a grave during filming. Little did he know, it would define his career
In 1970, while filming the crime drama *Bloody Mama*, Robert De Niro spent his lunch break in a grave to help stay in character as Lloyd Barker, a doomed son who dies of a morphine overdose. The anecdote illustrates the intense approach to acting he adopted early in his career, though De Niro later said experience made him more confident and less reliant on such preparation.
*Bloody Mama*, about a gang led by a criminal matriarch in the 1930s American South, drew controversy for its depictions of violence and sexual abuse and was banned in several countries. De Niro moved on to varied roles, then made his first film with Martin Scorsese, *Mean Streets*, in 1973; the following year, his performance as Vito Corleone in *The Godfather Part II* earned him his first Academy Award.
In short
- De Niro spent a lunch break in a grave while filming *Bloody Mama*.
- He played Lloyd Barker, whose character dies of a morphine overdose.
- His breakthrough years included *Mean Streets* and an Oscar for *The Godfather Part II*.
Explained simply
Robert De Niro was a young actor when he appeared in Bloody Mama, a crime film set in the American South during the 1930s. He played Lloyd Barker, one of the sons of a gang leader, and the role called for him to portray a character facing death from a drug overdose.
The film was made early in De Niro’s career, when he was developing the intense preparation for which he became known. He went on to work with director Martin Scorsese and, in 1974, won an Academy Award for playing Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II.