# The 2006 movie that left Robert De Niro a nervous wreck: “Every day I was worried”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-2006-movie-that-left-robert-de-niro-a-nervous-wreck-every-day-i-was-worried/
- Published: 2026-09-27T14:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-27T15:53:27+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/2006-movie-left-robert-de-niro-nervous-wreck/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Film, Health, Mental Health, World

## Key points

- Directing The Good Shepherd caused De Niro daily anxiety.
- Its $80 million budget raised the stakes.
- Mixed reviews preceded his 20-year directing absence.

## Summary

Robert De Niro’s 2006 espionage film The Good Shepherd left him feeling anxious throughout production. Directing and starring in the film was considerably more demanding than his 1993 debut A Bronx Tale, with a much larger budget and greater expectations.

The Good Shepherd cost approximately $80 million, compared with A Bronx Tale’s $10 million, and co-starred Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Critics were divided, with some praising it as an important spy film while others found it slow, and it remains De Niro’s most recent directing project.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.