How Robert de Niro Almost Died on the of This Movie During a Dangerous Scene

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Robert De Niro is famous for fully immersing himself in his characters, and one of the most dangerous moments of his career happened while filming the 1978 film, The Deer Hunter. During a scene set in Vietnam, De Niro and John Savage had to jump from a helicopter into the River Kwai, and they did this fifteen times over two days. One jump was almost a disaster when the helicopter’s skids got tangled in the cables of a bridge.

Looking back on the frightening experience in 1989, De Niro said the pilot was reluctant to fly close to the ground because of the dangerous, rocky landscape and the fast-moving river below. He remembered the helicopter accidentally starting to lift and twist the entire bridge while he and Savage were still hanging onto it.

Understanding how dangerous things had become, De Niro glanced down at the swirling water and yelled for Savage to let go. Both men then fell into the river just as the situation became completely chaotic.

When the actors resurfaced, they saw a stunt crew member bravely climbing onto the bridge to disconnect the cable from the helicopter. Robert De Niro later told Playboy that he genuinely thought they were going to die.

The real fear from the accident was so intense that director Michael Cimino decided to include the footage of the actors yelling at the pilot in the final movie. De Niro explained that being so close to the hovering helicopter made him worry it would fall on them, highlighting how unpredictable filmmaking can be.

Even in his eighties, Robert De Niro continues to be incredibly active and successful in the film industry. He recently starred in the gangster film The Alto Knights, playing two competing crime bosses, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. Although the film didn’t do well in theaters initially, it’s become very popular on streaming services, with audiences impressed by De Niro’s ability to convincingly portray these two very different and opposing characters.

The famous actor is getting ready to return to comedy in the next Meet the Parents movie, called Focker In-Law. It’s set to come out on November 25th and will star Robert De Niro alongside Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Blythe Danner. Ariana Grande is joining the cast as a new member of the often-crazy family.

Grande recently shared how wonderful it was to work with De Niro, calling him a legend and saying he felt like family. Besides acting, De Niro is also producing a documentary called The Past Goes Fast, which tells the story of his life and his father’s.

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2026-02-10 22:14