Robert De Niro: My acting anxieties have eased

Robert De Niro no longer stresses about the finished product when making a film.

At 72 years old and with movie classics like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Godfather: Part II under his belt, the Hollywood icon could technically retire.

However he's keeping at it, with The Intern, Joy and Dirty Grandpa just some of his most recent projects. Luckily his job has become easier over the years and the star finds he worries less than ever now.

"The only thing that's changed is how much more relaxed I am and that I no longer worry so much about the end product," he explained to tele5.de.

"But I think that's just something that comes with experience. I used to get stressed all the time, now I'm more chilled about everything."

It's lucky Robert even made it into acting, as he kept brushing the idea off as a child. At 17 he realised the desire to perform wouldn't budge, so he started to pursue his passion in earnest.

Now he has two Oscars to his name and is one of the industry's veterans - even if the younger generation aren't sure what to make of him.

"It's interesting to see younger people pay me no attention," he said. "Let's say I'm on the street and young people are walking towards me. They subconsciously register the grey hair and immediately class me as old. They essentially dismiss me and place me in a different class - the second class. The result: they look away. Unless I get recognised, of course."

It's likely young people will start taking notice as he appears alongside fresh face Nat Wolff and Anne Hathaway in comedy The Intern, which hits cinemas from next month.