Robert De Niro Already Receiving Awards for ‘The Comedian’

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This weekend, the Hollywood Film Awards celebrates its 20th anniversary. Each year, the event honors some of the biggest actors in the industry; this year’s event, for example, will be honoring celebrities such as Eddie Murphy, Natalie Portman, Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, and Nicole Kidman. One such honoree, however, is a bit of a wildcard: Robert De Niro.

De Niro receiving an award for acting is not at all a surprise, but it’s the genre for which he’s won it that’s turning heads. This year, De Niro is set to receive the Hollywood Comedy Award in recognition for his role in the new film The Comedian. Usually reserved for strictly comedic actors and directors (previous recipients include Judd Apatow, Zach Galifianakis, Ben Stiller and Amy Schumer), De Niro’s nomination and subsequent victory in the category may be indicative of the quality of his new film, which is scheduled to be released in January of 2017.

The Comedian has been a long time coming, having been in limbo since 2011. The film follows the story of Jackie Burke (De Niro), an aging insult comic who’s trying to survive in the modern comedy world while also going through some personal and professional crises. The film has seemingly made authenticity a priority; comedians Jim Norton, Hannibal Buress and Gilbert Gottfried all have parts in the film, and De Niro’s stand-up material (and parts of the film’s story) were written by roast legend, Jeff Ross.

Also starring alongside De Niro are Leslie Mann, Harvey Keitel, Danny DeVito, Edie Falco and a host of others. Seeing the quality of the cast and the amount of time that the project has been under development, it’s no surprise that The Comedian is garnering so much attention for itself before it’s even been released. Here’s hoping that it lives up to the hype!

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler

Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.