"The dialect is different": When Robert De Niro shared his vision about his iconic The Godfather II character

Hollywood legend Robert De Niro needs no introduction. A veteran actor, he has captivated audiences with his iconic performances on the silver screen since the 1960s and remains one of today’s most influential figures in cinema. Beginning with minor roles in movies like Three Rooms in Manhattan in the mid-1960s, Robert De Niro soon gained stardom after appearing in a string of successful movies in the 1970s, like Mean Streets, The Godfather II, Taxi Driver, and more.

Over the years, De Niro has gained critical acclaim and love from the viewers for his intense acting and wide range. He has won several prestigious awards, like the Oscars, the Emmys, an Honorary Palme d’Or, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

From portraying the enigmatic Vito Corleone in his younger years in The Godfather II to playing a charismatic and elderly intern in The Intern, Robert De Niro has proven that he can take up any kind of role.

In an interview with GQ, the legendary actor revisits his iconic roles over a career spanning several decades and especially talks about his famous role in The Godfather II.

Robert De Niro talks about his iconic role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather II

In the interview with GQ, Robert De Niro goes down memory lane and describes the thought process behind his various famous characters from Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver to Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. However, one of the most memorable highlights from the interview is when the actor talks about his role in The Godfather II.

In the interview, the actor says that he didn’t know Francis Ford Coppola well, but Martin Scorsese spoke with him, and Francis decided to call Robert De Niro to San Francisco and talk to him. De Niro states that he was “ready to do that,” but he soon got a call that he didn’t have to come and had gotten the part.

The actor goes on to mention that he met Gray Frederickson and put on the first Godfather on screen to note the mannerisms of Marlon Brando, who played the elderly Vito Corleone in the movie.

As Robert De Niro was playing the important role of bringing the younger Vito Corleone to life, the actor decided to closely look at Brando’s mannerisms for continuity of character.

Most importantly, De Niro had to speak most of his dialogue in a Sicilian dialect, and the actor talks about how various areas of Sicily have different dialects.

"The thing with the dialect is that in different towns, different areas of Sicily, it's different. The dialect is different."

He therefore went to Sicily to understand the various dialects. However, he worked with a Sicilian in LA and decided to use “the best that we thought of all the variations” as it would have been incredibly confusing to incorporate all the various dialects.

More details about Robert De Niro’s character in The Godfather II

Interestingly, Robert De Niro had auditioned for a role in the first Godfather as well. During the Q&A at the New York premiere of Megalopolis, via Indie Wire, director Francis Ford Coppola talked about the fact that De Niro had given an “unforgettable audition for Sonny Corleone”, a character that is hot-tempered and is the eldest son of Vito Corleone.

However, the part went to James Caan, and De Niro was offered a minor role as Paulie, who was the soldier who betrayed the Corleone family. However, the iconic actor decided to take on a more significant role in the crime comedy called The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.

Ultimately, everything worked in De Niro’s favor as the actor got the much more important role of portraying a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II and won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

While The Godfather II focuses on Michael’s (Al Pacino) descent into ruthlessness as he takes up the reins as the new head of the Corleone empire, the movie also focuses on the story of a young and resolute Vito Corleone, who created the empire in the first place.

Vito’s journey of elevating himself from a Sicilian immigrant to a powerful don in New York City brings gravitas to the movie and serves as an important parallel to Michael’s story.

In the interview with GQ, Robert De Niro notes that Francis was “easy” and “respectful” towards the actor and therefore, “it couldn’t be better”. Ultimately, De Niro’s decision to skip the role of Paulie in favor of playing a young Vito worked immensely as the actor gave a performance for the ages.