MovieChat Forums > Casino (1995) Discussion > DeNiro as Jewish - why?

DeNiro as Jewish - why?

posted 9 years ago by sth78
54 replies | jump to latest

We saw it in Once Upon a Time in America, and we see it again in this movie - Robert DeNiro plays a Jewish mobster. But how come he gets cast as that? He is not Jewish, he does not look Jewish, and neither movie even addresses religion (some slurs here and there in this movie, but it is by no means a plot). So why is it important to establish that DeNiro plays a Jewish character?

If they wanted the main character to be Jewish, why didn't they cast a Jewish actor? Or, if they wanted Robert DeNiro to play the main character, why did they make him Jewish in the script?

Just something I found peculiar. Feel free to explain, agree or disagree.

[–] wcgcapone 8 years ago

There is no one way to "look Jewish"

http://kulanu.org/

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] kaskait 8 years ago

He was a popular actor in his young days, people wanted him in their movies.

I thought he pulled off Rosenthal well. He did good in Once Upon a Time... too.

He was cast a few times as an Irish guy, which I thought was more questionable. Whatever.

[–] TrapLordRonSwanson 8 years ago

He was extremely good with money and pretty cheap in this movie - letting the brother in law of the county commissioner go just because the casino lost a little bit of money... all characteristics of a Jew. Playing one just made it all the more believable.

Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life!

[–] [email protected] (1753) 4 years ago

De Niro is a quarter Jewish. Pacino has played Jewish and WASP so many times and Cuban and Puerto Rican even, and Pacino is 100% Italian (half Sicilian and half Neapolitan). In The Irishman, he played a Dutchman, now does his Sicilian face look Dutch to anyone?

[–] bigbadwolf666 (4707) 3 years ago

I agree.
This is totally disrespectful to the people and heritage they're playing. Like Men In Black with a girl or bond be a girl, white actors playing black, black playing white.

[–] Rocky15 (499) 4 years ago

Frank Rosenthal was Jewish wasn’t he? And that’s who Ace Rothstein was based on.

[–] Gd5150 (11237) 4 years ago

It’s funny he’s Irish in goodfellas. Jewish in Casino. Italian in Godfather.