Robert De Niro reaches for tissues as Amy Poehler moves him to tears in candid interview

Robert De Niro is widely known across Hollywood for his famously reserved demeanor during interviews, but a deeply personal conversation with Amy Poehler brought the two-time Academy Award winner to tears.

Appearing on the latest episode of Poehler’s video podcast, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, the 83-year-old screen icon sat down for a wide-ranging conversation promoting Tribeca 25, his Netflix documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival.

While the sit-down began with plenty of laughs—including Poehler joking about De Niro's aversion to talking and teaching him what a Gen Z "thirst trap" is after showing him viral TikTok edits of his early films—the tone shifted dramatically toward the end of their conversation.

Poehler took a moment to step away from comedy to address De Niro’s long-standing public advocacy and political outspokenness. Addressing the screen titan directly, Poehler thanked him for consistently putting himself on the line and using his immense cultural platform to speak truth to power, emphasizing that very few figures of his cinematic stature are willing to take such polarizing public stands.

Amy Poehler made a genuine show of thanks to De Niro which visibly moved him to tears ( The Good Hang Podcast)

“I just personally want to thank you for doing what you do and speaking out in the way that you do about where we are in the world,” Poehler told her guest. “There’s a lot of people that are asked to speak truth to power, and they’re usually members of the margins. There are people that are young, don’t really have as much currency or footing as other people. It’s often people of color. It’s often women.”

She had an interesting comparison: “And to see a person like yourself, the age that you are and the status that you are, it reminds me of … the best way I can describe it is when it’s like if someone’s giving a terrible speech at a wedding and they’re ruining the wedding. And the wedding is America, and there’s another adult who says like, ‘We don’t talk like that. That’s not how you’re supposed to treat people. This is insane.’ It makes everybody feel very safe, and so I’ve seen you do it over and over again, and I really appreciate it.”

As the conversation continued, Poehler, 54, told De Niro his advocacy “means a lot to a lot of people ‘cause you’re standing up for a lot of people who don’t have the power to do that. So, thank you, Bob. And thanks for doing it over and over again.”

She then added: “I can’t believe I just made you cry. I feel incredible right now. Hold on. We got to get you your tissues. We’ve got Good Hang tissues for you, Bob.”

The heartfelt acknowledgment visibly caught the veteran actor off guard. De Niro was overcome with emotion, choking back tears as he paused to process the tribute before simply responding: "Thank you".

The vulnerable moment struck a chord with listeners, offering a rare glimpse behind the stoic exterior of an actor who has spent decades actively dodging press junkets and celebrity profile sit-downs.

Over the past decade, De Niro has emerged as one of the entertainment industry’s most unapologetic political voices, regularly using awards stages, press conferences, and rallies to deliver fiery condemnations of Donald Trump and authoritarian rhetoric.

YouTube/Good Hang with Amy Poehler)

De Niro has also focused his advocacy through community revitalization, co-founding the Tribeca Film Festival in lower Manhattan alongside producer Jane Rosenthal in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

For Poehler, the moment highlighted the distinct intimacy of Good Hang, which has quickly distinguished itself by balancing freewheeling comedic banter with sincere, disarming conversations with entertainment legends.