Drena De Niro - Brief Article - Interview

Interview, June, 2001 by Elizabeth Weitzman

MODEL. DJ. ACTRESS. DIRECTOR. PHEW!

It may look easy from the outside, but following in a famous parent's spotlit footsteps isn't always a cakewalk. For example, Los Angeles' already-cynical streets are probably just a little meaner if you're Drena De Niro, and you're trying to prove yourself worthy of your father Robert's 24-karat legacy.

In the '90s, De Niro explored a range of jobs, working as a model, a DJ and, in something of a hybrid of the two, the musical consultant for Giorgio Armani's shows and shops. But lately, she's been focusing steadily on her two greatest passions--being both in front of and behind the camera. She's appeared in several films, from her debut in Grace of My Heart (1996) to the upcoming Showtime, where she supports Rene Russo, Eddie Murphy and her father. And last year, she wrote, produced and directed a documentary short called Girls and Dolls, about Robin Newland, a stylist who grew up in Harlem housing projects and turned to Barbies and other dolls to escape her painful reality. The film, which delves into issues like sexuality, race and poverty, earned De Niro the Best Directorial Debut award at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival. Gothamites can catch it on Thirteen/WNET's Reel New York show on June 22.

ELIZABETH WEITZMAN: Hollywood is not a particularly generous town. Having decided to follow your father into his profession--and having appeared in several of his films--do you worry at all about charges of nepotism?

DRENA DE NIRO: People have used that word before, but I grew up with acting. It's what I know. If my father was a surgeon, it wouldn't be a big deal if I decided to go to med school, right?

EW: Did you ever resent your father's fame growing up?

DD: Oh, absolutely. People always thought that I was luckier than them because I had a famous dad, but I never felt that way. And kids, you know, want their parents all to themselves. It's a very weird feeling having to share your dad with the whole world. And now, as a professional, there are pros and cons to my dad being so famous: People in the industry may take a certain notice of me, but the expectations are extremely high. [laughs]

EW: You acted in several movies before deciding to make one. What inspired you to switch sides of the camera?

DD: Actors spend a lot more time looking for work than actually working. And if your identity comes from your job, then what are you when you're unemployed? Directing gave me a focus. And when I found out how hard it was, it also gave me a greater appreciation for the people who make the movies I'm in!

EW: Why did you want to tell Robin's story in particular?

DD: I just thought it was fascinating that when she couldn't reconfigure her actual existence, she built a perfect fantasy life--with a toy that represents an absurdly idealistic vision. But eventually, that led to a better reality for her. She went from dressing her dolls to dressing people like Whitney Houston.

EW: Which is more satisfying--acting or directing?

DD: I really love the balance of doing both. As an actor, you can get near the truth, and that's cool. But when you make a documentary, you actually reach out and grab it. Sometimes, in Hollywood, it's easy to forget that real life has no storyboards. We can't hire someone to do it for us--we have to write our own fairy-tale endings.

Elizabeth Weitzman is a frequent Interview contributor.