People: De Niro urges fight for career in arts during commencement ceremony
Robert De Niro urged graduates at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts on Friday to keep fighting to create careers in the arts even though it probably would have been easier if they had picked something more practical.
“The graduates in accounting? They all have jobs. Where does that leave you? Envious of those accountants? I doubt it. They had a choice. Maybe they were passionate about accounting, but I think it’s more likely they used reason and logic and common sense to research a career,” the two-time Academy Award winner said.
“But you didn’t have that choice, did you? You discovered a talent, developed an ambition and recognized your passion. When you feel that, you can’t fight it. Just go with it. When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense.”
De Niro, who quit high school to pursue an acting career, was the honored speaker at the raucous ceremony for 1,200 graduates at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The actor warned that many in the audience – future directors, actors, producers, musicians, singers, dancers, choreographers, filmmakers, writers and photographers – faced a lifetime of rejection ahead. But he challenged them to keep going.
“Now that you’ve made your choice – or, rather, succumbed to it – your path is clear. Not easy, but clear. You have to keep working. It’s that simple,” De Niro said.
David Rockefeller about to turn 100
David Rockefeller made a rare public appearance ahead of his 100th birthday to formally announce the donation of 1,000 acres bordering Acadia National Park in Maine.
The retired CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank and grandson of oil tycoon John Rockefeller Sr. told a group of family and friends Friday that he’s happy to see the land preserved for future generations through the transfer to the Mount Desert Island & Garden Preserve.
“Seal Harbor, maybe more than any other location that I can think of in the world, has been important to me since I first came here when I was 3 months old, in my parents’ hands,” Rockefeller told the group.
The oldest member of the Rockefeller family stood and moved with the assistance of a walker. His birthday June 12 will be celebrated with his children and grandchildren.
The birthday bunch
Actress Joan Collins is 82. Actress Lauren Chapin is 70. Actor-comedian-game show host Drew Carey is 57. Singer Jewel is 41. Game show contestant Ken Jennings is 41.