Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro on filming ‘About My Father’
>>> WE’RE BACK. >>> WE’RE BACK. TWO BIG STARS IN STUDIO 1A, THE MAN CALLED THE HOTTEST COMIC IN AMERICA, SEBASTIAN MAN PSYCHOLOGICAL KOE AND TWO-TIME OSCAR WINNER ROBERT De NIRO. SEBASTIAN’S ITALIAN-AMERICAN FATHER WAS OFTEN THE STORY OF STANDUP. NOW HE’S TAKING THE BIG SCREEN. De NIRO STARS AS HIS DAD. WHEN SEBASTIAN SAYS HE’S SPENDING THE 4th OF JULY WEEKEND WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND’S WEALTHY FAMILY AT THEIR SUMMER HOME, SALVO DOES NOT TAKE THE NEWS WELL. >> SO THEY HAVE MORE MONEY THAN US. WHO DOESN’T. IT’S ONE WEEKEND? >> 50 YEARS AGO I COME TO THIS COUNTRY
TO GIVE YOU A BETTER LIFE. 50 YEARS AGO. I SKIPPED EVERY WEEKEND IN SICILY FOR YOU. I JOINED THE U.S. ARMY TO PROTECT YOUR FREEDOMS. WHAT THANKS DO I GET? YOU CELEBRATE THE 4th OF JULY WITH SOME OTHER FAMILY LEAVING ME TO EAT THE HOT DOGS ALONE. ALONE! >> OKAY, LOOK. THIS IS YOUR PASSION PROJECT. YOU HAVE BEEN WANTING TO DO THIS FOREVER. THAT’S BEAUTIFUL. THEN YOU WANT SOMEONE TO PLAY YOUR FATHER. >> YEAH. >> YOU CHOOSE THE MOST WONDERFUL PERSON ON EARTH. HOW DID THIS ASK COME? HOW DID THIS COME TO BE THIS UNION.
>> SO I MET BOB ON “THE IRISHMAN,” A MOVIE WE DID. HE CAME TO SEE A SHOW IN RADIO CITY. BUT I DON’T HAVE HIS PHONE NUMBER. IT’S
VERY MUCH OF SALVO. WE JUST WORKED TOGETHER IN “IRISHMAN.” HE WAS UPSET I KILLED HIM IN “IRISHMAN,” SO WE HAD A COUPLE THERAPIES TO WORK ON THROUGH BEFORE HE WOULD CONSIDER WORKING WITH ME WITH THIS MOVIE. BUT PAUL WEISS SENT IT TO ME. I ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE A READING. I DO THAT A LOT WITH SOMETHING I’M CONSIDERING. WE DID. AND I MET LAURA, WHO IS A TERRIFIC DIRECTOR, AND SHE’S FROM THAT WORLD. SHE’S FROM NEW YORK, ITALIAN NEIGHBORHOOD. AND BETWEEN SEBASTIAN AND SALVO AND LAURA, I THOUGHT I WAS IN GOOD HANDS AND GOOD
SOLID FOUNDATION, THE WHOLE THING. >> I LIKE IT. WHEN WAS THE VERY, VERY, VERY FIRST TIME YOU MET ROBERT De NIRO? >> IT WAS ON THE SET OF “THE IRISHMAN”. >> NO, NO, NO. EVEN BEFORE. >> WHERE? >> WEREN’T YOU A WAITER. >> OH, YEAH, YEAH. >> TAKE YOU BACK. >> IN HIS HOTEL 2003. HE SITS OUTSIDE. I TELL EVERYBODY, I GOT De NIRO. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. I GO UP TO HIM. I THINK HE HAD A TEA. AND THEN WE HAD SOME ALMONDS AND THEN HE REQUESTED MORE ALMONDS. OF COURSE, I RAN TO GET
THE ALMONDS. AND IT WAS CRAZY. I WAITED ON THIS GUY IN LIKE ’02. NOW HE’S PLAYING MY FATHER IN A MOVIE IN 2023. SO IT’S — >> AND YOU HAD LIKE GODFATHER POSTERS UP ON YOUR WALL, THE WHOLE NINE? THE WHOLE THING. >> IT IS SURREAL THIS IS EVEN HAPPENING, SO IT’S BEEN A REALLY GREAT RUN. >> SO YOUR DAD HEARS THAT ROBERT De NIRO IS PLAYING HIM IN THIS MOVIE AND? >> COME FROM A REAL NEGATIVE FAMILY SO OF COURSE IT WAS MET WITH SKEPTICISM AND, YEAH, RIGHT, THIS GUY AIN’T GOING TO DO IT.
I THINK MY DAD, IT SUNK IN WHEN BOB CALLED MY FATHER AND SAID, LISTEN, I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN TO OKLAHOMA, WE NEED TO GO OVER THE SCRIPT. MY FATHER IS A HAIR STYLIST AND NOW HE’S DOING SCRIPT ANALYSIS WITH THE GREATEST ACTOR OF ALL TIME. THEY SPENT A COUPLE DAYS TOGETHER AND HE GOT TO KNOW MY DAD. >> WHAT IS HIS DAD LIKE? >> HIS FATHER WAS VERY NICE, SALVO. WE HAD A NICE TIME TOGETHER. I WENT OVER THINGS IN THE SCRIPT THAT I WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT AND WITH — AND WE HAD
A NICE TIME. THEN I TOOK HIM TO MEET MARTY SCORE SAY SI ON THE SET. >> CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR LIFE? >> IT IS AN UNBELIEVABLE MOMENT. I’M DOING THE PRESS RUN NOT ONLY WITH BOB BUT WITH MY FATHER ON SOME OF THESE INTERVIEWS. SO MY FATHER IS GETTING A BIG HEAD NOW. HE’S REQUESTING THINGS NOW. >> LIKE WHAT IN. >> WE GO TO THE INTERVIEW. I NEED ALMONDS. I NEED COFFEE. THEY WERE DOING AN INTERVIEW. THEY BROUGHT IN EXPRESSO. I’M LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HE GOES, I’M A STAR. >> WELL,
THIS MOVIE IS SO MUCH FUN. YOU GUYS ARE SO GREAT TOGETHER. AND I KNOW PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO WANT TO CHECK IT OUT. YOU CAN CATCH “ABOUT MY FATHER.” IT IS IN THEATERS MAY 26th. >> YES. >> WE’RE BACK IN A MOMENT. BUT FIRST, THIS IS “TODAY” ON
