Paul Schrader, the screenwriter of the 1976 drama “Taxi Driver,” slammed Robert De Niro after rumor spread that he was reprising the role of Travis Bickle in an ad campaign for Uber.
“Ouch,” Schrader, 77, wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
“Why Bob would do that is beyond my reckoning,” he continued. “But I haven’t seen it. If I’m lucky I never will.”
Nevertheless, when contacted by The Post, a rep for De Niro declined to make clear the character of the ad, reporting simply that the 80-year-old actor had indeed partnered with Uber, but reports of a “Taxi Driver” theme were “fabricated.”
“We’re filming with Robert De Niro in London for a recent Uber UK campaign, which is able to launch later within the yr,” the spokesperson wrote.
Uber moreover told Gizmodo that De Niro won’t be referencing phrases from the movie within the ads.
Last week, The Sun reported that the “Goodfellas” star could be shooting a series of ads for the automobile company in London.
De Niro starred as Bickle within the controversial movie, a loner who takes up a job as a Recent York City taxi driver.
It was reported — falsely, apparently — that De Niro would replicate his unforgettable line within the movie: “You talkin’ to me?”
De Niro’s role in “Taxi Driver” scored him a win for “Best Actor” on the Recent York Film Critics Circle Awards in 1976, in addition to “Best Actor” on the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. The film also won an award on the Cannes Film Festival in 1976.
The actor scored an Oscar nomination in 1977 for “Best Actor in a Leading Role” — which he lost to Peter Finch for his work within the 1976 comedy, “Network.”
During a 2013 interview with The Guardian, De Niro admitted that he was interested by where his character, Travis, could be on the time.
“But I’d prefer to see where Travis is today,” he told the outlet.
“There was something in regards to the guy – all that rage and alienation, that’s what town can do to you. I mean Marty and I are from Recent York, and even we are able to feel alienated.”
In recent months, De Niro has faced his justifiable share of heartache and happiness.
In July, the “Falling In Love” star lost his grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, on the age of 19 after he passed away from a “toxic” combination of illicit drugs.
In April, he welcomed his seventh child, a daughter named Gia, along with his partner Tiffany Chen.
