De Niro Has Choice Words for Grads!

Robert De Niro is dishing out some hard cold honesty to the graduating class of 2015 – in his words… “You’re f**ked.” De Niro was recently asked to give the commencement speech at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and offered the students some advice about the real world but not without being completely realistic.

“When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense,” says De Niro. “You weren’t just following dreams, you were reaching for your destiny. You’re a dancer, a singer, a choreographer, musician, a filmmaker, a writer, a photographer, a director, a producer, an actor, an artist. Yeah, you’re f**ked.” De Niro went on to talk about how challenging the world of creativity can be, but don’t worry – he also provided some encouragement.

He told the students to strive hard and turn their passions into realities without fear of failure or rejection. “It’s difficult for me to come with advice for you who have already set upon your life’s work, but I can tell you some other things I tell my own children. I tell them don’t be afraid to fail. I urge them to take chances, to keep an open mind, to welcome new experiences and new ideas. I tell them that if you don’t go, you’ll never know. You just have to be bold and go out there and take your chances.”

You can watch the whole speech here: