Photo Credit: Leonardo DiCaprio's official page&nbsp;
At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival's opening ceremony, Leonardo DiCaprio delivered an emotional and heartfelt tribute to his longtime mentor and co-star Robert De Niro, who received the prestigious Palme d&rsquo;Or for Lifetime Achievement.
Quoting a story that holds special significance for him, DiCaprio smiled as he shared, &ldquo;&rsquo;Second kid from the last&rsquo; luckily, that second kid was me.&rdquo; He was honored to present the award to De Niro, who played a crucial role in launching his career.
DiCaprio and De Niro first worked together in the 1993 film This Boy&rsquo;s Life, and reunited three decades later for Killers of the Flower Moon, which screened at Cannes in 2023. Reflecting on their first collaboration, DiCaprio said during the 2025 ceremony:
&ldquo;I was one of many very lucky kids who had the incredible opportunity to audition for, and ultimately work with, him early in my career on This Boy&rsquo;s Life. The audition process was tough. There was a lot of competition, and none of us knew who would get the part. At 15 or 16 years old, I did the only thing I could think of to stand out, I screamed at him at the top of my lungs.&rdquo;
He continued with a laugh: &ldquo;The room burst into laughter. Later that day, as the story goes, Bob was getting on his plane when the producer asked, &lsquo;Who do you want to play the part?&rsquo; And in classic De Niro fashion, he replied, &lsquo;Second kid from the last.&rsquo; Luckily, that second kid was me.&rdquo;
With a warm smile, DiCaprio concluded,&nbsp;&ldquo;That moment changed my life forever. It started my entire career in the world of cinema. So, without speaking for the entire world of cinema, but probably doing it anyway, there is no one more deserving of this Palme d&rsquo;Or or Lifetime Achievement Award than Mr. Robert De Niro.&rdquo;
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De Niro, in response to the announcement of his Lifetime Achievement honor, shared in a statement:
&ldquo;I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes&hellip; Especially now, when there's so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together, storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It's like coming home.&rdquo;
Throughout his illustrious career, Robert De Niro has won two Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actor for his role as young "Vito Corleone" in The Godfather Part II (1974), and Best Actor for his iconic portrayal of "Jake LaMotta" in Raging Bull (1980). He has received additional Oscar nominations for Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), Awakenings (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

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