Robert De Niro Really Drove An NYC Cab To Prep For His 1976 Role In 'Taxi Driver'

Robert De Niro was nominated for an Oscar for his 1976 leading role in "Taxi Driver," about a Vietnam veteran working as a night-time cab driver in New York City to battle his insomnia. Perhaps De Niro was so convincing in the role because he actually was a taxi driver. While preparing for the film, De Niro obtained a cab driver’s license and reportedly worked 12-hour days as a cabby for a month to prep for the role. As Hollywood lore has it, he would even pick up passengers while on break...