De Niro Tears Up While Discussing Mental Illness With Katie Couric [Video]

Robert De Niro teared up during an interview on the latest edition of the Katie Couric show. The Taxi Driver actor, who was speaking about his new movie, Silver Linings Playbook, became emotional when asked about the themes of mental illness in the film.

The Oscar-nominated movie focuses on a bi-polar man from Philadelphia named Pat Solitano, played by Bradley Cooper. In the story, Solitano is sent away to a mental institution for eight months following a violent incident. He later returns home to live with his father, played by De Niro, who suffers from mild OCD issues.

During the interview on Katie, director David O. Russell revealed he has a son with mood disorder issues. He told Couric:

“I’ve had a son who has a mood disorder, which means someone that can have moods that can pull them down the drain and send them home to a tornado in moments.”

Like Russell, De Niro has a real life son who suffers from mood disorders. And, when Couric asked the 69-year-old actor whether he felt more responsibility towards a film he was personally invested in, the tears suddenly flowed.

After briefly covering his face and breaking down, De Niro recovered to say he relates to Russell’s struggles:

“I don’t like to get emotional, but I know exactly what [David] goes through.”

Silver Linings Playbook has bagged eight Academy Award nominations including Cooper for Best Actor, Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress, and Robert De Niro for Best Supporting Actor. David O. Russell has also been nominated for Best Director, while the movie is in the race for the Best Picture award.

You can watch Robert De Niro’s emotional appearance on Katie below: