A black-and-white photo of Robert De Niro with his father from 1946 has taken social media by storm, and the comments make one thing clear: People are very into “Daddy De Niro.”
The photo shows a young Robert Jr. sitting on his father’s lap, but it’s Robert Sr. who’s drawn the spotlight — and for good reason. With his tousled hair, sharp features, and pensive stare, he looks like he could’ve stepped out of a fashion editorial.
Others said exactly what the rest of us are thinking: “What a beautiful picture and what a handsome babe his father is.”
And while the picture may be trending now, it isn’t the first time De Niro Sr. has been crowned the internet’s hottest De Niro. Back in 2023, another round of posts pitted a young Robert De Niro against Al Pacino in a “who’s hotter” poll. The viral consensus? Neither.
Beyond the thirst, Robert Sr. led a remarkable — and often difficult — life. Born in 1922, he was a painter in New York’s postwar art scene, trained under Josef Albers and Hans Hofmann, and admired for his bold use of color.
He also lived as a gay man at a time when that meant near-total invisibility. He separated from Virginia Admiral, Robert Jr.’s mother, when his son was just a toddler, and spent much of his career wrestling with how his sexuality and art were received.
Robert Jr. has spoken openly about that legacy, especially in HBO’s Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro Sr. and a 2016 Out interview. “It was the only way to keep his being, his existence alive,” De Niro said of preserving his father’s loft and diaries. He recalled his father as “very loving” but conflicted, describing in his journals that both painting and being gay felt like “afflictions.”
Even though it’s posthumous, we’re glad Robert Sr. is being rediscovered in such a different light. A man who often felt overlooked in his lifetime now sparks viral thirst, celebrated as “so hot” by audiences who never knew him. His art may not have reached the heights he hoped, but his queer legacy—and yes, his undeniable handsomeness—is finally being seen.
