Robert De Niro Taught Sebastian Maniscalco How To Cry On Cue | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you've done something that is pretty. extraordinary. you've made a movie. and you made a movie that's about you. and your father. and it's called about my father and as I. mentioned earlier there's so much to. talk about here but you did an. extraordinary thing you you cast and. when I say cast. it'd make it sound like De Niro was. hoping he got the part. did you give me the audition.

try it again Bob Bob try it again Bob. it's between you and two other guys but. I think you did a pretty good job. um you get Robert De Niro to pay to play. your dad now. how surreal is this. it's got to be surreal for you but what. about your father what does your father. think about Robert De Niro playing him. yeah so we wrote the movie my writing. partner Austin Earl and I wrote the. movie we kind of um have the same.

pattern of of life in in the sense that. we've been both married into money and. we've always kind of wrote about this. life of two guys who kind of married a. better cut of cloth in our wives so uh. the movie kind of centers around my. father and I going to a country club. environment which I do every summer my. wife uh family has a home in North. Carolina that we go to. Country Club very white you know when I.

show up I look like I I cut the lawn I'm. like I'm I'm dark you know what I'm. saying. so uh sometimes you do cut the line just. because you're like I think I could do. that better than that guy. so it's just kind of these two worlds. kind of colliding the movie centers. around that but uh my the Nero listen we. never set out to to get him we didn't. write the movie with him in mind you. just don't even think that's a. possibility right and then once I worked.

with him in the Irishman and then he. subsequently came to see me do comedy at. Radio City Music Hall he came backstage. we talked a little bit and I'm sure. you've met the man he's he's not like. highly engaging as far as conversation. he's you know kind of quiet to himself. so it's not like you know I we had wine. together I don't have wine with nobody. um so it's not like we had like a social. relationship but. um we sent them the script and he really. gravitated towards it and he wanted to.

read it out loud with a bunch of actors. so we sat down we did a table read and. then after that he made the decision. that he wanted to do it now De Niro. being the guy the actor that he is. wanted to hang out with my Dad wow right. now that's crazy yeah because he's his. method he wants to he you know this is. about your dad he wants to spend time. with your dad and absorb yeah this uh. man's characteristics yeah. yeah so they get on the phone uh and he. wants him to come to Oklahoma where De.

Niro is shooting the movie with Scorsese. and DiCaprio. my dad who's a hair stylist is going to. go uh first he's bitching that he's got. to take off work. for this yeah I got. bad job and a blowout on Friday. he has priorities.

so uh he goes to Oklahoma and he goes to. De Niro's home there that is rented for. the the movie and De Niro's asking him. when you when you wear your hand how you. wear your hat and then my father's like. oh I wear it like this and then when you. smoke a cigar how do you how do you. smoke it then he wanted to know some. Italian Sicilian slang. that the Nero wanted to put in there and. you know and I'm I'm dying to hear how.

this is going I mean you have to. understand this is a guy that had. posters on my wall growing up the narrow. of course yeah Casino Good Fellas my dad. and I watch this guy no no he's playing. my father so. for me I'm trying to wrap my head around. it so afterwards I said you got to call. me as soon as you get out of there all. right so he calls I go how was it yeah. how was it. I come here four hours. my dad's bitching about the hours.

wow then he's asking me you know like am. I getting pain looking like a little. something for this I got that I don't. that's so perfect you know like I mean. listen he was he was I mean he was. beside himself yeah but you know there's. also that you know way we grew up of. sure I'm gonna lose clients and I'm here. and this and that the other thing then. he's on set because the Niro one of them. set because there's a there's a scene in. the movie where we're in a hair salon.

and De Niro being the actor that is. wanted to know how to do a die job with. the foil so my dad is teaching De Niro. the the foil and this and that I'm. looking at this going this is the salon. looked like the salon I grew up in with. my father and now he's teaching De Niro. how to do hair and I'm like I was just. so proud that my dad was alive to see. this all going down right. so the narrow didn't want him to leave. to set yeah where are you going he's.

like I go back to work I'm a little. after work eh tomorrow we got another. scene and Dad's like. I gotta pump. so that's fantastic yeah. so now. that they want to use my father in a lot. of this promotion that we're doing for. the movie so we're doing uh my father. and I are going on Kimmel right together.

and uh you know this is like my father's. really excited about him being involved. in the Press yeah which I was nervous. about because my father's the type of. guy or when we're hanging around a group. of people he's life at a party as soon. as the camera pops on him he kind of. goes into a shell however we did a press. event in Las Vegas and they were asking. him questions and I was like well this. guy's like my dad speaks broken English. because you know he's from Sicily and.

he's answering questions I'm like okay. we need a camera on him to speak proper. English I mean. oh suddenly suddenly suddenly. pronouncing words right right. so uh he's another enunciator. get another enunciator. that's fantastic that's fantastic yeah. so yeah we uh we Shot the movie in. Alabama which was difficult for me just. because I got two small kids I was gonna.

be there for eight weeks. and you know I was wrestling with like. oh God you know like again me thinking. overthinking things this is a great. opportunity yes but then I'm also. thinking I should be home I'm gonna find. there what the hell am I doing in. Alabama you know gotta be with my kids. but uh. I don't know what you're talking about. uh that's all. those kids do better when I'm not around. they Thrive when I'm not.

yeah but I know what you mean I know. what you mean yeah I mean I have a. family guy so anyway it was an. unbelievable experience it was a acting. lesson. for me for seven eight weeks what. however long we shot this movie there. was a time where I had to cry no listen. I'm a sensitive guy I could cry you know. in just conversation. but to do it like in a movie I never did. this before and now I'm doing it with. arguably one of the best actors of our. time he comes right and when he's.

supposed to cry in the scene he's crying. right and I ain't crying. I go where is it it ain't coming and I'm. looking at him like uh like almost like. a fan I go this guy's crying on you. can't you just grab one of his tears. that's what I would do the minute no. one's looking get a De Niro tear yeah I. was hoping I could get some spill off.

but uh. and then they said cut and then did it. again still didn't cry and then I told. him I go bro I gotta talk to you man I I. need help here so me and him privately. going there was an airplane it was an. airplane scene we go into the airplane. together and I go I can't I can't get. there and he goes well I didn't know you. know I was gonna tell you you know I'm. gonna give you some advice but I didn't. know your process there ain't no process. guys I'm just hoping this Clicks in. Sword you know there's no method or.

nothing right there I'm just doing the. lines hoping I can get sad. that is the method actually. so uh so we gave you advice yeah no he's. like what I do is I think of my son and. and he in in in in in telling me the. story he starts crying oh my God. now I'm crying because he's crying about. talking about his son I gotta use this. and I I I get out of the plane.

and I'm supposed to be out of breath. during the scene now I got sciatica. ripping through my right leg right and I. don't really run because of the pain now. I'm running crying with sciatica on a. Tarmac trying to get out of breath right. so I come into the scene and I'm crying. already but I'm not supposed to be but. I'm like it this you know use this. yeah yeah I'm balling.

throughout this cut all right we're. gonna do it again again guys that's all. I got we're gonna do it again and do. this nine times you need to rehydrate. [Laughter].