Two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro (Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather: Part II, 1974; Best Actor, Raging Bull, 1980) stars as an aging insult comic trying to reinvent himself for acclaimed filmmaker Taylor Hackford (Ray) in the comedy-drama THE COMEDIAN. De Niro’s eight-years-in-the-making passion project also stars Leslie Mann (Knocked Up), Danny DeVito (“Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”), Charles Grodin (Dave), Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman (Best Supporting Actress, The Last Picture Show, 1971), Patti LuPone (“Penny Dreadful”), and Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel (Best Supporting Actor, Bugsy, 1991), with a cast that includes Lucy DeVito (Leaves of Grass) and Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally…). In addition, the film features a veritable who’s who of stand-up comedians, including Jessica Kirson, Jim Norton, Jimmie Walker, Brett Butler, Richard Belzer, Freddie Roman, Stewie Stone, Gilbert Gottfried, Greer Barnes, Hannibal Buress, Bill Boggs, Sheng Wang, Ryan Hamilton, Aida Rodriguez, Dov Davidoff and Nick Di Paolo. THE COMEDIAN debuts on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital May 2 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Bonus materials on the Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions of THE COMEDIAN include deleted scenes, “The Comedian At AFI Fest,” a lively Q&A featuring Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Danny DeVito and Taylor Hackford,” and the behind-the-scenes featurette “Backstage With The Comedian” where the director and cast discuss the making of the film.
An aging comic icon, Jackie (Robert De Niro), has seen better days. Despite his efforts to reinvent himself and his comic genius, the audience only wants to know him as the former television character he once played. Already a strain on his younger brother (Danny DeVito) and his sister-in-law (Patti LuPone), Jackie is forced to serve out a sentence doing community service for accosting an audience member. While there, he meets Harmony (Leslie Mann), the daughter of a sleazy Florida real estate mogul (Harvey Keitel), and the two find inspiration in one another, resulting in surprising consequences.
Directed by Taylor Hackford, THE COMEDIAN has a screenplay by Art Linson & Jeff Ross, Richard LaGravenese and Lewis Friedman from a story by Art Linson. It was produced by Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Taylor Hackford, Art Linson and John Linson; with Scott Karol, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones, Iain Abraham, Dennis Pelino, Fredy Bush, Mark Axelowitz, Lawrence Smith and Peter Sobiloff serving as executive producers.
Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Special Features Include:
- Deleted Scenes
- “The Comedian At AFI Fest: Q&A Featuring Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Danny DeVito and Taylor Hackford”
- “Backstage With The Comedian,” featurette
Tags: Blu-ray, De Niro, The Comedian
