Who's the best? Robert De Niro or Al Pacino

I grew up watching and loving both De Niro and Pacino and at times in my life I even wanted to be De Niro and other times Pacino. Both are amazing actors and icons and they are both often compared to each other by many people. Surprisingly they have only appeared on screen together two times in their long careers and they don't actually have that much in common when it comes to their acting skills. Both come from New York City but are often mistaken for being Italian which they are not. De Niro's Father was half Italian while his Mother had no Italian ancestry, and both Pacino's parents were Italian but Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were both born and bred in New York City USA.

They are both around the same age, De Niro was born in 1943 and Pacino was born in 1940 and I guess both coming from New York City and living through the same decades is what gets them compared so much. De Niro's Father was also half Irish and if De Niro grew up in Ireland instead I can guarantee nobody would ever had compared him to Pacino. The main reason they get compared is because they simply both come from New York City and both appeared as gangsters early on in their careers.

Their acting skills are nothing alike, De Niro has a very calm, quietness in his acting while Pacino is loud and eccentric, so they should never be compared to each other when it comes to their acting skills, but only compared to each other as being two of the best movie icons to ever hit our screens. I think De Niro's top 3 films were "Taxi Driver" were he played a very shy, quiet character that had a burning desire to leave his mark on the world. Michael Mann's blockbuster "Heat" which he first appeared on screen with Pacino. They both starred in the "God Father Trilogy" but they were never in a scene together. De Niro played his character in Heat with the same quiet outlook that he is famous for, using his face expressions to do most of his acting much like Johnny Depp, only the best actors in the world can act without saying a word. De Niro's other movie out of my top three would have to be "The Deer Hunter", he played alongside an amazing cast and it was this film that set me on the path to watch everyone of his movies, which I have.

The top 3 Pacino films would have to be "Carlito's Way" as Pacino was so convincing in this movie, and I love nothing better than a love story which this film was to me. Pacino doesn't use the facial technics that De Niro uses, instead he has the ability to throw his voice around and express himself so loudly and viciously that you can't help but keep your eyes glued to the screen. The second film would have to be "Scar Face" were he transforms himself completely. Pacino has that ability to transform himself into completely different people and he truly is a master of disguise when it comes to his acting.

The third film would have to be the film that I mentioned before with De Niro, "Heat" is such an amazing movie, and Pacino's race against time to catch his prey overwhelmed me more than any other character from any other movie. Together both actors made the movie "Heat" a masterpiece and I have enjoyed watching everyone of their films. They both starred together in their second movie "Righteous Kill" and I hope to see them star in a few more movies together before they die.

De Niro has entered the comedy scene now which I think suits him at his age in life, Pacino has kept out of the comedy scene but always brings a sense of comedy to his films anyway. There is nothing I look forward to more than waiting for Pacino's big outrages and usually hilarious speeches that he fits into all of his movies. So who would I pick as my favourite out of them both? I would never commit such a crime. I love them both for their art, I love them both for the gifts that they have shared through out their life's and I will always be a fan of them, past, present and future.