When it comes to preparation and execution of roles, few actors compare to the brilliance of Robert DeNiro. Throughout his 30+ years as an actor, DeNiro has undertaken a wide range of roles, from comedy to drama and back to comedy again. Of course, DeNiro is best known for roles that he played nearly 25 years ago (i.e. Taxi Driver, The Godfather: Part 2). DeNiro's most chilling performance was as the psychopathic criminal Max Cady in 1991's Cape Fear. It is quite obvious that DeNiro engaged in vigorous preparation for the role, and he seemed so into it. Few actors could've matched DeNiro's chilling performance in that film. More recently, DeNiro has successfully tried his hand at comedy roles (Analyze This). The role of Paul Vitti seemed to come so naturally to DeNiro, and yet again, he gave us a brilliant performance. DeNiro was also riveting as the overbearing, somewhat paranoid father in the romantic-comedy Meet the Parents. DeNiro's career continues to flourish (recently, he has revived the role of Paul Vitti in Analyze That). In the final analysis, no one can deny DeNiro's passion for acting. It's quite evident by his careful selection of roles and articulate preparatory measures that he takes, which in the end always produces a great performance.