The Role Robert De Niro Would Like To Forget, But Still Keep the $20 Million He Made

Robert De Niro! That's right, the great Robert De Niro, hailed as one of the greatest actors of all time, in 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' the movie! And on top of that, not even in a starring role!

The year was 2000, and it's not like the star of classics like 'The Godfather II' and 'Taxi Driver' was looking for work. So, why then, would the man who won the 'Best Actor' Oscar for 'Raging Bull' take the role of the evil Fearless Leader in a live version of a 1960s cartoon? It had to be...the money. That's right, for his relatively small role as Boris and Natasha's boss, De Niro took home a cool $20 million!

Needless to say, De Niro's Fearless Leader turn didn't get much critical approval. 'A questionable career choice that turn the legendary actor into a fading star', said one. As a younger actor, De Niro once said that he hung on the outcome of each and every review. It's good to know that as a more mature performer, he found a reason not to take such harsh criticism to heart. Okay, make that about 20 million reasons.