Drena De Niro is an American actress, former fashion model, DJ, fashion consultant, and filmmaker. She is the adopted daughter of Robert De Niro, a Hollywood icon. Due to her upbringing in a Bohemian environment, she developed a multicultural mindset that assisted her in pursuing a career in the arts. After completing her schooling, she began working as a model and eventually became Giorgio Armani’s musical supervisor. De Niro made her acting debut in the 1996 comedy-drama “Grace of My Heart” and subsequently portrayed her first female protagonist in the 1999 black comedy “On the Run.” Since then, she has carved out her own niche in the entertainment industry, independent of the enormous shadow cast by her father’s illustrious body of work. Character performer equally good on stage and television, she made her directorial debut in 2001 with the short documentary Girls & Dolls.
Youth and Early Life
Drena De Niro was born in New York City, New York, on September 3, 1967, to actress Diahnne Abbott and a man to whom Abbott had been previously married. Abbott married Robert De Niro in 1976, and De Niro formally adopted Drena as his daughter. Since then, she has said that she never knew her biological father and has refused to disclose his identity.
She has a 1976-born brother named Raphael, three half-brothers named Aaron, Elliot, and Julian, and a half-sister named Helen from Robert De Niro’s later marriages.
Named after the East European river Drina that flows through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, she spent her formative years in New York, Los Angeles, and Italy, where her aesthetic and artistic sensibilities were cultivated. Larry Moss, author of “Intent to Live,” and Susan Batson of The Black Nexxus Acting Studio taught her acting.
Drena Niro’s Career
Drena De Niro began her career in the fashion industry as a model following her graduation, which ultimately led to her becoming a fashion adviser for Hollywood celebrities. Her artistic side found its initial outlet in music, as she came from a highly creative family.
She had a distinguished career as a radio disc jockey. She was appointed by the renowned designer Giorgio Armani as the musical coordinator for his fashion presentations.
With a role in the 1996 film Grace of My Heart, she followed in her parents’ footsteps by becoming an actress. She worked alongside her father on multiple occasions. The first film in which they starred together was “Wag the Dog” (1997). In films such as ‘Great Expectations (1998), ‘Showtime’ (2002), ‘City by the Sea’ (2002), ‘New Year’s Eve’ (2011), ‘The Intern’ (2015), ‘Joy’ (2015), and ‘Hands of Stone’ (2015), they continued to work together (2016).
In ‘On the Run’ by Bruno de Almeida, she was cast opposite Michael Imperioli and John Ventimiglia. This was her first time portraying a female lead when she portrayed Rita. In 1999, she portrayed Caroline in the romantic comedy “At First Sight,” and in 2000, she gave the voice for the RBTV Lackey in “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.”
Throughout the 2000s, Drena De Niro continued to have tiny but crucial roles in films. She was also a producer for the Indian family drama “Karma, Confessions, and Holi” (2009). She will appear in the drama “Cabaret Maxime” and the comedy “Furlough.”
She made her small-screen debut in 1998 with the television crime drama “Witness to the Mob.” She also provided her voice for the computer-animated pilot ‘The Groovenians’ (2002) and made guest appearances in ‘NYC 22’ (2012) and ‘Mozart in the Jungle (2017).
Drena De Niro has also performed on stage extensively. She played Eugenie in a Theatrelab production of “The Nola Trilogy,” Mimi in “Mimi’s Tattoo Parlor” at New York Theatre, and the lead in “She’s of a Certain Age” at Beckett Theatre.
Drena’s Major Opera
Drena De Niro portrayed Stella Clark alongside Imperioli and Ventimiglia in the 2007 Portuguese drama “The Lovebirds.” Also starring in the critically acclaimed picture were Joaquim de Almeida, Rogério Samora, and Nick Sandow.
Awards & Achievements
Drena De Niro made her directorial debut in 2001 with the PBS short documentary Girls and Dolls, for which she won the 2001 New York Independent Film and Video Festival’s Best Directorial Debut for Documentary Award.
Drena’s Personal Life
In 2004, Drena De Niro gave birth to Leandro Anthony DeNiro Rodriguez. The family of two currently resides in a New York City penthouse in the West Village.
In 2006, she became a spokesman for the Kageno Orphan Sponsorship Program as an engaged member of the community.
Her ex-fiance Austin Young accused her of attacking him in New York City in August 2011. The claimed incident occurred when Young was walking his dog and was confronted by De Niro, who came over and began punching him.
According to an eyewitness report, Young’s dog escaped and he after it while De Niro rushed him down the street, struck him, and tore his shirt. Young informed the reporters that they were temporarily engaged, but De Niro ended the engagement because her father disapproved. Drena De Niro has Thai boxing experience.
Estimated Net Worth
Unknown.