A ‘hostile’ Robert De Niro stormed out of a very awkward interview

Robert De Niro has been promoting his new film The Intern of late. While not all interviews can be with his new best friend Anne Hathaway, we didn’t expect this one to end how it did.

The actor stormed out of a Radio Times interview after objecting to the interviewer’s ‘negative inference’ in the questions.

The interviewer, Emma Brockes, called the star “depressed” before the interview was cut short. She says he asked her to stop recording their conversation before he started “pacing madly” and then storming out.

She asked the Oscar winner how he avoids falling into “autopilot” mode on set and the actor responded with “negative inference”.

Emma then asked where else he was referring to and he replied: “The whole way through and I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it, darling.”

She says that stuck his head out of the door of the room looking for someone to remove him from the interview before walking out himself. She then asked him where she was being negative:

“The question about being on autopilot – negative inference,” he said. She replied: “Wait, but I asked that question to establish how it is you manage not to be on autopilot.” He repeated: “There’s a negative inference.”

She told the Independent that his combination of “hostility and condescension” irritated her and she “lost her cool.”

"I certainly didn’t go in looking for an argument but when it happened I did think 'at least he’s finally saying something'," she added. 

She also admitted that she does have sympathy for the star for having to do such interviews for the film. The Intern follows the story of his character who takes an internship at a fashion website owned by Anne Hathaway’s character.

Not yet released in Irish cinemas, the film has not been getting exceptional praise from critics stateside. The Hollywood Reporter referred to it as a “middling star vehicle.”