Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1195764
sagaftra.org / SAG-AFTRA SPECIAL ISSUE 2020 / 68 UNTOUCHABLE F or decades, each winter SAG-AFTRA has honored a member who has elevated the acting profession and has a history of active involvement in humanitarian and public service endeavors. The 56th recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award is Robert De Niro, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor, producer and director with a long list of professional and philanthropic honors. Announcing the selection on Nov. 12, President Gabrielle Carteris called De Niro "one of the most singular talents of our generation. "He's an actor of extraordinary depth and ability. The characters he creates captivate our imaginations. From the smoldering inferno of young Vito Corleone to the raging bull Jake LaMotta and everybody's grandpa Ben Whittaker, he continues to touch our hearts and open our minds to new and exciting worlds of understanding and emotion," said Carteris. De Niro, who joined the union in 1969, has been a member for more than half a century. "It's an honor to receive this award from SAG-AFTRA," he said. De Niro will be presented the award on Jan. 19 by Leonardo DiCaprio, who co-starred with him in the 1993 film This Boy's Life — but it won't be the first time De Niro has been honored at the SAG Awards. In 2014, he was the recipient of a SAG Award for his work as a member of the cast of American Hustle. In total, he has received seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, including for his work in HBO's The Wizard of Lies and the films Silver Linings Playbook and Marvin's Room. De Niro is also a seven-time Academy Award nominee, a six-time BAFTA nominee and a nine-time Golden Globe nominee. Mean Streets (1973); below, The Godfather: Part II (1974); bottom, Taxi Driver (1976). W A R N E R B R O S . PA R A M O U N T P I C T U R E S C O L U M B I A P I C T U R E S