Robert De Niro recalls one of the biggest challenges of playing Travis Bickle inTaxi Driver. Released in 1976 and directed by Martin Scorsese,Taxi Driveris an award-nominated neo-noir thriller that follows Bickle, a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran who descends into violent delusions while working as a cab driver in New York City. The film remains one ofRobert De Niro’s most iconic rolesas he transforms into a deeply disturbed, yet compelling antihero.Taxi Driveralso features Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, and Albert Brooks.
In an interview withGQ,De Niro shares how Travis' mohawk was physically difficult to manage, but ultimately served his character. While the look became an iconic emblem of Bickle, it required a meticulous application process from award-winning make-up artist Dick Smith. He used a latex cap to create the illusion, which limited De Niro’s movement but also reinforced Travis' rigid and unnerving demeanor with a “stiffness in [his] neck.” Read what he had to say below:
The mohawk, Marty and I had met a neighborhood friend of his who was in the army. So he showed us a picture of people, the kids he was in the outfit with. One of them had a mohawk, or maybe even more than one. So we said, that’s an interesting idea, let’s try and do it.
At that time, I was gonna doThe Last Tycoonwith [Elia Kazan]. We talked about what are we gonna do because to have an actual mohawk would be great. And so I said, well, let’s talk to Dick Smith, who was a great make-up artist at the time and worked onGodfather I and II. And we did the test and it worked.He put a latex cap on my headand put the mohawk that he had made. And then blew through a little thing, a little beard stubble type thing on the rest of my head and it worked.
The only thing, because the latex back here [points to back of neck],I had to stay sort of upright the whole day or whenever we did shoot with that,because I didn’t want it to unstick, or we’d have to try and reapply it. And soI had like a stiffness in my neck, whichI thought was good for the characterand the scenes I had done, so it helped in that way.
What De Niro’s Latex Cap Means
How An On-Set Challenge Became A Character-Defining Trait
The mohawk is one of the most important visual elements ofTaxi Driver. In the film, Travis shaves his head into a mohawk before attending a political rally where he plans toassassinate Senator Charles Palantine,signaling his full descent into madness. However, De Niro didn’t actually shave his head for the role because he was set to filmThe Last Tycoonsoon after. Instead, legendary makeup artist Dick Smith—who also worked onThe Godfather,The Exorcist, andScanners, and later won an Academy Award forAmadeus—created the look using a latex cap and prosthetic hair.
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Though the cap was uncomfortable and forced De Niro to keep his head straight throughoutMartin Scorsese’s classic movie, this unintended stiffness actually enhanced his portrayal of the manic vigilante. Due to the cap’s restriction,Bickle appeared even more wound-up and roboticas he traversed the streets of the city to clean up “scum.” This is a perfect instance of how even behind-the-scenes practical challenges can sometimes lead to creative breakthroughs, emphasizing the realism and intensity of a character without a deliberate intention.
Our Take On Travis Bickle’s Mohawk
Method Acting Goes Beyond Intention
De Niro’s dedication to his craft has long been a defining feature of his career, fromRaging BulltoCape Fear, and the 1976 filmTaxi Driverstands as one of the best examples of his method-acting approach. The fact that something as seemingly minor as a latex mohawk cap became a critical element of Travis Bickle’s dynamism is a fascinating look into how even the smallest details can have an impact on an actor’s performance. It’s surely another reason whyTaxi Drivercontinues to be revered nearly 50 years later.
Taxi Driver
Cast
Martin Scorsese’s classic 1976 film stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran turned New York City cab driver whose increasingly disturbed mental state due to his PTSD begins to drive him to more and more violent actions as he attempts to rid the city of what he sees as the “scum” on the streets. Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Cybill Shepherd, and Albert Brooks also star in the film.
