Where this was said
De Niro Knew He Was Being Funny: The Comedy-Drama Philosophy
At 18:22 · chapter starts 18:00
Will Arnett asks whether, as young actors, any of them wanted to be taken seriously as dramatic performers. Olyphant responds with a philosophy that anchors the episode: his favorite actors were always actors giving 'comedic dramatic performances,' and the prime example is De Niro. 'When he's doing Taxi Driver, he knows that's funny, right?' The hosts wonder — does he really? Olyphant is certain. The 'you talking to me' bit is comedic timing. When De Niro later did straight comedy, people were surprised. Olyphant wasn't. Will Arnett synthesizes it: the through line is commitment. As long as you're fully committed, it doesn't matter whether the bit is dramatic or comedic — the audience feels it as authentic. Sean Hayes adds a wrinkle: the funniest thing is sometimes watching someone commit to being non-committal, performing bad acting for real. It's a rich, substantive exchange.
