Robert De Niro Thinks Actors Become Famous Too Early

Robert De Niro thinks actors become famous too early. The 66-year-old actor believes his struggle to find success in his early career has kept him grounded and feels modern stars need time to find their feet.

He explained: "I think it's important to have had at least a few years of obscurity, where people treat you like everybody else. Then it goes crazy, and all of a sudden people behave differently toward you, they're agreeing with you all the time, they're not telling you no."

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"I had some regular life behind me. It anchored me, going into the future."

The veteran actor doesn't mind being a role model for other aspiring Hollywood stars because he believes he has enough life experience to give good advice.

He said: "I don't mind giving advice. I've had more experience, just by virtue of being alive longer, so I don't mind doing that - if people ask. I don't want to be preachy."

But the star admitted that he was so convinced he would be a star that he never thought about a back-up career.

He added to Parade magazine: "I didn't have a Plan B. I never quite got to the point of needing one. I did one thing, then the next. I was able to sustain myself."