Robert De Niro opened his commencement speech to the graduates of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a simple message: “Tisch graduates, you made it… and you’re fucked.”
In a brutally honest address, De Niro proceeded to tell the prospective artists and actors that unlike the graduates of the business or nursing schools, they face an uphill battle and almost certain unemployment.
“A new door is opening for you, a door to a lifetime of rejection. It’s inevitable,” the Oscar-winning actor said. “How do you cope with it? I hear that Valium and Vicodin work.”
The New York Daily News tracked down a handful of students who seemed to appreciate De Niro’s blunt talk, but also found one parent who said, “You don’t really want to use the f-bomb in front of thousands of people. That’s just my take.”
