Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett star in Netflix political thriller 'Zero Day'
Robert De Niro, whose career spans over five decades, has never done a full TV series... until now.
The legendary actor stars in Netflix's "Zero Day," a political thriller with a packed cast that includes fellow Academy Award Winner, Angela Bassett.
The story revolves around a devastating cyber attack that leaves thousands of people dead, and one former president called back to duty.
De Niro, who plays the beloved president, George Mullen, faces his greatest crisis yet.
De Niro and Bassett both sat down with Eyewitness News entertainment reporter Joelle Garguilo to talk more about the new series.
Garguilo: Well, it is a pleasure to be here with you guys. I have to imagine, though, that you have been approached to do TV before?
De Niro: Well, I was saying to my agent, can we find something that's like, I stay in New York for five or six months? It was all good writing and smart so I knew it would be good.
He stars alongside Academy Award winner Angela Bassett.
Garguilo: Congratulations on this show. I want to know what your why is with this one, because sometimes we say yes to a project because of the script, the director, the cast, where we're at in life. For you specifically with this one, what's your why?
Bassett: Yeah, all those things, all those things were my why. The director, Leslie Linker Gladder, brilliant, worked with her decades ago on "ER." To work with, you know, one of the greatest actors ever in Robert De Niro. Okay, he's going to be the former president. Who's the sitting president? It's going to be a woman. It's going to be this Black woman. So, it's like, oh my gosh, really?
Garguilo: I love the relationship between Mullen and the women in his life. And the way that I read it is, if you want to get to him, or you want to get through him, you go through the women in his life, and it seems like his Achilles heel is his daughter. So, I'm curious for you both, and it could be professionally or personally, but who is that person for you?
De Niro: It could be my girlfriend; it could be my kids. Does that answer the question?
Garguilo: I loved how we got to see your character develop over a number of episodes. Curious for you, are there any of your film characters that you would have loved to have a little more time with?
De Niro: No, yeah, you're right. I mean, I directed the "Good Shepherd" and there was talk at one point because I always had an idea for a sequel, and we did talk about it with some people who do limited series of stuff. It didn't go anywhere, and it was also new to me, and I didn't know, and it's a lot, a lot of work, it's good, but it's, you know, but it gives you a chance to explore the characters, the situations that's different as a story. I thought it would be interesting, but I didn't do it.
Bassett: "Waiting to Exhale."
Garguilo: I was hoping you would say that. I was really hoping you would say that, is one of my favorite movies.
Bassett: I really love those the relationships between those women. That's why I'm thankful for this, that we get an opportunity to, you know, really piece it out and go under the hood for each of these characters, not rush it.
Garguilo: Well, I am thankful for this time with you. You are such a joy of a human being.
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