Billy Crystal Teased Robert De Niro About His Acting Skills on Analyze This Set: ‘Is That All You Got?’

Therapy is back on for Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal — and it’s full of laughs!

The Analyze this The costars took the stage at the Spring Studios Indeed Theater in New York City on Friday, June 14, following a screening of their hit 1999 comedy for a Q&A moderated by Gayle King.

Speaking about the first few takes of the film, Crystal, 76, explained that De Niro, 80, pulled him aside and told him he was open to feedback on his performance.

“He’s whispering because it’s like mobsters whispering because it makes you want to approach them,” Crystal recalled of the conversation. “And he says, ‘Listen. If you see something I can do funnier, you better take me aside and just let me know.’ ”

Billy Crystal Says It’s ‘Wonderful’ Robert De Niro Is Dad Again At 79 (Exclusive)

Robert De Niro (left) and Billy Crystal in ‘Analyze This’.

Cinematheque/Shutterstock

Crystal recalled thinking, “Oh my God. What an amazing, generous thing.”

In the next frame, their characters meet for the first time in a simple scene when the patient (De Niro) introduces himself to his therapist, played by Crystal.

In the Q&A, Crystal said that when the director yelled cut off in a scene where De Niro’s character reluctantly receives treatment and was supposed to feign disinterest, he said that De Niro was open to criticism.

“I say, ‘Come here. Is that all you got?’ And then we just laughed and just, throughout the whole movie you wouldn’t think we would just laugh as much as we did,” Crystal said. “It’s hard to get through some scenes because they’re really funny, and he was amazing to work with.”

Billy Crystal (left) and Robert De Niro participate in a Q&A after a screening of ‘Analyze This’ on June 14, 2024.

Rob Kim/Getty

The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!

In the comedy, De Niro plays Paul Vitti, a mob boss who suffers from panic attacks and reluctantly seeks the help of psychiatrist Ben Sobel (Crystal). Through a series of comical misunderstandings, two people who are polar opposites form a bond and begin to respect each other. The film also stars Lisa Kudrow and Chazz Palminteri.

Analyze this was a hit with critics and audiences, topping the box office in its opening weekend. It spawned a 2002 sequel Analyze Itin which De Niro’s character is released from prison under the supervision of his psychiatrist.

Billy Crystal (left) and Robert De Niro at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

De Niro and Crystal stayed in touch over the years. In 2022, they were photographed together in New York when Mad bull The Oscar winner saw it City slickers star on Broadway in the musical adaptation of his 1992 comedy Mr. on Saturday evenings.

Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen have a date at the Tribeca Film Festival

In 2023, Crystal told PEOPLE that he had been hanging out with De Niro and his partner Tiffany Chen shortly before they welcomed their daughter, Gia, in April of that year. “I was with him two weeks before the baby was born,” Crystal said, adding that the birth of their child was “amazing.”

He said at the time that De Niro and Chen “just love each other, and they want to do this together,” adding, “I think it’s a beautiful thing. It’s wonderful.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education