Robert De Niro’s Commencement Speech: Don’t Be Afraid to Fail

 
Actor Robert De Niro’s wonderfully honest commencement speech to the New York University Tisch School of the Arts’ is one for the ages.

When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump commonsense. You weren’t just following dreams, you were reaching for your destiny. You’re a dancer, a singer, a choreographer, musician, a filmmaker, a writer, a photographer, a director, a producer, an actor, an artist. Yeah, you’re f**ked.

The award-winning thespian jokingly dropped the f-bomb when discussing the practicality of their career choice but genuinely offered the graduating class thoughts and advice on rejection, friendships, and taking risks in the face of failure. Watch all 16-minutes of his hopeful speech above.