MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: 'The Godfather' actor Robert De Niro's personal trainer of nearly 40 years, Dan Harvey, has revealed the actor's rigorous workout routine.
Harvey, 63, told a Manhattan federal court jury on November 8 that De Niro works out up to 7 hours per day during testimony in the actor's ongoing legal battle with his ex-assistant.
Harvey started working for the 80-year-old actor in 1984 after he completed 'Raging Bull' and needed to lose around 35 pounds (16kgs) that he gained while playing the role of boxer Jake LaMotta.
In 1985, he became De Niro's full-time trainer. Both worked together for almost 93 films, the first being the 1984 romantic drama 'Falling in Love.'
According to his statement, he has trained the actor for months on movie sets, prepping him for the character. He has traveled with De Niro to Argentina, Brazil, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, England, France, Italy, and Hungary.
He was testifying in the court in a workplace discrimination trial initiated by Graham Chase Robinson, the actor's ex-personal assistant. She filed a $6 million lawsuit against the actor in 2019 after he sued her, accusing her of stealing millions of frequent flier miles.
Dan Harvey describes Robert De Niro as a generous boss
Harvey commenced his employment with an annual salary of $55,000; till 2019, it was $290,000, which rose to $375,000 in May 2019, reported the New York Post. Additionally, he would receive a bonus equal to a week's salary on his birthday and Christmas.
Harvey testified that De Niro used to yell at him during the early days of his employment. However, he said that the actor never cursed or used profane words against him, even at the starting time.
"When I was younger, it happened a lot. Not so much anymore. I sort of know the ropes, so to speak," Harvey said to the court.
Dan Harvey testified to the court about Robert De Niro's intensive training
Harvey also spoke about his training sessions with 'The Killers of the Flower Moon' actor. The actor trained for two to seven hours daily and spent almost 310 days of the last 365 days with De Niro.
He also assisted the actor in reciting lines for the upcoming projects.
"We would be working on dialogue, and he would work with me, two hours training, then maybe walk the treadmill slow, working his dialogue, running his dialogue with me," Harvey said.
"He literally walks in and starts talking to me. He starts the first scene of the day, and he's queuing me… As soon as he walks into the door… He wants to roll and run the next scene the next day."
Harvey trained De Niro "21 days straight in Montauk" to make him look older than he did for the 1990 movie 'Goodfellas.' For the 1991 movie 'Cape Fear' he trained to look "very lean, defined and cut up" for the role of Max Cady.
His testimony also contradicted Robinson's accusations of De Niro's gender discrimination in the workplace, where she was forced to do his housework.
