Drena De Niro has a diverse career steeped in art. This is not a break with family tradition – as the biological daughter of Diahnne Abbot and the adoptive daughter of American star actor Robert De Niro, her family has a long history of involvement in the entertainment industry. She has dabbled in acting, musical direction, film directing and other various fields, shows an adaptability and can now boast a large number of awards.
Just a simple reminder that the article is only created and owned by businesskinda.com. Article cannot be republished in other pages or documents. Copyright is protected by DMCA. All instances found are reported.
Original source: https://businesskinda.com/who-is-robert-de-niros-adopted-daughter-drena-de-niro-biography/
Contents
Early life and family
Drena was born on the 3rd of September 1976 in New York City, USA. She and her biological mother, Diahnne Abbot, have never revealed the identity of her biological father, but she is known to be named after the Drina stream, a prominent feature in a book her parents loved.
Drena reveals that she never knew him and that he was not involved in her upbringing, often described as “bohemian,” indicating the nomadic nature of her childhood. She spent her time divided between New York, Los Angeles and Italy. The long time she spent in these centers of creativity and art further perpetuated her parents’ lifestyle, which had a direct impact on her later career and life choices.
In 1976, Drena’s mother married Robert De Niro, and her half-brother Raphael was born that same year as a result of that union. Drena took the surname from her stepfather who played a crucial paternal role in her life.
This marriage ended in 1988, but Drena still maintained her relationship with Robert. The colorful family dynamic is reflected in her string of step-siblings, including twins Aaron Kendrik and Julian De Niro, born in 1995, and Elliot and Helen Grace De Niro, children from Robert De Niro’s second marriage to Grace Hightower.
Education
Drena De Niro’s early education is still shrouded in obscurity. She has not spoken about her education or references to a tertiary education. Despite this, a minimal amount of information is known about her acting training – Drena studied acting under the auspices of Larry Moss, who wrote the “Intent to Live”, an extensive exploration of successful acting.
She also attended The Black Nexus Acting Studio, where she was trained by Susan Batson.
Career
Fashion
Drena De Niro first came into the limelight when she launched her modeling career. She modeled for prominent designers, including Jean-Paul Gaultier – the French designer known for his Madonna costumes – and Vivienne Westwood, an innovative British designer. This era of her career predates her advances in other industries, but they still serve her well as she uses the knowledge she gained during this time to provide fashion advice to Hollywood celebrities.
De Niro also enjoyed a tenure as editor of the women’s magazine ‘Mademoiselle’.
Music
In addition to her fashion career, Drena gained fame for her work as a disc jockey, a reputation that soon led to the intermingling of her career fields when she was awarded a contract to work for Giorgio Armani, a renowned Italian luxury designer, who hired her exclusively to create and select music for Armani shops and high-end fashion shows. This allowed her to express both her prowess in the fashion industry and her ear for music. The end of her work with Armani also symbolized the end of an era for her, as she transitioned into her most prolific phase: that of an actress.
Act
It is at this stage in her life that the timeline becomes most apparent and we know the most about her flourishing career. After landing her first small role in the 1996 film Grace of my Heart, De Niro became a prolific actress. In addition to inspiring her, Robert De Niro also appeared in multiple films alongside his adoptive daughter; the first of these films was “Wag the Dog”, and most recently “The Intern” and “Hands of Stone”.
Drena had her first lead role in “On the Run” in 1991, in which she played the character Rita.
While this may have been her most prominent role for a time, De Niro has played in many relevant roles throughout her career. Echoing her musical career alongside Giorgio Armani, Drena showed off her singing and musical prowess on screen and also played the voice artist for several animated films, including “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle” in 2000. In addition, she has made several appearances in Theatrelab, Beckett Theater and New York Theater productions. She shows her versatility through her various pursuits within the arts, moving seamlessly between stage and screen.
Producing and directing
Drena caused a stir in the directorial community with the release of her narrative documentary “Girls and Dolls” in 2001. Her talent and promise in the industry were immediately apparent, and at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival she was awarded Best Directorial Debut for Documentary Award. In 2009 she went on to assist as producer of “Karma, Confessions and Holi” and Indian drama.
Private life
Drena De Niro currently lives in New York with her son Leonardo De Niro Rodriguez who was born in 2004. Although she is now single, she was briefly engaged to American photographer Austin Young.
Despite her mother’s divorce from Robert De Niro, she maintains a close relationship with her (adoptive) stepfather and supposedly breaks off her engagement to Young because Robert De Niro disapproved of the relationship.
Drena manages to maintain a largely flawless reputation. The only stain is a rumored fiasco when she witnessed violent assaults on her ex-fiancé, ripping his shirt and hitting him with her fists as he walked his dog. The event was attended by a passerby, but the catalyst for the event is unknown.
Appearance
At 1.72 m tall, De Niro has maintained its appearance over the years.
Her black hair and dark brown eyes are reminiscent of her mixed ancestry – her mother’s family hails from Creole, Africa, and Antigua. She is slim and weighs about 60 kg.
Net value
Drena De Niro has a net worth of $300,000 collected through her various ventures in the entertainment industry – namely her movies which are somewhere over 30. Acting remains her main source of income, supporting herself and her son Leonardo. Her annual income varies depending on the projects she works on.
Hi @debimazar #Drena DeNiro! Memories-You girls look fabulous! RT @sirericjohnson Hi @rosieperezbklyn do you remember this photo? pic.twitter.com/eCRAypAF
— Rosie Perez (@rosieperezbklyn) January 10, 2013
other interests
Since 2006, Drena has been the spokesperson for the Kageno Orphan Sponsorship Program, a voice and source of hope for children stranded in Kenya and Rwanda. This expresses her interest in world events and her compassion for those in need.
Drena’s interests are not limited to those of the performing arts such as music and acting. De Niro is also well-versed in martial arts, yoga, and Muay Thai. She’s also an avid equestrian enthusiast and seizes every opportunity she gets to go horseback riding — an activity not readily available in the suburbs of New York.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.