Robert De Niro gave the commencement speech at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts graduation on Friday, May 22nd and he said to the graduating students: “You made it…. and, you’re f***ed,” according to a CNN report.
“When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense. You aren’t just following dreams, you’re reaching for your destiny. … You’re an artist — yeah, you’re f—d. The good news is that’s not a bad place to start.”
The actor continued his truthful speech by clarifying what’s ahead:
“Now that you’ve made your choice — or, rather, succumbed to it — your path is clear. Not easy, but clear. You have to keep working, it’s that simple. You got through Tisch, that’s a big deal. Or, to put it another way, you got through Tisch? Big deal!
“A new door is opening for you — a door to a lifetime of rejection. It’s inevitable,” he warned of post-graduate life. “How do you cope? I hear that Valium and Vicodin work! … You don’t want to block the pain too much. Without the pain, what would we talk about?”
According to TMZ, this is the greatest commencement speech of the season for sure!
