Robert De Niro has opened up about the one part of fatherhood that still weighs on him, even after becoming a dad seven times.
The 83-year-old Hollywood legend admitted that his busy acting career sometimes keeps him away from his children when he feels he should be there.
Speaking to PEOPLE while promoting his new Netflix film, “The Whisper Man,” De Niro said he has never found a perfect formula for balancing work and family.
I don’t know if there is a secret. It’s just managing it all.
But managing everything comes with a feeling he cannot completely escape.
There’s no way around not feeling a little guilty about not being there at times you should or you think you should.
De Niro is the father of seven children, ranging from 54-year-old Drena, whom he adopted, to his youngest daughter Gia, who was born in 2023.
The actor has continued working steadily while raising his youngest child, and he has previously spoken about the different experience of becoming a father later in life.
For De Niro, though, fatherhood remains something no amount of experience can completely prepare someone for.
It’s a new experience. It’s not like you’ve taken courses on it and stuff.
He added that becoming a parent ultimately means jumping in and figuring things out along the way.
The comments come as De Niro prepares to appear in “The Whisper Man,” which also explores the complicated relationship between a father and son.
The film premieres on Netflix on August 28.