Robert De Niro and Ariana Grande will soon share the screen in the upcoming comedy film Focker-in-Law. Ahead of its release, the actor opened up about his co-star, calling her a “terrific” actress, but his statement came with a catch.
Robert De Niro praises Ariana Grande ahead of Focker-in-Law’s release
The 83-year-old appeared on the Today show on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, where he discussed his upcoming Netflix movie The Whisper Man and Focker-in-Law. During the conversation, Robert De Niro also opened up about his co-star Ariana Grande.
According to People, De Niro said, “Of course I’ve met her, I worked with her.” He then spoke about Grande’s Wicked movies, admitting that he has not seen them yet but plans to watch them with his daughter.
De Niro said, “No, I haven’t. I’m trying to see it with my daughter.”
“Yeah, she’s terrific. She’s great,” he added about Grande.
De Niro said he wants to watch Ariana Grande’s Wicked movies with one of his daughters, although he did not specify which one. For context, the Taxi Driver star has four daughters: Drena De Niro, Airyn De Niro, Helen Grace De Niro and Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro.
Before Focker-in-Law, De Niro and Grande had not appeared together in a film, making this their first movie collaboration.
Focker-in-Law is set to hit theaters on Nov. 25, 2026. The returning cast includes Ben Stiller as Gaylord “Greg” Focker, Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes, Teri Polo as Pam Byrnes-Focker, Blythe Danner as Dina Byrnes and Owen Wilson as Kevin Rawley. The new cast includes Ariana Grande as Olivia Jones, Skyler Gisondo as Henry Focker, Beanie Feldstein as Samantha Focker and Eduardo Franco.
With the release approaching, De Niro’s praise adds another reason for fans to watch how his first on-screen collaboration with Grande plays out.
