Robert De Niro is often considered one of the greatest actors of all time (per Empire). He quickly became a household name in the 1970s, and arguably America’s favorite gangster. De Niro is most recognizably known for his collaboration films with Martin Scorsese, and has portrayed countless villains, psychopaths, and unstable characters in the past. He gained notice for his role in a baseball film called Bang the Drum Slowly, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Scorsese, who focused on showing De Niro’s versatile acting abilities, that his career really took off. His acting range knows no bounds as he can go from lovable grandpa to jaw-breaking mafia member effortlessly.

Indeed, De Niro is probably at his best when he’s embracing his dark side, with a trademark intensity that is unparalleled in Hollywood and a history of playing volatile characters whilst keeping them undeniably human. Below, we take a look at his ten most terrifying performances and rank them.

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10 Al Capone — The Untouchables

     Paramount Pictures

Unlike most other roles on this list, De Niro lends notorious gangster Al Capone little nuance or humanity and instead plays him as an all-out bad guy in The Untouchables. De Niro perfectly brings Capone’s arrogance to the forefront portraying as utterly contempt. His ruthlessness sees no bounds, and the absolutely unlikability of the character implores viewers to side with the film’s protagonist, Elliot Ness, played by Kevin Costner.

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9 Sam Regazolli — Ronin

     United Artists 

When you think of De Niro, you think “no nonsense,” both on-screen and off, and no role exemplifies this better than Sam Regazolli in John Frankenheimer’s 1998 action thriller Ronin. The movie sees a team of former special operatives hired to steal a mysterious and very well guarded briefcase while navigating a labyrinth of ever shifting loyalties. Regazolli is a deadly ex-mercenary who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. He takes no crap from no one, an attitude De Niro is the master in conveying.

8 Noodles — Once Upon a Time in America

     Warner Bros.

Noodles is a vile and despicable character who commits a string of atrocious crimes throughout Once Upon a Time in America, and what makes this De Niro performance so special is that he was able to persuade director Sergio Leone to allow him to play the character in both his 20s and his 60s, after Leone was originally looking at two separate actors for the roles. The filming itslef to place over a staggering 10 years.

Needless to say, it was certainly the right decision as De Niro manages to bring a certain air of calmness to an otherwise very volatile and dangerous character, making it one of the most terrifying performances in his extensive repertoire. Noodles would have been higher in the list if it wasn’t for De Niro humanizing the character so much that he actually managed to invoke empathy for him in his later life, despite his sordid background.

7 Vito Corleone — The Godfather: Part II

One of the greatest movies all time, and proof that a sequel can be just as good as, if not better than the original, The Godfather Part II is a gangster epic released in 1974. De Niro plays the father of the new Don, Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino). It follows his backstory in Sicily as he works his way up through the ranks to becoming the notorious crime boss in the USA we see him as in the original The Godfather movie. De Niro’s portrayal delivers an unflinching performance, perfectly conveying the lengths Vito would go to get what he wants. So committed to the role was De Niro that it is reported that he even learned Italian and lived in Sicily to prepare for the role.

6 Rupert Pupkin — The King of Comedy

     20th Century Fox

While Pupkin is far from De Niro’s most brutal character, there’s something seriously unnerving about the way he portrays this delusional standup comedian who suffers with mental health issues. Satirizing the culture of the media and celebrity worshiping, Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, was ahead of its time. De Niro perfectly brings Scorsese’s character to life and somehow managed to create someone who is strangely relatable and sympathetic yet a total psychopath — and there’s something quite terrifying about that in itself.

5 John “Johnny Boy” Civello — Mean Streets

Mean Streets marks the first time De Niro teamed up with long-time collaborator Scorsese, and it is arguably his portrayal of the reckless thug Johnny Boy that was his breakout role. It introduced the world to the De Niro we love today, and allowed him to exhibit his unique brand of volatility, crazed stare, and extreme intensity, which have since become a staple of so many performances we have fallen in love with over the years. He demonstrates here how he can take almost any character and make him believable and human, which is what makes them all the more terrifying.

4 Jimmy Conway — Goodfellas

Goodfellas is one of the greatest gangster flicks of all time, and De Niro’s Jimmy Conway is one of the movie’s most intriguing, exciting, and terrifying characters. Whilst not as much as a loose cannon and outright menace as Joe Pesci’s turn as Tommy DeVito, it’s the air of calmness that makes De Niro’s performance so terrifying. Jimmy Conway is responsible for multiple horrific deaths throughout the movie but remains calm and collected despite the brutality, a truly chilling performance.

3 Jack Byrnes — Meet the Parents

     Universal Pictures

Meet the Parents chronicles the series of rather unfortunate events that plague Greg, a hapless nurse played in a career defining moment by Ben Stiller, while visiting his girlfriend’s parents. Having a comedy movie so high up on this list may seem a bit odd at first, and while not a gangster or an all-out villain like most of the entries in this list, De Niro’s performance certainly retains the same level of intensity as he portrays the father, a role that plays on his reputation as a no-nonsense tough guy to hilarious effect as Greg constantly tries, and fails, to impress.

Despite the ludicrous situations the characters find themselves in, De Niro remains ever committed to playing the role with the straightest of faces, in a performance that has surely given nightmares to people across the world the night before having to meet their partners’ parents.

2 Travis Bickle — Taxi Driver

     Columbia Pictures

Whether Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle is a hero or a villain will differ from person to person, but one thing that all will undoubtedly agree on is that he is utterly terrifying. De Niro brings an intensity to the character that makes audiences feel uneasy from the moment he steps on screen. As the movie progresses, so does that level of intensity, leaving audiences at the edge of their seats anticipating that breaking point that will fully send him over the edge, which could happen at any moment.

De Niroprepared for his role by obtaining a taxi driver’s license and listening to a taped reading of the diaries of criminal Arthur Bremer. The megastar also lost 30 pounds, took firearm training, and religiously studied the behaviors of taxi drivers; he also would give people a ride in between filming breaks while remaining in character.

The Washington Postcalled De Niro’s epic role his “landmark performance” and he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Since its release, Taxi Driver has gone on to be considered one of the greatest movies ever made. From the mohawked appearance to the quotable lines and antisocial behavior, this is one of the most terrifying performances ever committed to film.

1 Max Cady — Cape Fear

Released in 1991, Cape Fear marks the seventh collaboration between Scorsese and De Niro. De Niro portrays the main antagonist Max Cady, a convicted violent sex offender out for revenge on those he believes are responsible for his prior imprisonment. Covered in crudely drawn prison tattoos and played with utter conviction in a way that only De Niro could pull off, Max Cady expresses zero remorse for any of his actions as he goes after the family of the public defender in his case, particularly his teenage daughter, with De Niro fully committing to the role even during the unfathomably uncomfortable scenes involving the teen. It’s almost as if you can see the pure evil in De Niro’s eyes as he embodies this monster of a character.