Robert De Niro recalls first meeting with Martin Scorsese 50 years ago

Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese recently opened up about their partnership that goes 50 years back.

The lethal actor-director duo is known in Hollywood for their strong and deep-rooted professional and personal friendship.

In a new issue for PEOPLE magazine, Robert recalled that he has known Martin since they were teenagers.

“We met at a Christmas dinner after I saw Who's That Knocking [at My Door], and I said, ‘That was a really terrific movie. He said, ‘I have the script.’ And Mean Streets was at that time called Season of the Witch, and so that's how it started,” the 80-year-old actor shared.

For his part, Martin gushed over Robert’s versatility of taking on whatever role he wants to play.

“When Bob commits to a role, he starts digging in with research, questions about absolutely everything, from what the character wears to what he eats for breakfast,” the 81-year-old director said.

He continued, "At this point, I treasure the sheer longevity, the shared experience and knowledge,” he says. “The trust. The love. And also, the desire to explore together, to go further.”