Robert De Niro made a surprise appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback show on Tuesday, following the host’s ‘indefinite’ hiatus.
The Oscar winner, 82, made a virtual cameo on Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, performing as a fictional new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairperson in a comedy sketch.
The two lampooned FCC over free speech, after Kimmel was booted off the air last week over his comments about conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
De Niro leaned into the mob boss persona he’s known for playing in films over the years, at one point asking Kimmel, ‘What the f**k did you just say to me?’
The bit started out with Kimmel explaining that he was expecting to speak with the real FCC chairman, Brendan Carr.
‘You were appointed FCC chairman by Donald Trump?’ he asked. ‘Sir Trump, yes,’ De Niro replied. ‘I used to do some work for a man here and there in Atlantic City.’
Robert De Niro, 82, made a surprise appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback show on Tuesday, following the host’s ‘indefinite’ hiatus
The Oscar winner made a virtual cameo on Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, performing as a fictional new FCC chairperson in a comedy sketch
‘But did I just hear you on the phone threatening Whoopi Goldberg?’ Kimmel asked.
‘No, I would never threaten Ms. Goldstein. I was just teaching her a lesson about consequences,’ De Niro replied.
Kimmel then suggested that the FCC is using ‘mob tactics to suppress free speech.’
‘What the f**k did you just say to me?’ the actor asked.
After Kimmel told De Niro that he couldn’t curse on broadcast television or he’d get fined by the FCC, De Niro quipped: ‘I am the f*****g FCC, I can say whatever the f*** I want.’
‘It sounds a little like threat and intimidation to me, Chairman,’ Kimmel said.
‘It’s just me, Jimmy, the chairman of the FCC, gently suggesting that you gently shut the f**k up,’ De Niro replied.
De Niro later said the new motto for the FCC is ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones.’
‘And… well, the rest of that is “But words can never harm you,”‘ Kimmel said.
‘Oh, well, they can harm you now,’ De Niro warned. ‘Let’s make sure you pick the right words. Capisce?’
The two lampooned FCC over free speech, after Kimmel was booted off the air last week over his comments about conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination
De Niro leaned into the mob boss persona he’s known for playing in films over the years, at one point asking Kimmel, ‘What the f**k did you just say to me?’
Kimmel fought back tears as he tried to explain his statement on Charlie Kirk in his first show back on ABC since he was suspended over his comments about the late TPUSA founder.
‘It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,’ he said, fighting back tears. ‘I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.’
He referenced his post to Instagram sending love to Kirk’s family and said he still does.
He then tried to explain what he said about Kirk but did not directly apologize.
He thanked his fellow talk show hosts, fans and even conservatives who defended him.
Kimmel welcomed first guests back Glenn Powell – who said he was ‘honored’ and ‘glad’ the host was back – and singer Sarah McLachlan.
At the end of the show, he joked: ‘I think we’ll be back tomorrow night, see you then.’
However, Sinclair and Nexstar stations, which make up about a third of ABC’s affiliates, will not be showing the program.
The host previously said that ‘the MAGA gang’ was attempting to portray the suspect in Kirk’s killing ‘as anything other than one of them.’
ABC’s parent company, Disney, announced that it had suspended the show to ‘avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotionally charged moment for the country.’
But, after ‘having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy,’ the company announced Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return to its airwaves on Tuesday.
