Robert De Niro Praises Meryl Streep on Her Golden Globes Speech: ‘It Needed to Be Said, You Said It Beautifully’
Fans and celebrities alike have voiced support for Meryl Streep following her impassioned acceptance speech at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday evening, but perhaps no one is prouder than her longtime friend, Robert De Niro.
The 73-year-old actor, who received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2011 show, wrote a heartfelt response to Streep, 67, in a letter, obtained exclusively by PEOPLE.
“What you said was great. It needed to be said, and you said it beautifully,” De Niro expressed. “I have so much respect for you that you did it while the world was celebrating your achievements. I share your sentiments about punks and bullies. Enough is enough.”
In her speech, which she wrote herself, the three-time Oscar-winning actress focused on president-elect Donald Trump, though she never mentioned him by name.
Viola Davis and George Clooney were among the celebrities on Monday who spoke out to back Streep’s heartfelt speech.
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Along with their off-screen friendship, De Niro and Streep have costarred in four films: The Deer Hunter (1974), Falling in Love (1984), Marvin’s Room (1996) and First Man (2004). De Niro also shared kind words about Streep in December 2011 when he presented her with a Kennedy Center Honor at the 34th annual broadcast.
The famous friends were last seen together at Friday’s farewell party for President Obama.
Read the full letter below:
Meryl –
What you said was great. It needed to be said, and you said it beautifully. I have so much respect for you that you did it while the world was celebrating your achievements. I share your sentiments about punks and bullies. Enough is enough. You, with your elegance and intelligence, have a powerful voice – one that inspires others to speak up as they should so their voices will be heard too. It is so important that we ALL speak up.
We love you.
Bob
