Diahnne Abbott (born January 1, 1945)[1] is an American actress.[2]

Diahnne Abbott
Born (1945-05-01) May 1, 1945 (age 79)
Other namesDiahnne Déa
OccupationActress
Years active1976–present
Spouse
(m. 1976; div. 1988)
ChildrenDrena De Niro
Raphael De Niro

Personal life

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Abbott married actor Robert De Niro[2][3] in 1976. That same year, they had a son, Raphael,[4] who was named after the hotel in Rome where he was conceived. De Niro adopted Drena, Abbott's daughter from a previous relationship.[5] De Niro and Abbott divorced in 1988.[6]

Career

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Abbott portrayed the pornographic movie theatre concession clerk in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976) opposite De Niro.[7] She has a memorable cameo in the 1977 film New York, New York, in which she sings Fats Waller's song, "Honeysuckle Rose".[8]

She also played the object of De Niro's affections in Scorsese's 1983 film, The King of Comedy,[2] as well as roles in the television series Crime Story (the character of Sonia) and the 1986 film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (Mother). She is the cousin of singer Gregory Abbott, known for his 1986 song "Shake You Down".[9]

Filmography

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Film roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1976 Taxi Driver Concession Girl
Welcome to L.A. Jeanette Ross
1977 New York, New York Harlem Club Singer
1982 The King of Comedy Rita Keane
1984 Love Streams Susan
1986 Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling Mother
2000 Before Night Falls Blanca Romero
2002 Soliloquy Leah

Television roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 Crime Story Sonia Three episodes

References

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  1. ^ McCann, Bob (2009). Encyclopedia of African American actresses in film and television. McFarland & Co. p. 4. ISBN 978-0786458042.
  2. ^ a b c "Diahnne Abbott". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "62 Diahnne Abbott And Robert De Niro Photos & High Res Pictures - Getty Images". www.gettyimages.com.au. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. ^ "Who are Robert De Niro's 7 children? What to know about his family". Yahoo Life. August 9, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  5. ^ "Robert De Niro Recalls Feeling 'Disbelief' After Grandson Leandro's Death: 'Shouldn't Have Happened'". Yahoo Entertainment. February 7, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  6. ^ "Robert De Niro on what he's like as a dad now versus when he raised his older kids: 'Nothing is perfect in life'". TODAY. June 5, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  7. ^ "Taxi Driver". TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  8. ^ Gabbard, Krin (1996). Jammin' at the margins : jazz and the American cinema. University of Chicago Press. p. 278. ISBN 0226277895.
  9. ^ "Biography" Archived April 22, 2018, at the Wayback Machine at Gregoryabbott.com.
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