Harrelson reveals De Niro keeps 18 dogs at New York home

An unexpected domestic detail about Robert De Niro emerged during a recent conversation between Woody Harrelson and Skyler Gisondo. The legendary actor maintains eighteen little dogs at his New York home, a fact that surprised Harrelson given the intimidating personas De Niro has portrayed throughout his career.

The dog-filled New York residence

In an interview for Interview Magazine, Harrelson recounted visiting De Niro’s house. "He has eighteen dogs. We went over to his house here in New York, and nine dogs came to the door," the 65-year-old stated. He noted that while thinking of Bob De Niro, one does not typically envision him surrounded by such a large number of pets.

Harrelson described the animals as "these little dogs" that are allowed to do whatever they want. This revelation highlights a side of De Niro rarely seen by audiences, offering a glimpse into his private life distinct from his public image.

Prior mentions and film appearances

De Niro had previously addressed his pets on the podcast Table Manners in 2022. At that time, he admitted, "There are so many things that come up that I don’t even know the names. I have a bunch of little dogs. I don’t even know all their names."

Entertainment Weekly reported that several of these dogs appeared alongside De Niro in the film The Alto Knights. The presence of the animals in his professional work further bridges the gap between his personal environment and his cinematic roles.

Gisondo’s experience working with De Niro

Skyler Gisondo, who joined Harrelson for the interview promoting the upcoming sequel Focker In-Law, shared his own perspective on interacting with De Niro. Gisondo remarked that it "felt insane" to be in the same room as the actor.

He explained the formality he initially maintained: "Everybody calls him Bob, which I learned very quickly, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was calling him Mr. De Niro because anything else felt wrong." Gisondo added that after the first week, he sensed De Niro wanted him to use his first name, leading him to say, "Alright, Bob, thanks for a great week."

The interview context centers on the release of Focker In-Law, which features both Harrelson and Gisondo. Ben Stiller also returns for the sequel, joining the cast alongside De Niro, whose off-screen persona continues to contrast with his on-screen tough-guy legacy.