De Niro, Stiller dish on ‘Little Fockers’

MEREDITH VIEIRA, co-host: Back now at 8:21. First there was " Meet the Parents ," then came " Meet the Fockers " and now it's time for the " Little Fockers ." In the latest installment of the popular franchise, Ben Stiller 's character and his father-in-law, played by Robert De Niro , try to get one of the little Fockers -- oy -- into a prestigious school.

VIEIRA: Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller , good morning to you.

Mr. BEN STILLER: Morning.

Mr. ROBERT DE NIRO: Morning.

VIEIRA: I cannot believe it has been 10 years since " Meet the Parents " and now " Little Fockers ." What keeps -- every time I say that I feel my career passing in front of my eyes.

Mr. STILLER: You're a professional and you can handle it.

VIEIRA: I can handle it. But what keeps bringing you back to these movies, Ben ? Is it this guy?

Mr. STILLER: Well, that's definitely a huge part of it. I mean, the first time around I -- they had the idea for the movie and Jay Roach the director said, 'What do you think of Robert De Niro playing your father-in-law?' And I said, 'Great. Good luck with that, you know? Hope that happens for you.' And then -- and then that happened. And then I thought, 'OK, this is a great experience, I'm having my Robert De Niro experience,' and then -- and then it's happened two more times, so it's been great.

VIEIRA: And I read in the production notes that you finally feel comfortable calling him Bob .

Mr. STILLER: Yeah, finally, after about 10 years. I mean, it's -- just because I think Bob likes being called Bob , don't you, Bob ?

Mr. DE NIRO: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

VIEIRA: It's your name, I mean, why not? Absolutely.

Mr. DE NIRO: Yeah. Not so formal. Yeah. No. No, it's -- yeah.

VIEIRA: You know, when I...

Mr. STILLER: You can't shut this guy up.

VIEIRA: A man of few words.

Mr. STILLER: Enough, enough, Bob , all right?

Mr. DE NIRO: Yeah. Yeah, enough already.

VIEIRA: Just calm down. Be quiet.

Mr. STILLER: Let her talk.

VIEIRA: You know, if somebody had said to me back when you were making " Mean Streets " and " Taxi Driver "...

Mr. DE NIRO: Mm-hmm.

VIEIRA: ...that you were a funny guy, I would have said, 'You're crazy.' But you are, you're hysterical.

Mr. DE NIRO: Well, you know, I have -- I have a -- I feel I have a sense of humor. My mother always thought I did and -- since I was a kid, so -- you know. And the -- many of the movies that I've done, the serious ones have humor in them or irony, and so, you know.

VIEIRA: And this movie, you finally -- you had a very difficult relationship with Greg Focker , your son-in-law...

Mr. DE NIRO: Yeah.

VIEIRA: ...but this movie you decide he's going to become the godfocker of the family.

Mr. DE NIRO: Right.

VIEIRA: But it doesn't quite work out that way, Ben , right? This -- at least in the beginning it doesn't.

Mr. STILLER: Yeah. He's concerned about his legacy.

VIEIRA: Yeah.

Mr. STILLER: He has a little heart attack and he realizes that the family...

Mr. DE NIRO: Anybody over 65 they always say you have to have a heart attack in a movie, that no one...

VIEIRA: Oh, so then you knew...

Mr. STILLER: And so yeah, so he's sort of concerned about, you know, who's going to carry the -- on the family legacy and he's -- and he's stuck with Greg . So it sort of reignites the tension between the two of us .

VIEIRA: Yeah. And there's a scene -- I'm going to let you guys describe it, I'll set it up, you make some extra money, Greg Focker takes on a role as working with an erectile dysfunction medication, right? Yes.

Mr. STILLER: You said that well, yes.

VIEIRA: Yes. And then -- and then you take that medication.

Mr. DE NIRO: Yes.

VIEIRA: So that you can have an evening with your wife. And you run into -- how would you describe what happens to you?

Mr. DE NIRO: You want me to describe it?

VIEIRA: Sure, absolutely. It's morning television.

Mr. DE NIRO: Well, he takes too much.

VIEIRA: Yes.

Mr. DE NIRO: And you'd think he'd know better, but he took too much. So it -- what -- should I go into details or...

VIEIRA: Well, you...

Mr. STILLER: You know -- you know the character in " Toy Story "?

VIEIRA: Yes.

Mr. STILLER: Woody.

VIEIRA: Woody. Yes.

Mr. STILLER: Yes.

VIEIRA: Oh, OK. But -- and you have to give him a shot to help calm everything down.

Mr. STILLER: Exactly, yeah.

VIEIRA: How do you even prepare for a scene like that?

Mr. STILLER: Well, I research it. You know, I'm playing a nurse practitioner, so that's part of what I would do. And Bob's a method actor, so he came prepared.

VIEIRA: Yeah?

Mr. DE NIRO: I mean, it was all real, everything we did was all real. There was no...

VIEIRA: Now will you bring that up -- you're going to be receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes . Congratulations to you.

Mr. DE NIRO: Thank you.

VIEIRA: Will you be bringing up that scene as an example of some of your greater work or...

Mr. DE NIRO: Possibly.

VIEIRA: Possibly, yeah.

Mr. DE NIRO: Yeah.

VIEIRA: What are you most proud of?

Mr. DE NIRO: Well, you know, I -- I'm happy that I -- that I am able to work and have a good life and -- I mean, there's always problems in life and as long as you're alive, but that's OK, and then so I can't really complain, so.

VIEIRA: Yeah. And you're heading back to Broadway , I know that.