Robert De Niro Loses His Patience — and Is Not Amused by aTaxi DriverJoke — in Rachel Dratch'sSNL50th Debbie Downer Sketch

Mar. 15, 2025

(L) Robert DeNiro and Rachel Dratch.

Rachel Dratch’sDebbie Downeris on thin ice withRobert De Niro!During theSNL50: The Anniversary Specialon Feb. 16, Dratch, 58, reprised her iconic character, Debbie Downer, for a sketch and found herself on the outs with the legendary actor, 81, while working as a bartender.After saying hello toJimmy FallonandAyo Edebiriand fending offDrew Barrymore, De Niro tried to order a vodka soda with a straw from Debbie, who hit him with a reference to his famed role inTaxi Driver,when she asked, “You talking to me? You talking to me?““Is that supposed to be a joke?” De Niro asked unamused, to which Debbie replied, “No, I’m asking. I have dry eye, and it’s hard to discern if you were talking to me.“The actor eventually waved it off, and Debbie handed him a drink with a straw.As he stirred his cocktail, she quipped, “Kind of surprised you want a straw. Micro plastics, at this point, we’re all walking landfills. They’ve already taken up residence in your testes.““Deborah, I’m going to talk now and you’re going to shut it,” De Niro said, patience wearing thin. “I do not appreciate this conversation. I don’t want to talk about plastic in my balls. I want to laugh and feel joy and have a sliver of hope for three goddamn hours of my life. That’s all I want. I came here tonight to get a little freaking break from our world right now, which is like living in a full diaper."(L) Robert DeNiro and Rachel Dratch.When Debbie replied, “Diapers are leading culprit in the micro plastic saga,” De Niro reached over the counter and attempted to strangle her before Fallon stopped things from going further.After things calmed down, the actor suggested everyone join him in a toast — including Debbie, who poured a bottle of vanilla Ensure into a glass.“To friendship and 50 years!” the group cheered before Debbie added, “And to continuing advances in curing feline AIDS. It’s the number one killer of domestic cats.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.SNL50: The Anniversary Specialairs Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Rachel Dratch’sDebbie Downeris on thin ice withRobert De Niro!

During theSNL50: The Anniversary Specialon Feb. 16, Dratch, 58, reprised her iconic character, Debbie Downer, for a sketch and found herself on the outs with the legendary actor, 81, while working as a bartender.

After saying hello toJimmy FallonandAyo Edebiriand fending offDrew Barrymore, De Niro tried to order a vodka soda with a straw from Debbie, who hit him with a reference to his famed role inTaxi Driver,when she asked, “You talking to me? You talking to me?”

“Is that supposed to be a joke?” De Niro asked unamused, to which Debbie replied, “No, I’m asking. I have dry eye, and it’s hard to discern if you were talking to me.”

The actor eventually waved it off, and Debbie handed him a drink with a straw.

As he stirred his cocktail, she quipped, “Kind of surprised you want a straw. Micro plastics, at this point, we’re all walking landfills. They’ve already taken up residence in your testes.”

“Deborah, I’m going to talk now and you’re going to shut it,” De Niro said, patience wearing thin. “I do not appreciate this conversation. I don’t want to talk about plastic in my balls. I want to laugh and feel joy and have a sliver of hope for three goddamn hours of my life. That’s all I want. I came here tonight to get a little freaking break from our world right now, which is like living in a full diaper.”

When Debbie replied, “Diapers are leading culprit in the micro plastic saga,” De Niro reached over the counter and attempted to strangle her before Fallon stopped things from going further.

After things calmed down, the actor suggested everyone join him in a toast — including Debbie, who poured a bottle of vanilla Ensure into a glass.

“To friendship and 50 years!” the group cheered before Debbie added, “And to continuing advances in curing feline AIDS. It’s the number one killer of domestic cats.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

SNL50: The Anniversary Specialairs Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

source: people.com