Robert De Niro Wears Platform Shoes to Tower Over Al Pacino on Set of New Movie

Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were photographed on the New York City set of their 2019 Martin Scorsese flick — with De Niro wearing lifts in his shoes

Robert De Niro will be towering over Al Pacino in their upcoming mobster film The Irishman thanks to a little movie magic.

In December, the two Oscar winners were photographed on the New York City set of the 2019 Martin Scorsese flick — with De Niro, 74, wearing lifts (to put it nicely) in his shoes to give him some height over Pacino, 77.

The move has nothing to do with vanity and everything to do with the fact that De Niro's character, hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, stood tall at 6-ft-4-in. Before his death in 2003, the alleged Bufalino crime family member claimed to have killed Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa (played by Pacino) on the orders of mob boss Russell Bufalino.

De Niro confirmed that the height difference was the reason for the towering platforms on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in April, saying they made the shoes to give him more inches in height. "The guy [Sheeran] was actually much taller — about five, six inches taller than me — so [the shoes] were to show the relation to any of the other actors or characters that I'm taller."

Author Charles Brandt detailed Sheeran's deathbed confession about Hoffa in the 2004 non-fiction book I Heard You Paint Houses, from which screenwriter Steven Zaillian adapted The Irishman's story.

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In addition to his platform shoes, De Niro also wore a royal blue trench coat over a white collared shirt and dark slacks. He added a brown tie with diagonal stripes.

Pacino was costumed in a grey trench coat with coordinating pants. He also wore a white shirt with a red tie.

This is the fourth time De Niro and Pacino have worked together. They previously costarred in 2008's Righteous Kill, 1995's Heat and 1974's The Godfather Part II.

In addition to De Niro and Pacino, the movie will also star an out-of-retirement Joe Pesci (as Bufalino) as well as Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano and Bobby Cannavale.

The Irishman hits theaters in 2018.

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