“I really don’t want to do it”: 27 years ago, Jean Reno would never have starred in one of the best thrillers of the 90s without Robert De Niro’s intervention.

In 1998, Jean Reno and Robert De Niro starred in the forgotten action thriller Ronin. Directed by John Frankenheimer, the film takes us to a warehouse on the outskirts of Paris. There we meet 5 men and women, strangers to each other, who are brought together for a dangerous mission.

These men, forgotten veterans of the Cold War, survive by renting out their talents to the highest bidder. Their employer, a young, inexperienced Irish woman, asks them to steal a briefcase from an opposing team of about 12 men, all heavily armed. They don’t know what’s in it. One thing is certain: the contract requires blood, and some will not return.

An unjustly forgotten thriller

Around Jean Reno and Robert De Niro, Ronin brings together a wide range of actors: Natasha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Lonsdale, Skip Suddut and even Fyodor Atkin.

Amazingly effective and shot entirely in France, this thriller was unfortunately a bitter commercial failure, grossing only $41 million worldwide for an estimated $55 million budget. In France, it almost reached a million (983,024 tickets sold).

He was invited in 2010 Host Mireille Dumas ShowJean Reno spoke about his participation in the film. He particularly revealed how he got involved in the adventure thanks to a certain Robert De Niro.

“We’re going to finish Godzilla in Los Angeles and they asked me to do a movie called Ronin. I tell myself I really don’t want to do this, it’s not great. We continue shooting Godzilla and we read in Variety that Robert De Niro has joined the film.Jean Reno recalls.

Robert’s phone call

“I say to myself: Hey! De Niro is doing this movie? Okay, great. A week later, a phone call in French: Jean? It’s Robert De Niro. When will you finish? I say: In 3, 4 days. He asks: What are you doing after that? I say I’m going back to Paris. He says: You can stop in New York.”continued the French actress.

The latter therefore goes to New York and goes to Robert De Niro’s restaurant. “He takes me to the back, to the room where there is a lamp on the ceiling, I’m in the dark, sit down, De Niro will come down”The actor points.

“He comes in from the back door and sits down. He says: Are you okay? Hot sake or cold sake? I say: Hot sake. He says: Cold sake. I think we’re going to make a good movie. That’s how I made Ronin.”Jean Reno concludes without humor.

He enters through the back door and sits down. I said: are you okay? Hot sake or cold sake? I said: This is hot for me. He told me: I am cold. I think we are going to make a good movie.

This funny anecdote is characteristic of Robert De Niro’s personality, very quiet and always observant. A follower of the actor’s studio, he had already settled into his character in Ronin, very methodical and strict, not shying away from testing his partners, as in the famous scene where he traps Sean Bean with a cup of coffee.

If you’ve never seen Ronin, we can only recommend it! The thriller is available on Blu-ray, DVD and MUBI platforms.