In Raging Bull, which actor portrays boxer Jake LaMotta?

Robert De Niro portrays boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull.

Martin Scorsese’s 1980 film dramatizes the life and career of LaMotta, a middleweight boxer whose aggressive fighting style earned him the nickname “The Bronx Bull.” The story also examines his jealousy, violence, strained relationships, and eventual decline after boxing.

De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the performance. He gained substantial weight to portray LaMotta after retirement, creating a sharp physical contrast between the athlete’s fighting years and his later life. The transformation is one of the most discussed aspects of the production.

The film is based on LaMotta’s memoir, Raging Bull: My Story, written with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage. It is sometimes described as a conventional boxing movie, but its central focus is the boxer’s troubled psychology and personal relationships rather than a simple rise-and-fall sports narrative.