You could split Robert De Niro's career into two halves, and how you perceive him will depend on your age. In the earlier part of his career, he was the Alpha-male tough guy star of 'Taxi Driver,' 'Raging Bull' and 'Goodfellas,' as well as the second 'Godfather' movie. To a younger audience, he's more recognizable as the cranky dad from 'Meet the Fockers.'
Between all the macho-man parts and the comedy though, he's found time to give a convincing and sensitive depiction of a gay man in 2007's 'Stardust' in which he played Captain Shakespeare. De Niro has been married to Grace Hightower since the 1990s, but in 'Stardust' he managed to see off the more obvious choice of British actor Stephen Fry for the part. Jack Nicholson was also under consideration at one point, but de Niro seemed right at home in the fantasy adventure.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.