De Niro breaks down over Kennedys

Robert De Niro nearly sheds a tear as he talks about the Kennedys at Symphony Hall (Globe photo: Jonathan Wiggs)

How strongly does Robert De Niro feel about the Kennedys? Speaking about the Camelot clan today, the actor famous for playing tough guys fell apart like a wet paper bag.

"I met John John...I've seen him when he was a little kid and his sister, and I've seen them when they were older in New York...so there's a little history," De Niro said before his voice suddenly faltered and he blinked back tears. "It's hard for me to say anything else."

The emotional moment came during a press conference at Symphony Hall to discuss "The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers," a piece commissioned by the Boston Pops as part of the orchestra's 125th anniversary. Composed by Peter Boyer with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, "The Dream Lives On" includes quotes from speeches by brothers John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy, and the words are spoken on stage by De Niro, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Cherry Jones.

Because the Kennedys occupy a unique place in American life, Pops conductor Keith Lockhart said it wasn't difficult to entice the Hollywood heavyweights to participate. (It's irrelevant but worth noting that Jones played the president on "24" and Freeman was the commander-in-chief in "Deep Impact" and God in "Evan Almighty.")

"These are the actors who answered the clarion call," said Lockhart.

For their part, De Niro and the others said they were delighted to be asked, though all have different relationships with the Kennedys: De Niro spent time JFK Jr. and his sister, Caroline, in New York; Harris said he was 12 when his parents took him to D.C. to watch JFK's funeral procession to Arlington National Cemetery; and Freeman's dealings have been limited.

"I danced with Ethel," joked the Oscar winner, who was wearing what looked like a protective glove on his left hand as a result of an injury suffered in a car accident in 2008.

And what do the Kennedys think of the piece? Lockhart said Vicki Kennedy was consulted ahead of time, and was supportive. But Ted's widow also cautioned the conductor against allowing the family to select the speeches included in "The Dream Lives On," the clear implication being there might not be unanimous agreement.

"She said, 'If you think the US Senate is bad,'" said Lockhart.