Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa.. The Irishman is an epic tapestry of American crime and corruption, a magnum opus in the mould of Casino and GoodFellas. Frank Sheeran (De Niro) is an Irish American, an ex-GI who learned to kill during WWII and put his skills to profitable use when he returned home.