Robert De Niro is ready for Hillary. The formidable actor and long-time Democrat has come out swinging in favor of the likely Democratic nominee for president in 2016, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In an interview with the Daily Beast, De Niro said he intended to endorse Clinton in her all-but declared bid for the White House, adding that a woman leader might be exactly what the US needs.

“Hopefully it will be her, yes,” De Niro said. “I think that she’s paid her dues. There are going to be no surprises, and she has earned the right to be president and the head of the country at this point. It’s that simple.

“And she’s a woman, which is very important because her take on things may be what we need right now.”

De Niro, who has won two Oscars and starred in classics such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Godfather and The Untouchables, has a long track record of supporting Democratic presidential candidates.

He threw his weight behind Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004, and famously predicted the 2008 Democratic presidential contenders during a 2006 appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews at George Mason University. Asked who he would like to see become the next US president, De Niro responded: “Well, I think of two people: Hillary Clinton and Obama.”

De Niro and Clinton appeared together last December at the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights annual gala, where they were among those being honored. De Niro was recognized for his philanthropy and the former first lady, senator and secretary of state was celebrated as the evening’s chief honoree for her “long career in public service” and “deep commitment to human rights”.

Clinton is expected to formally launch her presidential campaign in the coming weeks, despite a spiralling controversy over her use of a private email account while serving as secretary of state. This week, the news that her incipient campaign had rented office space in Brooklyn caused national comment.

Such an early celebrity endorsement may provide the Clinton campaign with a much welcome distraction.