Martin Scorsese facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Scorsese
Scorsese at the Berlinale in 2024
Born	Martin Charles Scorsese (1942-11-17) November 17, 1942 (age 82) New York City, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Italy
Occupation	Director producer writer actor
Years active	1962–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Laraine Marie Brennan ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1971)​ Julia Cameron ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1977)​ Isabella Rossellini ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1982)​ Barbara De Fina ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1991)​ Helen Schermerhorn Morris ​ (m. 1999)​
Partner(s)	Illeana Douglas (1989–1997)
Children	3, including Domenica and Francesca
Parent(s)	Catherine Scorsese Charles Scorsese
Awards	Full list
Signature

Martin Charles Scorsese (born November 17, 1942) is a famous American filmmaker. He became a major director during the "New Hollywood" era. He has won many awards, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Scorsese has also received special honors like the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1997 and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2007. Four of his movies are kept in the National Film Registry because they are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

Scorsese earned a Master of Arts degree from New York University in 1968. His first movie, Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967), was shown at the Chicago Film Festival. In the 1970s and 1980s, Scorsese's films often explored themes like crime and ideas of guilt and redemption, influenced by his Italian-American background and growing up in New York City. His movies often use slow motion and freeze frames. Mean Streets (1973) helped define his unique filmmaking style.

Scorsese won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie Taxi Driver (1976). This film starred Robert De Niro, who became a frequent collaborator with Scorsese. They worked together on eight more films, including Raging Bull (1980) and Goodfellas (1990). Later, Scorsese also worked a lot with Leonardo DiCaprio on popular films like The Departed (2006) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). He even directed both De Niro and DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

Besides movies, Scorsese has directed TV shows like Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) and documentaries about rock music, such as The Last Waltz (1978). He also directed the music video for Michael Jackson's song "Bad". Scorsese is a big supporter of film preservation, helping to save old movies. He started three non-profit groups for this: The Film Foundation in 1990, the World Cinema Foundation in 2007, and the African Film Heritage Project in 2017.

Growing Up in New York

From left: Salvo Cuccia, Scorsese, and Vittorio De Seta at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival

Martin Charles Scorsese was born in Queens, New York City, on November 17, 1942. He grew up in the Little Italy area of Manhattan. His parents, Catherine Scorsese and Charles Scorsese, both worked in the clothing industry. Charles was also an actor, and Catherine was a seamstress and actress.

All of Scorsese's grandparents were Italian immigrants from Sicily. The family's original name was Scozzese, meaning "Scot" or "Scottish" in Italian. It was later changed to Scorsese due to a mistake when it was written down.

Scorsese grew up in a mostly Catholic neighborhood. As a child, he had asthma, which meant he couldn't play sports with other kids. So, his parents and older brother often took him to movie theaters. This is how he fell in love with movies. As a teenager, he often rented a film called The Tales of Hoffmann (1951). He was one of only two people who regularly rented it; the other was George A. Romero, who also became a film director.

Scorsese loved historical movies when he was young. He also admired a style of filmmaking called neorealism, especially Italian films like Bicycle Thieves and Paisà. He has said that the French New Wave movement also greatly influenced him and other filmmakers.

Scorsese went to Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx and graduated in 1960. He first wanted to become a priest and went to a special school for it, but he left after the first year. He then decided to study film and earned his bachelor's degree in English from New York University in 1964. He later earned his master's degree in 1968.

Starting His Film Career

Early Short Films and First Movie

While at film school, Scorsese made short films like What's a Nice Girl like You Doing in a Place like This? (1963) and It's Not Just You, Murray! (1964). His well-known short film from this time is The Big Shave (1967). It was a dark comedy that hinted at America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

In 1967, Scorsese made his first full-length movie, Who's That Knocking at My Door. He worked with fellow students Harvey Keitel and Thelma Schoonmaker, who would become his long-term collaborators. Film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie, calling it "absolutely genuine" and "artistically satisfying."

Scorsese became friends with other famous directors of the 1970s, including Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg. It was De Palma who introduced Scorsese to actor Robert De Niro. Scorsese also worked as an assistant director on the documentary Woodstock (1970).

In 1972, Scorsese made Boxcar Bertha for producer Roger Corman. Corman taught Scorsese how to make entertaining films with small budgets and short timelines. After this, director John Cassavetes encouraged Scorsese to make the movies he truly wanted to make.

Becoming a Famous Director

The movie Mean Streets (1973) was a big success for Scorsese, De Niro, and Keitel. This film showed Scorsese's signature style: focusing on tough male characters, themes of guilt, and a gritty New York setting. It also featured fast editing and a soundtrack with popular music.

In 1974, actress Ellen Burstyn chose Scorsese to direct her in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. Scorsese then made a documentary about his parents, called Italianamerican, exploring his family's roots.

Scorsese's 1976 film, Taxi Driver, made him a very respected filmmaker. It starred Robert De Niro as an angry and lonely character. The movie was very popular and received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

After Taxi Driver, Scorsese made the musical New York, New York (1977), starring Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli. This film was a tribute to his hometown and classic Hollywood musicals. The title song became very famous thanks to Frank Sinatra.

In 1980, Robert De Niro convinced Scorsese to make Raging Bull, a movie about boxing champion Jake LaMotta. This film is considered a masterpiece and was voted one of the greatest films of the 1980s. It received eight Oscar nominations, and De Niro won Best Actor. From this movie on, Scorsese's films were always labeled "A Martin Scorsese Picture."

His next film with Robert De Niro was The King of Comedy (1983). This movie was a comedy about fame and media. It was different from his earlier, more intense films.

In 1985, Scorsese directed After Hours, a dark comedy filmed on a very low budget in New York City at night. He won a Best Director Award at Cannes for this film.

His 1986 film, The Color of Money, starred Paul Newman, who finally won an Oscar for his role. This success helped Scorsese get support for a project he had wanted to make for a long time: The Last Temptation of Christ.

This film, released in 1988, told the story of Christ in a very human way. It caused a lot of discussion before it was even released. Despite the controversy, the film was praised by critics. Scorsese received his second nomination for a Best Director Academy Award for it.

In 1986, Scorsese directed an 18-minute short film for Michael Jackson's song "Bad". This short film was also a music video and was influenced by the film West Side Story.

Becoming an Established Director

1990s Films

Many critics felt that Scorsese's gangster movie Goodfellas (1990) was a big return to his best work. It starred Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, and Joe Pesci won Best Supporting Actor. Goodfellas is considered one of Scorsese's greatest achievements.

In 1991, he directed Cape Fear, a remake of an older thriller. It was a very popular movie and earned two Oscar nominations.

Scorsese in 1995

The Age of Innocence (1993) was a different kind of film for Scorsese. It was a historical drama set in New York in the late 1800s, based on a novel. Critics loved it, and it won an Oscar for Costume Design. This was his first time working with actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

Casino (1995) was another gangster film and was very successful. It starred Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.

In 1995, Scorsese also made a four-hour documentary called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. It explored the history of American cinema.

Kundun (1997) was a unique film about the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama. It used beautiful visual images to tell its story.

Bringing Out the Dead (1999) was a dark comedy about paramedics, starring Nicolas Cage. It received good reviews.

Movies and TV in the 2000s

At the Gangs of New York screening at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz

In 1999, Scorsese directed a documentary about Italian filmmakers called My Voyage to Italy. This led to his next big project, Gangs of New York (2002). This epic film was set in 19th-century New York and starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. It was the first time Scorsese worked with DiCaprio, who would become another frequent collaborator. The film received 10 Academy Award nominations.

Scorsese's film The Aviator (2004) was a grand movie about the life of Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer and film producer. It reunited Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was very popular and received 11 Academy Award nominations, winning five. Scorsese was nominated for Best Director again.

Scorsese (L) with Leonardo DiCaprio (R) in 2007

In 2005, Scorsese directed No Direction Home, a documentary about the life of Bob Dylan. It won a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.

Scorsese returned to crime movies with The Departed (2006), set in Boston. It starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. The film was highly praised and became Scorsese's highest-grossing film at the time. He finally won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Departed. The film also won Best Picture.

Scorsese at the 65th Annual Peabody Awards

In 2008, he directed Shine a Light, a concert film featuring the rock band The Rolling Stones.

Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio worked together again on Shutter Island (2010), a mystery thriller. This film became Scorsese's highest-grossing movie.

In 2010, Scorsese directed the first episode of the HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire. He also served as an executive producer for the series. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for directing the pilot episode.

Scorsese at Cannes in 2010

His 2011 film Hugo was an adventure drama filmed in 3D. It was based on a novel and starred Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz. The film received great reviews and earned 11 Academy Award nominations, winning five.

At the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007

Scorsese's 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street, was a biographical black comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It was their fifth movie together. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards.

In 2014, Scorsese directed a documentary about the New York Review of Books called The 50 Year Argument. He also directed the pilot for the HBO series Vinyl (2016), which was about the music business in the 1970s.

In 2015, Scorsese directed a short film called The Audition. It brought together Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro for the first time under his direction.

Recent Projects

Scorsese profiled author Fran Lebowitz in the Netflix series Pretend It's a City (2020)

Scorsese had wanted to make a film based on the novel Silence for a long time. This drama about two Jesuit priests in 17th-century Japan was released in 2016 to positive reviews.

In 2019, Scorsese's documentary about Bob Dylan's 1975 tour, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, was released on Netflix.

His crime film The Irishman (2019) starred Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino. It premiered at the New York Film Festival and was later released on Netflix. The film received ten Academy Award nominations.

In 2020, Scorsese released the Netflix documentary series Pretend It's a City, which features author Fran Lebowitz sharing her thoughts on New York City.

Scorsese with Edgar Wright at the London Film Festival in 2023

In 2023, Scorsese's film Killers of the Flower Moon was released. It was his sixth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio and tenth with Robert De Niro. The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and received many award nominations.

Scorsese continues to work on new projects. He is set to direct a movie about the rock band the Grateful Dead and another film based on the novel The Wager, both with Leonardo DiCaprio. He is also thinking about making a new film about Jesus.

How He Makes Movies

Martin Scorsese has a very recognizable filmmaking style. He often works with the same actors, writers, editors, and camera people over many years.

Special Camera Tricks

Scorsese often uses slow motion in his films, like in Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967). He also uses freeze frames, where the picture suddenly stops, in movies like Goodfellas (1990) and The Departed (2006).

He is known for long, moving camera shots, which you can see in Taxi Driver and Goodfellas. Sometimes, he uses an "iris" effect, like a circle closing in on a character, which is a nod to old silent films. You can see this in Casino and Hugo.

Scorsese also often includes popular music in his films, especially "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones, which appears in Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed.

Appearing in His Own Films

Scorsese often makes a quick appearance, called a cameo, in his own movies. For example, he appears as a photographer in The Age of Innocence. Sometimes, he just provides his voice without being seen, like in The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street. He also does the opening voice-over in Mean Streets.

Themes in His Movies

A common theme in many of Scorsese's films is guilt, especially related to Catholicism. This can be seen in Mean Streets, Raging Bull, and The Departed. His film Silence was a very personal project for him, exploring strong religious themes.

More recently, his films have shown corrupt leaders, like police officers in The Departed and politicians in Gangs of New York. His film The Irishman (2019) also explored political corruption.

Working with the Same People

Scorsese often casts the same actors in his movies. Robert De Niro has worked with him on nine feature films. Some of their most famous movies together include Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas.

After 2000, Scorsese started working a lot with Leonardo DiCaprio. They have made five feature films together. Many people compare this partnership to his earlier one with De Niro.

Other actors who have appeared in many of his films include Harvey Keitel, Joe Pesci, Daniel Day-Lewis, and his own parents, Charles Scorsese and Catherine Scorsese.

For his film crew, Scorsese often works with editor Thelma Schoonmaker, cinematographers Robert Richardson and Rodrigo Prieto, and costume designer Sandy Powell. Many of them have won Academy Awards for their work with him.

Personal Life

Marriages and Family

Scorsese has been married five times.

In 1965, he married Laraine Marie Brennan. They have a daughter named Catherine.

In 1976, he married writer Julia Cameron. They have a daughter named Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, who is an actress.

In 1979, Scorsese married actress Isabella Rossellini. They divorced in 1983.

In 1985, he married producer Barbara De Fina. They divorced in 1991.

In 1999, Scorsese married Helen Schermerhorn Morris. They have a daughter named Francesca, who has appeared in some of his films, including The Departed and Hugo.

Religious Beliefs

Scorsese has said that he is a Catholic. He believes in the teachings of Catholicism.

Filmography

As of 2023, Scorsese has directed 26 full-length movies and 16 full-length documentaries.

Other Work

Saving Old Films

Scorsese has been a leader in film preservation and restoration since 1990. He created The Film Foundation, a non-profit group that works with movie studios to fix old or damaged films. He started it with other famous directors like Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg.

The foundation has helped restore over 800 films from around the world. It also teaches young people about film history. Scorsese has received awards for his work in saving films, like the Robert Osborne Award in 2018.

The World Cinema Project

In 2007, Scorsese started the World Cinema Project. Its goal is to save and show films from parts of the world that might not have the resources to preserve their own movie history. This project helps release these films on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming services.

The African Film Heritage Project

In 2017, Scorsese launched The African Film Heritage Project (AFHP). This project works with other organizations to find and save 50 classic African films. Some of these films were thought to be lost or too damaged to fix. The goal is to make them available to people everywhere.

Supporting Other Filmmakers

Scorsese has always supported other filmmakers. He has served as an executive producer for films by directors like Spike Lee, Wim Wenders, and Paul Thomas Anderson. He also often talks about filmmakers he admires, such as Greta Gerwig, Bong Joon-ho, and Christopher Nolan.

Favorite Movies

Scorsese has shared lists of his favorite films. In 2012, he picked 12 films for a Sight & Sound poll, including 2001: A Space Odyssey and Citizen Kane. Ten years later, he added three more films to his list.

In 1999, he shared his top 10 favorite films from the 1990s, which included The Thin Red Line and Fargo.

Awards and Honors

Scorsese receives Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from actress Monica Vitti at the Venice Film Festival in 1995

Scorsese's films have been nominated for many awards, and he won an Academy Award for The Departed. In 1997, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award.

The American Film Institute has listed several of Scorsese's films among the greatest American movies. Raging Bull was ranked No. 4, Taxi Driver at No. 52, and Goodfellas at No. 92 on their updated list.

In 2005, Scorsese received the French Legion of Honour for his contributions to cinema. In 2006, he won a Grammy Award for his Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home.

Leon Fleisher, Martin Scorsese, Diana Ross, Brian Wilson and Steve Martin with President George W. Bush and Laura Bush in 2007

In 2007, Time magazine named Scorsese one of the 100 Most Influential People in The World. He was also honored by the Kennedy Center Honors committee for his career excellence.

In 2010, Scorsese received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his outstanding contributions to entertainment. In 2011, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for directing the pilot of Boardwalk Empire.

Jon Stewart with Scorsese at the Peabody Awards in 2006

In 2012, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, which is the highest honor given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He also won two more Emmy Awards for his documentary about George Harrison.

In 2013, Scorsese was chosen for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. government's highest honor for achievements in the humanities. He was the first filmmaker to receive this award.

Many other famous directors, like Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, and Steven Spielberg, have praised Scorsese's work. In 2020, director Bong Joon-ho said that Scorsese's quote, "The most personal is the most creative," deeply inspired him.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Martin Scorsese para niños