Today, Martin Scorsese is celebrated as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. He has directed iconic films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Departed, and his recent film Killers of the Flower Moon. Scorsese’s passion for cinema began to take root during his childhood, and it was not long before he decided that he wanted to become a film director.
But when he first told his family that he wanted to become a director, his family, especially his mother could not believe it. His mother, Catherine Scorsese reacted with shock and disbelief when he informed her of his career choice.
How Martin Scorsese’s Mother Reacted to His Dream of Becoming a Director?
From Goodfellas to The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese continued to produce one exceptional film after another. He won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Director, and became a revered figure in the film industry.
However, when the famed filmmaker first announced his desire to become a director, it was met with astonishment, if not outright opposition, from his mother. He terrified his mother.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Scorsese explained how his mother reacted.
“When I told them that I want to become a director, one night I heard my mother whisper to my father saying I think he’s crazy.”
“I think there’s something wrong with him,” Scorsese continued quoting his mother.
Scorsese’s mother eventually came to accept his career choice. She was proud of his accomplishments and supported his work. In the 1980s, Scorsese’s mother appeared in his son’s film Goodfellas.
Also Read: “It’s kind of a gangster movie”: Martin Scorsese Claims Leonardo DiCaprio’s Demand Changed ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ to a Wildly Different Movie That Sent Director Back to His Roots
His Mother Entirely Improvised Her Cameo Role in Goodfellas
Martin Scorsese‘s mother did a cameo in the 1990 film Goodfellas. She appears in one scene as the mother of Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), who has not seen her murderous son in a long time.
Scorsese reveals that his mother improvised nearly her entire scene. Scorsese explained at the 2021 virtual TCM Film Festival (Via EW)
“All we told her to do was just welcome her son home; she hasn’t seen him in a while,” Scorsese said.
“The key there is ultimately the warmth between all of them and particularly my mother playing his mother; he may be a psychopathic killer, but he’s still her son. When people talk about improvisation, this really was improvisation. We had a few ideas on set we played…but basically once we started shooting, she picked up on something and started speaking. Joe answered her, Bob [De Niro] did what he did, Ray [Liotta] did what he did, I had two cameras, we’re in a small house in Queens, and I think the only written line was about a painting that she did.”
Scorsese added,
“My mother treated Pesci and particularly Bob De Niro as family members, real family members, because we know each other for so long and to her, it was my son’s friends were making a movie.”
Late in life, Scorsese’s mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease which eventually caused her death in January 1997.
