Filmmaker, Martin Scorsese is famous for his tough, sometimes violent portrayals of American life. Since the 1970s, he’s directed lots of movies that have made him a big deal in the film world.
His impressive body of work includes iconic movies such as Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), Gangs of New York (2002), The Departed (2006), Hugo (2011), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and more. In his recent film, Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese keeps up his trend of adapting interesting true stories into captivating movies.
The filmmaker is now stepping away from his usual role to act in a film with a cast that is as impressive as Oppenheimer‘s, which includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and many more.
Martin Scorsese Switches Hats, Takes on an Acting Role
This year, Martin Scorsese is the director with the most nominations at the Academy Awards—with 10 nods for Best Director. His newest movie, Killers of the Flower Moon, also received 10 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Now, the director intends to shoot his next movie about Jesus later this year, hoping for an awards push in 2026 or 2027. Yet, a recent report suggests the 81-year-old filmmaker might surprise everyone by appearing at next year’s Oscars because of his acting chops.
According to Variety, the director has started acting again and has a supporting role in Julian Schnabel’s drama In the Hand of Dante. As per the synopsis provided by IMDb, the film:
“Follow the dark and violent path of a man who plunges into a metaphorical hell until he reaches paradise in search of his forbidden and impossible love.”
In the flick, Scorsese plays an older mentor to Oscar Isaac’s Dante Alighieri over 20 years. The same outlet reports that those who’ve seen clips from the movie, which is in post-production, were struck by the director’s powerful performance. Though his role is brief, it is impactful.
In addition to acting, the Queens native also serves as an executive producer. The film includes a star-studded cast including Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler and Gal Gadot, with Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, John Malkovich, and Al Pacino in supporting roles.
Martin Scorsese’s Acting Skills in Other Versatile Roles
Martin Scorsese often makes brief appearances in his movies, like in his latest one. He’s also acted in other director’s films, such as playing Vincent van Gogh in a part of Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990) and voicing a loan shark pufferfish in Shark Tale (2004).
On TV, he’s appeared as himself in commercials for Amex and in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Scorsese is in Berlin for the film festival, getting an honorary Golden Bear award.
He and most of the Killers of the Flower Moon cast didn’t show up at the Bafta awards last Sunday in London. The film was up for nine awards but didn’t win any.
In the Hand of Dante is set to release in 2025.
