Martin Scorsese’s best movie cameos go beyond Killers of the Flower Moon

Note: This essay on Martin Scorsese’s appearance in movies, both in cameos and small character roles, was originally published in 2021. The essay was updated in 2023 to include his appearance in the movie Killers of the Flower Moon.

As a director, enthusiastic world-cinema champion, determined advocate for visual literacy, and the most famous critic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Martin Scorsese is indisputably one of cinema’s most important figures. However, his work as an actor has received relatively little attention. From his first movie appearance as an uncredited gangster in his debut feature, 1967’s Who’s That Knocking At My DoorThe role he plays at the very end of 2023’s historical drama The Flower Moon KillersScorsese’s career is full of self-parodic moments, thoughtful cameos and truly effective dramatic works.

His early performances were marked by a charismatic presence, an ease in front the camera, as well as a deep understanding of how to work with actors. All of these qualities can be seen in his documentaries. From his frenetic scrambling in 2008 to get ready for a Rolling Stones show in the film, to his own appearances. The Shine of LightHis work is a testament to Pretend it’s a CityHis Netflix documentary series on Fran Leibowitz. But he’s also continued pushing himself as an actress, creating performances which rebel against his public personality and demand that they be taken serious.

Scorsese, perhaps inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s films, often appears in smaller roles. Scorsese’s roles are not as random, but rather seem to be chosen on purpose. He often takes parts that suggest his role behind the cameras. Sometimes he’s a photographer (Hugo: The Age of InnocenceDirector (The King of Comedy). ) Raging Bull, he appears in the final scene as the stagehand who interrupts Jake LaMotta’s backstage monologue. The sarcastic dispatcher of the EMS is his voice. Bring Out the DeadIn other words, he literally guides his protagonist in various scenarios. In You can also download Mean StreetsHe is the enforcer that was brought in to end the film by killing Johnny Boy. In the end, he plays an enforcer who is brought in during the last act to kill Johnny Boy and finish off this movie. The Flower Moon Killers, he’s a radio announcer, framing the movie’s relationship to history by explaining directly to the audience how the real-life story ended, and putting his own regret and frustration directly on the screen.

As Scorsese’s legend has grown over the years, he’s also been asked to cameo for other directors, often as himself. Even when he plays small parts, Scorsese consistently puts in thoughtful performances. In Albert Brooks’ otherwise-forgettable The Muse Scorsese is hilarious as a manic, overcaffeinated version of himself who can’t help confessing to a perfect stranger his new idea to remake Raging Bull (“Only this time with a real thin guy. Can you see it?”) He basically walks away with the movie in a single scene.

Columbia Pictures

He cameos in Curb Your Enthusiasm, however, shows he’s just as comfortable as the straight man. Scorsese’s portrayal of Larry David as a weary director is a great example. He has forged ties with David on set and revealed many details about his process. He suggests doing two takes in a row (“no slate”) to keep up the energy, and merrily debates whether a bag filled with a dead man’s testicles — David’s idea — will “read as balls.” It feels as if the scene was designed for Scorsese to be one of David’s many frustrated antagonists who boil over into anger, but the director is just so warm and empathetic, it veers off in a more pleasant direction.

Scorsese shines as an actress when his easy-going charm is contrasted with the tension of a situation. This is something that a few directors have managed to do. In Irwin Winkler’s Guilty on SuspicionScorsese, who plays a filmmaker, is faced with the exact same situation. He simply leaves town for Paris to wait until the scandal dies. Whereas De Niro’s character is anguished, Scorsese faces the quandary with a grin. “It’s nothing noble either,” he says, as he casually explains his decision to flee. “I’d have to stay out of rooms with mirrors for the rest of my life. I can’t do that. I like looking at myself too much.” He’s a counterpoint to Merrill that elucidates his struggle; unlike his easy-going friend, Merrill can’t simply shrug off this historic moment.

His charm is deployed to chilling effect in Robert Redford’s Quiz ShowScorsese plays Martin Rittenhome as the President of the Company that sponsors the game show. In the key scene, when Rittenhome is confronted by Congressional investigator Dick Goodwin (Rob Morrow), Scorsese is a vision of unfettered strength, so impervious to Morrow’s sweaty inquisition that he’s comfortable cracking jokes, playing rhetorical games, and offering Goodwin fatherly advice about his professional future. A different actor could have portrayed Rittenhome’s character as an intimidating heavy that intimidates the staffer in every way. Scorsese portrays him as the leader of a criminal family who is so powerful that he doesn’t need to show it.

United Artists

Still, the jewel of Scorsese’s acting career remains his one-scene performance inTaxi Driver. According to legend, it wasn’t even supposed to happen. Scorsese was forced to act in his own role because the actor he had originally cast for the role turned out not be available at the last moment. It was the best choice. Scorsese shows the layers of rage in the character who confides his revenge plot against Travis Bickle’s (Robert De Niro) taxi driver. His strained nerves are revealed, along with his racism and sexism.

It’s a compelling five minutes that could stand alone as its own short film, but Scorsese’s performance also plays a key function in Taxi Driver’s overall narrative. Travis is able to express all his nervous rage by talking with the man in the backseat. Travis is given license to murder after the man in the backseat reveals his thoughts. Travis is given the opportunity to become that person because he has an easy rapport with De Niro. It becomes obvious what his path is. “Do you think I’m sick?” the stranger asks Travis over and over. Travis doesn’t answer, and given Scorsese’s profoundly human performance, the answer isn’t clear.

Scorsese, like most actors who are great at their craft, has made some mistakes. He’s profoundly out of place as Vincent Van Gogh in Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, but that’s easy enough to forgive. Kurosawa was a director who no one would refuse, even though they felt he made the wrong decision. His performance in the film as an aggressive jazz club owner was also a hit. Round MidnightThis film is incredibly unlikeable and yet it doesn’t leave a great impression. These roles, however, are simply evidence of an actor who’s willing to take chances and push the boundaries of his talent, just as he has done as a filmmaker. It suggests that if Scorsese had never figured out the whole directing thing, a career as one of his generation’s best character actors was there for the taking.

Miramax