Of all the directors in Hollywood, Martin Scorsese takes the cake for being the most charming, quirky, innovative, and entertaining in the biz. His unique eye, relationships with heavy hitter Hollywood actors, and his flair for making memorable movies has made him a legend in Tinseltown. Though he recently celebrated his 74th birthday, there’s still a ton of life left in him to bring more amazing stories to the silver screen. Check out these 15 fun facts below to get to know this famous face even better!
1. Martin worked as a news editor at TV network CBS after graduating NYU.
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2. His now departed pup Zoe, used to sit on his lap while he directed his films.
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3. Martin is such a big music fan, he’s rarely without an iPod.
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4. While filming Goodfellas, he tied star Ray Liotta’s tie for every day to make sure his style was just right.
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5. When directing Robert De Niro, the set is closed to all outsiders.
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6. In the 1970s, Scorsese was crippled with anxiety over the number 11. The extreme superstition caused him to avoid anything to do with the number, including traveling on the 11th day of November and staying on the 11th floor of hotels.
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7. Fawlty Towers is one of his all-time favorite TV shows.
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8. The actor who was supposed to play the part a distraught passenger who agonized over killing his cheating wife in Taxi Driver called in sick the day of filming, so Scorsese played the part.
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9. Speaking of film cameos, in his 1995 film, Casino, you can see him as a gambler at one of the tables.
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10. He turned down Steven Spielberg’s offer to direct Schindler’s List. He believed a Jewish filmmaker would be a more appropriate fit.
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11. On that note, Steven Spielberg almost directed Cape Fear, but recommended Martin for the job.
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12. His two regrets in life are not reading more when he was younger and never learning how to cook.
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13. He directed the music video for Michael Jackson’s “Bad.”
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14. Scorsese draws his own storyboards.
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15. He is on Tibet’s list of people who are barred from entering, thanks to Disney arguing with Chinese officials over the director’s 1997 film Kundun.
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