Let’s be real: catching Martin Scorsese in the flesh on a screen is somewhat like finding a golden ticket, albeit one that doesn’t take you to the land of chocolate, but to a smiling face of one of the smartest things said behind the scenes. His cameos are a feast for film lovers who know the places where he lurks in the shadows or delivers a line that changes the whole atmosphere of the scene. Here are the 10 best Scorsese cameos—ripped off one by one for maximum suspense.
10. Silence (2016)
This is probably the one you could have missed. At the film’s conclusion, Scorsese is seen very briefly as a bearded Dutch trader, almost hidden under his cloak. It’s so low-key that even hardcore fans might have to look twice and squint before they see him. And that is the significance of it being the subtle cameo in one of his most meditative, spiritual films, implying that, even at his most quiet, Scorsese still can’t resist getting into the world he’s made.
9. Gangs of New York (2002)
Scorsese takes on the character of a rich homeowner with a beautiful mansion that gets invaded by the claws of Cameron Diaz’s character in a sarcastic role reversal—here’s the director who’s been known for his street-level realism but is now playing the kind of big-cheese character that his previous anti-heroes used to rob. It is so crazy that his pad even gets a credit of its own on the screen.
8. The Age of Innocence (1993)
One may be surprised to see Scorsese doing his historical dramas, but the presence of this one is exactly to show that. He is the wedding photographer capturing New York aristocracy in the 1800s. The director, who is normally behind the camera, is now inserted inside his own picture in a circuitous, humorous way. Yes, it is a brief one, but the director, as the voyeur, cementing transient memories through time, is conceptually flawless.
7. Hugo (2011)
The photographer’s job is back, and this time Scorsese traded Manhattan for a train station in Paris. Wearing a stunning hat and a sly smile, he is taking a picture of the young Georges Méliès—a reference to one of the movie industry’s first magicians. The cameo is familiar, almost lyrical: Scorsese, the heritage advocate, courteously paying tribute to the one who led him. Maybe, maybe this photographer is one of his Age of Innocence personalities.
6. After Hours (1985)
In this case, Scorsese is the searchlight operator for Club Berlin—a very short can (pun intended) of brilliance. He’s the invisible hand that brings chaos to the maddening crowd, whom he illuminates with the bright light, but he’s the only one who sees what’s going on. It’s a little joke that only Scorsese could do: the director actually doing the scene, both literally and figuratively.
5. Raging Bull (1980)
To spot this one, you would definitely need super-sharp eyes. A barely recognizable Scorsese is there as an offstage worker seen in reflection while Jake LaMotta is talking to himself. The point comes just before the film’s scaring final, doubling Scorsese’s own nightmare at that time. It is very temporary but carries a big meaning, a mirror reflection of both creators and characters struggling with the same destructive nature.
4. The King of Comedy (1982)
In this sardonic take, Scorsese gives us another familiar aspect of his personality by being a TV director who locally rules the disorder. He was doing it by calling, changing, and even worrying about the broadcast with his usual thoroughness. It is funny, clever, and a bit too real, a peek into the life of an off-camera Scorsese.
3. Mean Streets (1973)
Scorsese’s brief appearance here is a turning point in the story. He operates the film’s last shooting, a literal shot that changes everything; at the same time, he introduces the film as the unseen narrator, setting its moral rhythm. Both are very intimate references from his childhood days spent in Little Italy. It is the very essence of Scorsese’s film DNA.
2. The Color of Money (1986)
This is a film with a variety of Scorsese inserts. First, he comes as the voice-over narrator, then, in his characteristic scene, he breaks the pool rack, and at last, he walks with his dog through a casino. The film becomes like a puzzle for Scorsese’s fans – find him once, twice, or if you are lucky, three times without being noticed. Some even refer to it as “The Color of Marty,” and to be honest, it seems quite fitting.
1. Taxi Driver (1976)
No doubt this is the best one. Scorsese’s cameo as a petty, gun-toting fare about to get into Travis Bickle’s cab was both terrifying and unforgettable. Through his icy monologue on revenge, he planted the first violent seed that leads the whole movie. The other actor was already cast for the part, but when he pulled out, Scorsese stepped in at De Niro’s prompt. The result is among the most famous director cameos of cinema history, one of the collaborations that intertwines the man who made it and the madness he did.
So next time you are watching a Scorsese film, keep your eyes peeled. He could be hiding somewhere far off the frame, staring at you from the corner, or just slipping in a single unforgettable line. In whichever case, you will know it when you see him because even in the tiniest part, Martin Scorsese leaves his signature.