Martin Scorsese Reveals He Could Have Been a Priest Before Being Expelled from Seminary

Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese has shared that he once considered a very different path — the priesthood — before being expelled from a Catholic seminary in New York for bad behaviour.

The Taxi Driver and Goodfellas director, long known for exploring themes of faith and morality, opened up about his early fascination with religion in Rebecca Miller’s new documentary Mr Scorsese.

“There was a preparatory seminary on 85th Street,” he recalled. “I did okay for the first few months, but something happened. The world was changing — early rock and roll, new ideas, falling in love — and I realised life was much more complicated. You can’t shut yourself off.”
Eventually, Scorsese’s conduct led school officials to call in his father. “They told him, ‘Get him out of here,’” the 82-year-old said. “I behaved badly.”

His childhood friend Joe Morale later revealed that Scorsese “had a heavy eye for the ladies” as a teenager.

Despite his short-lived time in seminary, the director’s Catholic upbringing left a lasting mark. Scorsese has said he struggled to be punctual as an altar boy at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral but was deeply intrigued by the idea of sainthood.

“Who are these people?” he once reflected. “Were they more than human? That’s something I’ve been fascinated by ever since.”