The Martin Scorsese documentary titled Mr. Scorsese debuted on Apple TV to exceptional praise, achieving a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite featuring many of Scorsese’s close friends and collaborators, longtime partner Joe Pesci chose not to participate in the series, a decision rooted in deeply personal reasons tied to his past.
Joe Pesci’s Childhood Experiences Led to His Decision
The documentary’s director, Rebecca Miller, revealed that Pesci declined to be interviewed due to the painful memories from his upbringing in Newark, New Jersey. Growing up surrounded by the criminal underworld shaped both his life and his acting career, making discussions about that time challenging for him.
Miller said,
“The only person who said ‘no’ was Joe Pesci. He really didn’t want to be interviewed for this. Marty explains it a little bit in the documentary. He talks about how Joe just doesn’t want to talk about the experiences that made him so perfect for this kind of role.”
— Rebecca Miller, Director
Pesci’s close encounters with dangerous figures profoundly affected him. For example, a tense moment in 1990’s GoodFellas, where his character Tommy DeVito interrogates Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta, was inspired by Pesci’s own real-life observations of similar confrontations.
Rebecca Miller added,
“Joe was marked far worse than Marty was by those people. I don’t think he wants to go over all that.”
— Rebecca Miller, Director
Joe Pesci’s Significant Contributions to Scorsese Films
Although Pesci’s absence in the documentary is understandable, it leaves a noticeable gap given his impressive history with Scorsese. Pesci appeared in four of the director’s films, delivering some of his best performances.
He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in GoodFellas and received nominations for his parts in Raging Bull (1981) and The Irishman (2019). His work in Casino (1995) also stands out as a pivotal collaboration. These roles solidified his reputation as a master of portraying complex criminal characters.
Mr. Scorsese is available now on Apple TV, with all five episodes released on October 17. The installments are titled Stranger in a Strange Land, All This Filming Isn’t Healthy, Saint/Sinner, Total Cinema, and Method Director.
