RATINGS: Cast & Crew

DOB: November 17, 1942

Background: Scorsese was born in New York City and is of Sicilian descent. Limited from physical activity by asthma, he was often taken to the movies by his parents and developed a love of cinema, which replaced his teenage desire to enter the priesthood. He attended NYU's College of Arts and Science and then the university's Tisch School of the Arts, from which he received an MFA in 1966.

Filmography: After directing shorts while at film school, he made his feature debut with "Who's That Knocking at My Door" (1967), starring fellow student Harvey Keitel. But his major filmmaking breakthrough came in  1973 with "Mean Streets," which was championed by critic Pauline Kael. Afterwards, Ellen Burstyn chose him to direct her in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974), which won her an Oscar. Following that was another of the director's most famous successes: "Taxi Driver" (1976), starring Robert De Niro and introducing Jodie Foster in the role of  young prostitute. His musical "New York, New York" (1977) was less successful, but his 1980 film "Raging Bull," again starring De Niro, is widely regarded as a masterpieece, earning the director his first of many Academy Award nominations. Two subsequent films -- "The King of Comedy" (1982) and "After Hours" (1985) -- were creative departures for him, after which he made his first mainstream commercial film, "The Color of Money" (1986), a sequel to the 1961 film "The Hustler"; the 1986 film won Paul Newman an Oscar. In 1988 he finally made "The Last Temptation of Christ," a very personal film for the Catholic Scorsese that was accused of blasphemy.

"Goodfellas" followed in 1990 and was considered a return to form after the mixed results of his 1980s efforts. It earned six Oscar nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for Joe Pesci, and is considered one of his greatest films. Afterwards he directed "Cape Fear" (1991) the period drama "The Age of Innocence" (1993), and another mob-themed film, "Casino" (1995). Another drastic change of pace came in 1997 with "Kundun," about the Dalai Lama. In 1999, he helmed "Bringing Out the Dead," a dark comedy starring Nicolas Cage.

In the 2000s, he ventured into big-budget epics, starting with the period gangster film "Gangs of New York" (2000) and continuing with the Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator" (2004). But his overdue first Academy Award finally came for his signature genre, the contemporary mobster film, with "The Departed" (2006). In 2010 he directed "Shutter Island," a psychological thriller starring frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio. This year he makes yet another change of pace with the family adventure "Hugo," released this November.
 

Academy Awards: Win - Best Director ("The Departed," 2007)

Best Picture Nomination
"Hugo" (2011); lost to "The Artist"

Best Director Nominations
"Hugo" (2011); lost to Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
"The Aviator" (2005); lost to Clint Eastwood ("Million Dollar Baby")
"Gangs of New York" (2003); lost to Roman Polanski ("The Pianist")
"Goodfellas" (1991); lost to Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves")
"The Last Temptation of Christ" (1989); lost to Barry Levinson ("Rain Man"')
"Raging Bull" (1981); lost to Robert Redford ("Ordinary People")

Best Adapted Screenplay Nominations
"The Age of Innocence" (1994); lost to Steve Zaillian ("Schindler's List")
"Goodfellas" (1991); lost to Michael Blake ("Dances with Wolves")

Emmy Awards: Wins - Best Drama Series Directing ("Boardwalk Empire," 2011); Best Nonfiction Special ("George Harrison: Living in the Material World," 2012); Best Nonfiction Directing ("George Harrison: Living in the Material World," 2012)

Best Drama Series Nominations
"Boardwalk Empire" (2012); lost to "Homeland"
"Boardwalk Empire" (20111); lost to "Mad Men"

Best Nonfiction Series Nominations
"American Masters" (2006); lost to "Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America"
"The Soul of a Man" (2003); lost to "American Masters"

Best Nonfiction Directing Nomination
"No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" (2006); lost to Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill ("Baghdad ER")

Best Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Movie/Mini/Special Nomination
"AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Robert De Niro" (2004); lost to "Paul McCartney in Red Square"

Best Cultural Program Nomination
"Eric Clapton: Nothing But the Blues" (1995); lost to "Live from Lincoln Center: La Traviata"

Grammy Awards: Win - Best Long Form Music Video ("No Direction Home," 2005)

Golden Globes: Wins - Best Film Director ("Hugo," 2012); Best Film Director ("The Departed," 2007); Best Film Director ("Gangs of New York," 2003); Best TV Drama Series ("Boardwalk Empire," 2011); Cecil B. DeMille Life Achievement Award (2010)

Best Film Drama Nomination
"Hugo" (2012); lost to "The Descendants"

Best Film Director Nominations
"The Aviator" (2005); lost to Clint Eastwood ("Million Dollar Baby")
"Casino" (1996); lost to Mel Gibson ("Braveheart")
"The Age of Innocence" (1994); lost to Steven Spielberg ("Schindler's List")
"GoodFellas" (1991); lost to Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves")
"Raging Bull" (1981); lost to Robert Redford ("Ordinary People")

Best TV Drama Series Nominations
"Boardwalk Empire" (2013); lost to "Homeland"
"Boardwalk Empire" (2012); lost to "Homeland"
"Boardwalk Empire" (2011); lost to "Mad Men"