Martin Scorsese (born Nov. 17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. With a career spanning seven decades, the Oscar-winning director and writer is considered one of the most celebrated and influential figures in Hollywood. Born in Queens, New York City, he launched his career in 1967 while studying at New York University with his feature directorial debut, “Who’s That Knocking at My Door,” which was accepted into the Chicago Film Festival. In 1973, Scorsese wrote and directed the New York City-set crime film “Mean Streets,” which served as a blueprint for his unique style — marked by freeze-frames, voice-overs, whip pans and popular music syncs — and encouraged him to make more of his own films, rather than directing other writers’ scripts. With his gritty exploration of violence and masculinity in 1976’s Palme d’Or winner “Taxi Driver,” 1980’s “Raging Bull” and the 1990 mafia epic “Goodfellas,” Scorsese has cemented himself as a leading voice in cinema, garnering critical acclaim and setting a new standard for filmmaking.

Over his career, he has won four BAFTA Awards, three Emmys, three Golden Globes, two DGA Awards and a Grammy. In 1997, he was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award, and 20 years later he earned the coveted Kennedy Center Honor. In the 21st century, Scorsese continued to wow audiences with 2002’s “Gangs of New York,” 2004’s “The Aviator,” 2006’s “The Departed,” 2010’s “Shutter Island” and 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” all of which star Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Scorsese’s frequent collaborators alongside Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, who headlined the director’s 2019 mob film “The Irishman.” De Niro and DiCaprio reunite in 2023’s Western crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon.”