Martin Scorsese

Director Martin Scorcese attends the 84th Academy Awards Nominations Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Feb. 6, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif. He is nominated for a best director Oscar for his movie "Hugo," which also is a best picture nominee. This is his 10th Oscar nomination; he won the best director statuette in 2007 for "The Departed."

Martin Scorsese poses with his Fellowship Award in the press room at the British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) 2012 at The Royal Opera House on Feb. 12, 2012, in London.

"Boardwalk Empire" director Martin Scorsese holds the Emmy for best directing for a drama series backstage at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Sept. 18, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Director Martin Scorsese accepts the Oscar for best director for his work on "The Departed" at the 79th Academy Awards Feb. 25, 2007. He had been nominated (and had lost) in the category five times before. "The Departed" also won the Oscar for best picture.

Martin Scorsese holds his Golden Globe Award for best director for his work on "The Departed," at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 15, 2007. Scorsese is widely considered one of the most significant and influential American filmmakers in the post-war era.

Director Martin Scorsese poses with the award for best picture for the film "The Departed," during the 12th annual Critics' Choice Awards on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, in Santa Monica, Calif.

Martin Scorsese accepts the Best Director Award for his film, "The Departed," at the 2006 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures awards ceremony in New York, Jan. 9, 2007.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio embraces director Martin Scorsese before the screening of the movie "The Departed," which DiCaprio appears in and Scorsese directed, Oct. 10, 2006, at the Grand Rex in Paris. Scorsese and DiCaprio have worked together on several projects.

Martin Scorsese, center, poses with singer Bono, left, and guitarist the Edge of the band U2 as they arrive for the Warner Bros. Pictures premiere of "The Departed" at the Ziegfeld Theatre Sept. 26, 2006, in New York.

Scorsese poses with rocker Mick Jagger at the "The Departed" film premiere after-party at Guastivino's Sept. 26, 2006, in New York.

Director Martin Scorsese holds his Peabody award which he won for "No Direction Home-Bob Dylan" at the 65th annual Peabody Awards at the Waldorf Astoria on June 5, 2006, in New York.

Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes in a scene from the movie "The Aviator," Jan. 25, 2005. "The Aviator" was the most-nominated film of the 77th Academy Award nominations, nominated in 11 categories including Best Picture and Best Director. Clint Eastwood took home the directing Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby."

Martin Scorsese in a photo from March 16, 2004. Scorsese often begins his films with segments taken from the middle or end of the story, as in "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas" and "Casino."

Director Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro at the launch of the first annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York Dec. 6, 2001.

Director Martin Scorsese in a photo from 1997. Before their deaths, Scorsese would frequently cast his parents, Charles and Catherine, in bit parts, as walk-ons or in supporting roles.

Director Martin Scorsese on the desert set of his film, "The Last Temptation of Christ," in 1988. The movie retold the life of Christ in human rather than divine terms. Even prior to its release, the film caused a massive furor, worldwide protests against its supposed blasphemy effectively turning a low budget independent movie in to a media sensation.

Director Martin Scorsese, lower right, crouches while directing actors Robert De Niro and Cybill Shepherd inside a politician's campaign office on the set of his film, "Taxi Driver," 1976.