Rebecca Miller, the director of the docuseries on Martin Scorsese, titled Mr. Scorsese, revealed that Joe Pesci refused to appear in the project. For the docuseries, Miller wanted Pesci to talk about his role in one of Scorsese’s highly acclaimed movies. However, Pesci turned down the opportunity.
Why is Joe Pesci not in Apple TV’s docuseries Mr. Scorsese?
Apple TV’s Mr. Scorsese celebrates Martin Scorsese’s impeccable career, and a part of it discusses Joe Pesci’s character in Goodfellas. However, Pesci, Scorsese’s frequent collaborator, refused to make an appearance in the docuseries to talk about it.
“The only person who said ‘no’ was Joe Pesci,” Rebecca Miller, Mr. Scorsese’s director, revealed. “He really didn’t want to be interviewed for this.” (via Variety)
“Marty explains it a little bit in the documentary,” she continued, noting Scorsese described how Pesci “just doesn’t want to talk about the experiences that made him so perfect for this kind of role.” The role that Miller talks about is Pesci’s Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, highlighting the iconic “How am I funny?” scene.
In the documentary, it is revealed that the scene was inspired by an encounter that Pesci witnessed himself in real life. When Scorsese learnt about the incident, he liked it so much that he added it to his movie. It also reveals that the conversation between Pesci and Ray Liotta, who played Henry Hill, was improvised by the two actors.
Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Pesci was surrounded by the criminal underworld, which left a lasting mark on him. As Miller put it, “Joe was marked far worse than Marty was by those people,” suggesting Pesci prefers not to revisit those memories.
Since Pesci has been known to avoid interviews, his refusal to appear in the docuseries isn’t unusual. Despite his absence, Miller recounts Pesci’s contribution to Scorsese’s movies in the documentary.
Mr. Scorsese is now streaming on Apple TV.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on ComingSoon.
