Francesca Scorsese (born November 16, 1999) is an American actress, filmmaker, and TikTok creator known for co-starring in the HBO series We Are Who We Are and for making social media videos with her father, Martin Scorsese.

Francesca Scorsese
Francesca Scorsese at the Berlinale 2024
Born (1999-11-16) November 16, 1999 (age 25)
Alma materNew York University Tisch School of the Arts
Occupations
  • Film director
  • actress
Years active2004–present
Parents
Relatives

Early life and education

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Francesca Scorsese is the daughter of Helen Morris, a book editor, and film director Martin Scorsese. She shot her first footage when she was three years old and continued making home videos with her dad.[1] She appeared briefly in her father's films, such as The Aviator, The Departed, and Hugo.[2] She grew up surrounded by Hollywood stars. She had play dates with Cate Blanchett's kids. Robert De Niro is her godfather and when she was growing up, she called Leonardo DiCaprio "Uncle Leo".[2] "My dad was editing the The Wolf of Wall Street while I was doing homework on the staircase and all I could hear was sex scenes," she told Nylon.[3]

As an adolescent, Francesca would watch films and eat pizza with her family every weekend.[3][4] Her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1990. Francesca attended film-related summer programs at Atlantic Theater Company Acting School and New York Film Academy.[3] In 2018, she enrolled at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.[5]

Career

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In 2020, she played a high school character Britney Orton in the HBO series We Are Who We Are.[3][2] When director Luca Guadagnino cast her without knowing her last name, "it was one of the first times I was proud of myself," she told Nylon.[3]

Francesca Scorsese's short film Fish Out of Water, which she created as a thesis, premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner. It was also shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.[5] The film depicts a young mother who learns that her own mother is dying and has the chance to reconnect with her family.[5] The film was partially inspired by Francesca's experience with her own mother, Helen Morris, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1990.[5][3]

In 2023, she worked with her father Martin Scorsese on a Bleu de Chanel commercial starring Timothée Chalamet.[5]

She began posting videos of her father in 2015 on the defunct lip-syncing app Dubsmash. She chose an audio called "Disco Disco Party Party", which, she later told GQ that Martin "thought was the funniest thing ever." She signed her father up for Instagram. She also has asked him to sign up for the movie rating app Letterboxd.[1]

 
Scorsese with her father at Berlinale 2024

In July 2023, she gained popularity on TikTok after posting a 22-second video of her father with the caption "He's a certified silly goose."[6] In October 2023, she posted a TikTok video called "Dad Guesses Slang" in which she explained Gen Z slang such as "simp", "tea," "the ick" and "sneaky link" to him.[5][1][7] Scorsese worked with her father's PR team to promote his film Killers of the Flower Moon, working within the constraints put on promoting works amid the 2023 SAG strike.[3] She's passionate about showing the human side of her father: "He's just a little old man with a family," she said.[8]

Francesca and her father are writing a book for A24 about themselves. They are also working on a long-form project that they say is "top secret".[3] On February 5, 2024, Squarespace announced that Francesca and her father would appear in a commercial in the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII.[9]

Personal life

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She has a miniature schnauzer named Oscar and a micro-Pomeranian named Yeti.[5][8] She lives in Manhattan with her best friend Kikka and two dogs a few blocks away from her parents' apartment.[3][4] She loves Hitchcock films and says she has seen The Birds hundreds of times.[4]

After Martin Scorsese said in an interview that Marvel movies aren't cinema, and wrote a New York Times Opinion article clarifying his position, Francesca wrapped all his Christmas presents in Marvel wrapping paper.[10][11]

Scorsese enjoys working with her father and says she is trying "to be the best nepo baby that I can be."[3][12]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Role Director Producer Writer Notes Ref
2004 The Aviator Little Girl No No No
2006 The Departed Little Girl at Airport
2011 Hugo Child at Café
2013 One Direction: This Is Us Herself Documentary; uncredited, with father Martin Scorsese
2016 Almost Paris Lindsay
2017 Wolf at the Door Libby
2018 We Salute You Kate Short film
2021 Sleeping Beauty Role unknown
2022 Crimson Ties Yes Yes Short film; co-written with Savannah Braswell [13]
2023 Fish Out of Water Short film; co-written with Savannah Braswell and Megan Lulu Taylor [14]
2023 The Muse Short film
2024 Christmas Eve in Miller's Point No No
TBD The Space Between Yes Short film

Television

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Year Series Role Notes
2010 Boardwalk Empire Little Girl on Boardwalk "Boardwalk Empire" (S1, E1)
2020 We Are Who We Are Britney Orton Main role

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Francesca Scorsese on What It's Like to Direct Her Famous Father—on Her Viral TikTok". GQ. November 9, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Ryan, Patrick. "Francesca Scorsese on 'We Are Who We Are,' her famous director dad, and being 'terrified' of 'Uncle Leo'". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "For Francesca Scorsese, TikTok Is Just The Beginning". January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Francesca Scorsese Is Ready to Make a Name for Herself". Harper's BAZAAR. October 30, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Salam, Maya (October 27, 2023). "Martin and Francesca Scorsese, TikTok's Dynamic Duo". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "Martin Scorsese Guesses What "Simp" and "Sneaky Link" Mean On TikTok". Teen Vogue. October 6, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Shafer, Ellise (November 16, 2023). "Martin Scorsese Says He's 'Tricked Into' Making TikToks With Daughter Francesca: 'I Didn't Know Those Things Go Viral'". Variety. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Francesca Scorsese on Her Role In HBO's 'We Are Who We Are'". May 8, 2021. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Phillips, Zoe G. (February 6, 2024). "Martin Scorsese and Daughter Francesca Take TikTok to the Super Bowl in New Ad Spot". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Martin Scorsese's Daughter Loves Trolling Him About Marvel". Vanity Fair. November 9, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  11. ^ Holcombe, Madeline (December 26, 2019). "Martin Scorsese's daughter trolls him by wrapping his Christmas gifts in Marvel-themed paper". CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  12. ^ "Francesca Scorsese Wants to Be the Best Nepo Baby She Can". January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  13. ^ Crimson Ties (2022) | MUBI, retrieved February 5, 2024
  14. ^ "Fish Out of Water | 2023 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved February 5, 2024.