Washington, D.C. [US], July 16 : Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese has earned a surprise Emmy nomination — not for directing, but for acting. The 81-year-old director was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance in The Studio, marking his first-ever Emmy nod in an acting category, People reported.
Scorsese’s daughter, Francesca Scorsese, celebrated the news on Instagram, sharing photos and heartfelt reactions. In one story post, she added virtual confetti to a list of nominees, playfully writing, “Our little actor.” Another post captured a touching moment, with Martin appearing visibly emotional, covering his face with his hands while sitting in his home office as Francesca smiled beside him.
Scorsese starred as himself in the premiere episode of The Studio, a satirical comedy about the Hollywood system co-created and co-directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The series, streaming on Apple TV+, is known for its lineup of A-list guest stars.
Joining Scorsese in the same Emmy category are Jon Bernthal (The Bear), Bryan Cranston, Dave Franco, Ron Howard, and Anthony Mackie — all for roles in The Studio.
Seth Rogen spoke about the casting process, saying, “It was all about the stories of the episodes and kind of who served the various storylines. We would write it to our idealised version of who we could get maybe, and we very often got those people, which was shocking.” He added, “People in general are pretty cool to make fun of themselves and Hollywood and seem to get the joke.”
While Scorsese is no stranger to the Emmys — having won three times for his work on nonfiction projects such as Boardwalk Empire and George Harrison: Living in the Material World — this marks a new milestone in his storied career as a first-time nominee for an acting role.
The 2025 Emmy Awards will take place on September 14, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ at 8 PM ET.