Film-lover Martin Scorsese has some of his own underrated performances in acclaimed films over the years. Think Quiz Show and even his dark and twisted cameo in his masterpiece Taxi Driver. On that note, Scorsese is certainly better known for his work behind the camera. Arguably one of the greatest directors of all time, his impressive body of work often reflects his own personal angst growing up in Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Of course, he has also branched out into a variety of other genres and settings with films that take place around the world. With Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, Scorsese firmly established himself as a top director of his generation. Years later came Goodfellas, which is widely considered to be among his best films. Cinephiles will also remember Casino, Gangs of New York and The Aviator as first-rate films by the NYC native. It's no surprise that he's been nominated five times for Best Director at the Academy Awards — and finally won in 2007 for The Departed. What happens in a few months from now, when Killers of the Flower Moon makes its presence in the award season, is yet to be determined.

We took a closer look at some of Scorsese's hit films over the years to find those rare, often-supporting performances that become overshadowed by the respective film's other scene-stealing players. See below for some underrated on-screen efforts from his films that should go down in performance history as masterclasses in acting.

Update November 21, 2023: This article has been updated with more underrated Scorsese performances following the release of Killers of the Flower Moon.

11 Tadanobu Asano in Silence (2016)

Silence may be the next great Scorsese film you haven't seen yet. The film can be gut-wrenching and hard to watch at times, but more often than not, it's carried by the Japanese actor who plays the interpreter. Tadanobu Asano steals the show as a charismatic local in the village being investigated. Based on the classic novel by Shusaku Endō, Silence was an underrated commercial flop but deserves a revisit for its thought-provoking and hard-hitting subject. It could easily be Scorsese's best film in the last 10 years and his most underrated of the decade.

Stream Silence on Paramount+

10 Robert De Niro in The King of Comedy (1982)

The King of Comedy is another Scorsese gem that's not to be missed. Robert De Niro is hysterical as a delusional wanna-be comedian Rupert Pupkin, whose goal is to get on the late-night talk show hosted by a fictional celebrity played by Jerry Lewis. The best scene can be awarded to Pupkin's imaginary conversation with Lewis, where he's being offered the chance to guest-host for six weeks. ("Six weeks?! I can't give you six weeks!").

Meanwhile, during this scene, Pupkin's getting screamed at by his mom upstairs . It's a laugh-out-loud comedy that can't and shouldn't be missed. The movie clearly inspired Joker, so much so that DeNiro is even featured in the movie as a homage to his role in the film.

Rent King of Comedy on Vudu and AppleTV+

9 Sacha Baron Cohen in Hugo (2011)

Sacha Baron Cohen might be best known for his roles in films like Borat and Bruno, playing characters interacting in real-world settings, but he has also dipped his toe into more straightforward character work. One of his best was in 2011's Hugo, Martin Scoresese's first foray into a family picture. Cohen plays Inspector Gustave Daste, a French police officer who is after the young boy Hugo.

The role is a comedic foil, and while Cohen clearly sells the comedic over-the-top nature of the character with an exaggerated French accent and physical comedy, he also makes him a human character. Audiences get a bit of insight into his past and also his desires outside of his job. This is certainly one of Cohen's best attempts at a dramatic role and one audiences would like to see him do more of.

Stream Hugo on PrimeVideo and Paramount+

8 Jessica Lange in Cape Fear (1991)

Sure, Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte are dynamite in this thriller remale, but Jessica Lange as Nolte's wife-in-distress will reduce you to tears. Her scene in the climax of Cape Fear, when she convinces De Niro to take her instead of her daughter (Julianne Lewis), is unforgettable.

The plot centers on attorney Sam Bowden (Nolte) who knowingly withheld evidence that would have acquitted violent sex offender Max Cady (De Niro) of rape charges. After Max's release from prison, he devotes his life to stalking and destroying the Bowden family. When practical attempts to stop Max fail, Sam realizes that he must act outside the law to protect his wife and daughter in Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 thriller starring Gregory Peck (who makes a cameo in the 1991 version, mind you).

Stream Cape Fear on Starz

7 George Memmoli in Mean Streets (1973)

"We're not payin' because this guy's a f***ing mook." George Memmoli is only in a handful of scenes in Scorsese's Mean Streets, but he steals the show. Harvey Keitel and De Niro make it rain with mobster-esque wisecracks, but "Joey" is hysterical in those bar-fight scenes.

Mean Streets offers a slice of street life Scorsese-style in Little Italy among mobsters, punks and petty crooks. And the cops are often paid off, as humorously demonstrated when Memmoli's Joey character hands a local officer a wad of cash to leave them alone after they tear apart their local watering hole.

Stream Mean Streets on Realeyz

6 Ray Winstone in The Departed (2006)

The Departed focuses on South Boston cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) who goes undercover to infiltrate the organization of gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). As Billy gains the mobster's trust, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to Frank. When both organizations learn they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must figure out each other's identities.

Sure, Mark Wahlberg nabbed an Academy Award nomination for his gritty turn as a detective, but hats off to Ray Winstone, who plays Frank's brutal sidekick with a plethora of memorable one-liners. It really speaks to his role that he is able to stand out in a movie that features DiCaprio, Nicholson, Damon, Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin.

Stream The Departed on AMC+

5 Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

Everyone probably knows her for her role in The Exorcist, but one must certainly not forget her early achievement Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. After her husband dies, Alice (Burstyn) and her son leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as a waitress in a small diner, where she begins to fall for a rancher named David (Kris Kristofferson).

Burstyn is reliably superb here, as is often the case, and she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is another one of those lost Scorsese treasures that merits a revisit by moviegoers everywhere.

Rent Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore on AppleTV+

4 Nicolas Cage in Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

Folks might not remember that even Nicolas Cage has starred in a Scorsese film, which happened to be written by the legendary Paul Schrader. In Bringing Out the Dead, NYC paramedic Frank Pierce (Cage) begins to collapse under the strain of saving lives and witnessing deaths. Through the course of a few nights, three co-workers (John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore) accompany Pierce as he grasps for sanity.

Meanwhile, he still has hope when he forms an unlikely friendship with a victim's daughter (Patricia Arquette). Cage's performance is realistic enough to make this film one of the darkest and most underrated in Scorsese's entire catalog.

Stream Bringing Out the Dead on Prime Video

3 Sharon Stone - Casino (1995)

Yes, Sharon Stone got nominated for her role in Casino, and it was actually the only nomination the film landed. But the reality is, the career of the actress is more renowned because of other lesser roles. In the film, she gives life to Ginger McKenna, the chip hustler who ends up marrying Ace Rothstein, and becomes an important player from night to day. However, McKenna never abandons her old ways, and subjects Ace to a couple of setbacks.

Stone's performance is a display of chaos that feels incredibly honest. The control of the actress is noteworthy, and she's flashy enough to be one of the most important female performances in Scorsese's catalog of films. It is a role that deserves more attention in the wide array of iconic Scorsese roles.

Stream Casino on Peacock

2 Ty Mitchell - Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Scorsese's latest, Killers of the Flower Moon, is proof that he's still in his prime, and it's full of great performances, from Di Caprio's excellent, award-worthy role to Jason Isbell's underrated presence as a very rotten man. But there's one actor with enough dramatic weight to make you reformulate your bets for the best performances in the film. Ty Mitchell plays John Ramsey, a "hitman" hired by the film's tyrant to move a few pieces, and when it comes to the supporting roles in the film, it doesn't get better than Mitchell's.

With no more than three credits on his behalf, it's understandable how he's remained out of the public eye for so much time, but he's capable of adding grit and versatility to gruffly characters with a couple of secrets to hide. While Lily Gladstone is rightfully getting all the praise for the movie, Mitchell's role should not be slept on.

Killers of the Flower Moon is playing in theaters

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