Los Angeles: Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese has revealed that he once considered joining the priesthood, but was ultimately “kicked out” for "behaving badly".

The revelations come in the new docuseries ‘Mr Scorsese’ by director Rebecca Miller, which premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 4. The five-episode series explores Scorsese’s life and career, with the first episode focusing on his early years and the influence of religion.

Scorsese, who attended his first Catholic mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City at the age of seven, described how his religious education initially inspired him to pursue the priesthood. “There was a preparatory seminary, and that was on 85th Street somewhere. I did okay for the first few months, but something happened,” he says in the series.

The director explained that his growing awareness of the world beyond the church, including the appeal of rock and roll and early romantic feelings, made him realise that the priesthood was not for him. “The idea of priesthood, to devote yourself to others, really, that's what it's about. I realised I don't belong there," he remembers, "And I tried to stay, but they got my father in there, and they told him, 'Get him out of here. Because I behaved badly,” Scorsese recalls.

While the series does not specify the nature of his misbehaviour, Scorsese went on to earn a BA in English from New York University’s Washington Square College and an MA from the university’s School of Education.

He made his directorial debut in 1967 with 'Who’s That Knocking at My Door', launching a near six-decade career with iconic films such as 'Taxi Driver', 'Raging Bull', 'Goodfellas', 'Casino', 'Gangs of New York' and 'The Irishman'. He has received ten Academy Award nominations for Best Director, winning in 2006 for 'The Departed'.

The full docuseries, set to release on October 17, features interviews with Scorsese, his family, and collaborators including Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Mick Jagger, Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Paul Schrader and many others.

IANS