Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris attends the 2011 National Board of Review Awards gala on January 10, 2012 in New York City.Photo:Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic
Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic
Martin Scorsesethinks the world of his wife,Helen Morris.
The pair exchanged vows in 1999 after having met four years prior. Morris was an accomplished book editor who had worked with people within Scorsese’s inner circle before joining forces withTheWolf of Wall Streetdirector himself.
Having been married once before, Morris wasn’t particularly keen on walking down the aisle again, but all that changed when she met Scorsese, whom she affectionately calls “Marty."
“Before, everything had to be on my terms. It wasn’t conscious, of course. By the time I met Marty I had figured things out. Marty is very direct about what he wants. I was happy to give that,” she revealed in herTalk Magazinefeature.
While Morris prefers books over cinema, she’s still her husband’s biggest fan. The native New Yorker has accompanied Scorsese to a number of red carpet premieres and film festivities. Most recently, she attendedWSJ Magazine’s 2023 Innovator Awards, where Scorcese was honored for his filmKillers of the Flower Moon.
Even still, it’s Morris who continues to impress Scorsese. While appearing on the SiriusXM podcast,This Life of Mine with James Corden, the director opened up about Morris’ Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, which she first received in 1990.
“I find that her strength is something … I’ve never seen such strength like that in a person and such a fortitude and a positive way of approaching life under the worst of circumstances,” he said.
So who is Martin Scorcese’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Helen Morris and her relationship with theAcademy Awardwinning filmmaker.
She grew up in New York
Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris at he Philosophical Society at Trinity College in Dublin.Brian Lawless/PA Images/Getty
Brian Lawless/PA Images/Getty
Morris was born in 1947 to Stephen Van Cortlandt Morris and Persis Mason. She also has two brothers: Christopher and James.
Her father was a career diplomat for 25 years, whose profession took him to Brussels, Paris and Rome. According toThe New York Times, their family lineage traces back to General Lew Morris, who signed the Declaration of Independence, and former United States Minister to France Gouverneur Morris.
She worked in publishing
Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris at a red carpet event.Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
In 1989, she served as editor ofThe Reader’s Catalog, a robust collection of 40,000 of the world’s best books. From there, Morris went on to work at Random House. She managed a number of projects, including the in-house magazine as well as the production of her future mother-in-law’s 1996 cookbook,Italianamerican: The Scorsese Family Cookbook.
Morris eventually stepped away from the publishing world for good, but she and Scorsese still gift each other first editions of their favorite novels.
She and Scorsese first met in 1995
Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris attend the premiere of ‘Kundun’ on December 11, 1997 in New York.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
The couple originally crossed paths because of Michael Powell. The late filmmaker was a dear friend of Scorsese’s, and Morris happened to be editing his memoir,Million Dollar Movie.
On the day they first met, it was raining, and Morris, who was running late, had been tasked with escorting Scorsese to an event for the project.
The encounter was a “disaster,” Morris toldTalkmagazine. “We sort of grunted at each other,” she added. Admittedly, he didn’t pay close attention to her until a bit later.
They wed in 1996
Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris at the premiere of ‘Kundun’ on March 11, 1998 in Germany.Volker Dornberger/picture alliance/Getty
Volker Dornberger/picture alliance/Getty
Scorsese and Morris married on July 22, 1999, in New York City, perEntertainment Weekly.
The moment she fell in love with him is etched in history: It was the summer of 1996, and Morris was visiting Scorsese in Morocco on the set of his film,Kundan, about the Dalai Lama.
Over six months on set, they got to know each other on a deeper, more personal level and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Morris said it didn’t take long for her to realize that Scorsese was the one.
“We found that we just got along really well. We never fight. I’m calm and he’s not,” she explained toTalk. “We come at things from different angles but we often reach the same conclusion. I think we are both at this stage when we know what we want — and we know what we don’t want.”
For his part, Scorsese could immediately tell Morris would make for both an excellent partner and mother. “You make a family with a person like Helen,” he shared. “She’s someone I want to be with, she’s a companion. I learn a great deal from her.”
She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1990
Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris attend “The Irishman” red carpet during the 14th Rome Film Festival on October 21, 2019.Daniele Venturelli/Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Daniele Venturelli/Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Prior to meeting Scorsese, Morris was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. According toMayo Clinic, the disease is a progressive nerve disorder that impacts movement and speech. While symptoms are manageable, there is no cure.
During an emotional moment on the SiriusXM podcast,This Life of Mine with James Corden, Scorsese opened up about his wife’s decades-long journey with Parkinson’s.
“It’s been 30 years, 35 years or whatever with the illness, and so when I think I’m not feeling well or something, I look over there and see her rally herself together,” he said of Morris’ strength.
Scorsese thinks she is “the most remarkable person.” He acknowledged, “My complaining, I find, is nothing compared to what the suffering that a condition like that does, and so we live with it, and it changes how you perceive life and everything around you."
As he enters his “golden years” and Morris’ condition progresses, Scorsese said he’s become more cognizant of the types of projects he takes on.
“Do I still say I’m gonna make a film and go out there, and you’re gonna come on location? Yes. As much as possible,” he explained. Albeit, he’d be lying if he didn’t also ask himself, “Do you want to do a film that’s only based near the house?” to which he answered, “I may have to.”
“I have nurses in the house … it helps, but it’s not that simple,” Scorsese added.
They share a daughter
Francesca Scorsese, Martin Scorsese and Helen Morris attend the “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story By Martin Scorsese” New York screening on June 10, 2019.Jim Spellman/Getty
Jim Spellman/Getty
Scorsese was already a father to his daughters Cathy and Domenica when he met his wife but dreamt of starting a family with Morris, who hadn’t envisioned herself becoming a mother.
A 51-year-old with Parkinson’s, she was referred to a high-risk pregnancy doctor and “got pregnant immediately.”
“I have Parkinson’s. I was in bed for a few months, but it was easy. I watched a lot of television,” Morris recalled of her pregnancy toTalk.
Four months after tying the knot, the pair welcomed their daughter, Francesca, on Nov. 16, 1999.
“This was like some special blessing of some kind. It suddenly changed all the values, what I thought was important in life,” Scorsese said onThis Life of Mine with James Cordenin 2024.
Francesca was inundated with the world of filmmaking at a young age, which inspired her to seek out a career in cinema. Like her famous dad, Francesca is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
“He is the best teacher, guide, just overall mentor — and also, he’s literally my best friend. I tell him everything,” she toldThe Hollywood Reporterof their father-daughter relationship.
In 2023, Francesca made her directorial debut withFish Out of Water.
source: people.com
