Martin Scorsese Broke the Law to Help Catherine O'Hara's Career

When Martin Scorsese rips a page out of his passport to give you his phone number, it's a safe bet your career is going places. As for the renowned director, he almost couldn't go anywhere for a bit back in 1982 with that passport page missing.

It was in the hands of then-emerging actress Catherine O’Hara, known today for her roles in favorite films and shows over 50 years, including Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek, Beetlejuice, and now, its 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

When O’Hara met Scorsese, she was in her late 20s and already a six-year sketch comedy veteran of the Canadian show, Second City Television, which had earned a cult following among industry A-listers.

The scene of the meeting was the University Theatre, the main venue for the 1982 Toronto Film Festival, which honored Scorsese that year. The director also participated in a festival Q&A session with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. By then, Scorsese was a household name after Raging Bull’s release two years before. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two—Best Editing and Best Actor for Robert De Niro, who also attended the festival along with Scorsese, Harvey Keitel and Robert Duvall.

As O’Hara recalls to Parade, when she and her sister slipped into the back of the theater, Scorsese was standing right there, waiting to be introduced.

“He looks over and goes, ‘Hey, SCTV!’,” O’Hara says. “Like, what?! … Then he invited us to join him, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and other people for dinner.”

After they all chatted during the meal, Scorsese wanted to stay in touch with O’Hara—so much that he resorted to the only paper he had on hand. (Perhaps for effect, but more likely necessity ... Remember we didn't all have phones back then.)

“He rips out a piece of his passport to give me his phone number, which I held on to forever but never called because I'm shy,” O’Hara continues.

Regardless, their meeting clicked and the two eventually connected, with Scorsese casting her in his 1985 black comedy After Hours. The film stars Griffin Dunne as Paul Hackett, a buttoned-up office worker who makes a dark journey through Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood while pursuing a date with hipster Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). O’Hara plays an ice cream vendor named Gail in the film, which also has appearances by Teri Garr, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong.

Ebert gave the film four of four stars, and it earned Scorsese the award for Best Director at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. No doubt he had a new passport to get him there by then.

“He did end up telling me that he got into a lot of trouble for that page missing from his passport,” O’Hara says.

A word to the wise(guys): Any damage to a passport beyond minor wear and tear can be problematic for travelers, even rendering them invalid.

In other words, if you pull a Scorsese on your passport, you might end up stuck someplace you don't want to linger. Thankfully, both the director and actress have gone far since that fateful meeting more than 40 years ago.

Catch O’Hara on screens nationwide this fall starring in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, the long-anticipated follow-up to the 1988 classic.