Legendary director Martin Scorsese is widely recognized for his deep-seated fascination with religion, a theme that permeates almost all of his cinematic works through biblical allusions, theological explorations, or direct depictions of the church, as seen in films like “The Last Temptation of Christ” and “Silence.” Despite this consistent interest, a surprising revelation has emerged from a new docuseries, “Mr. Scorsese,” chronicling his life: he once pursued a path to priesthood but was ultimately expelled from his Catholic seminary due to “bad behavior.”

The docuseries, created by Rebecca Miller, premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 4. The first episode delves into Scorsese’s formative years, where he recounts the profound influence religion had on him as a child and young adult. At the tender age of seven, attending his first Catholic mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City sparked in him a long-standing desire for a religious education. He subsequently enrolled in a preparatory seminary located on 85th Street, where his initial months were satisfactory.

However, a shift occurred in young Scorsese’s perspective as he began to discover a world beyond the confines of the church. He observed that “the world is changing,” citing the advent of early rock and roll and the fading of old traditions. This growing awareness extended to personal experiences, including feelings of attraction to girls, which he recognized as making life “much more complicated” than he had initially perceived. He felt a realization that he “can’t shut himself off” from these emergent realities.

Eventually, Scorsese concluded that the priesthood was not his calling, reflecting that the core of priesthood is about devoting oneself to others, a path he felt he did not belong on. Despite his attempts to remain, his conduct led to his eventual expulsion. He recalls, “they got my father in there, and they told him, ‘Get him out of here.’ Because I behaved badly.” While the documentary refrains from detailing the specific “bad behavior,” Scorsese’s extensive filmography, often characterized by themes of sex, drugs, and violence, offers a glimpse into the manifold curiosities that likely diverged from the strictures of seminary life.

Following his departure from the seminary, Scorsese pursued an academic route, earning a B.A. in English from New York University’s Washington Square College and later an M.A. from the University’s School of Education. His directorial journey commenced in 1967 with “Who’s That Knocking at My Door,” marking the beginning of a nearly six-decade-long career. His influential and iconic films include “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Irishman,” among many others. He has received ten Academy Award nominations for Best Director, securing a win in 2006 for “The Departed.”

The “Mr. Scorsese” docuseries is set to release on Apple TV+ on October 17. The five-episode series features extensive interviews with Scorsese himself, alongside his family members, contemporaries, and a roster of distinguished creative collaborators. This impressive list includes figures such as Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Paul Schrader, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Jay Cocks, and Rodrigo Prieto, providing a comprehensive look into the life and work of the iconic filmmaker.