Liza Minnelli reflected on her relationship with Martin Scorsese in her new book Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, written based on conversations and interviews with co-writer Michael Feinstein.
Minnelli, 79, worked with Scorsese, 83, on the 1977 musical drama New York, New York. She said she immediately got along with Scorsese after he wrote an advertisement in Variety defending her father, director Vincente Minnelli, from studio executives who interfered in his final film A Matter of Time.
“I was not only persuaded by Marty’s humility. I was moved by an unexpected kindness. Although the ad had zero impact on those studio idiots, it meant the world to me and my father for him to be so honored by his peers,” Minnelli said.
“How could I not respect Marty for firing this salvo? He was an eager student of film history and loved my father’s movies,” she continued, adding that she and Scorsese were quickly swept up in “a passionate romance” while they were making the musical, despite the fact that both were married at the time.
Because of that, their relationship was complicated. “I lost myself in amour fou, the French term for a passionate relationship that becomes a self-destructive obsession. Two lovers are intertwined. They cannot let go when things spiral out of control. The relationship becomes a powerful and hypnotic drug in every sense,” Minnelli explained.
“To tell the truth, our love affair had more layers than a lasagna. We were both Italian. In love. Intense. Committed to our craft. We both had volcanic temperaments.”
“Our work brought us together in close quarters, day after day. He was a devilishly handsome man who shared my love for cinema. I was the daughter of a director who respected Marty’s role and authority. Even though I now realize I didn’t truly understand him,” the actress said.
Beyond all the obstacles that already existed between them, Scorsese’s problems with addiction made everything worse, according to Minnelli. “Marty became an increasingly heavy cocaine user. It seemed like it was no longer recreational for either of us. It was day and night. On set, between takes, and when we went out at night.”
“We were constant companions, and I was right by his side. Line by line. Marty claimed the drug helped his creative juices. Of course it did. Or is that just another fabulous lie you tell yourself when you’re in the grip of substance use? Only Marty can answer that for himself,” she said.
New York, New York was not a major commercial success, although Minnelli remains proud of her performance in the film. She then decided to invite Scorsese to direct her Broadway musical The Act, but according to her, the director did not know how to channel his talents into successful stage direction.
“There were many things Marty didn’t understand about theater. He was used to being the absolute boss on a film set. In musical theater, directors lead the show — but they rely on a large creative team,” Minnelli explained.
“It also became clear that Marty was not familiar with the art of bringing people on and off a stage without disturbing the flow of a show. He was in over his head. Our out-of-town reviews were brutal.”
Because of that, Minnelli had to fire Scorsese from the project while their affair continued. “I did what had to be done. It nearly killed me and broke my heart. I lovingly told Marty that we needed to make a change,” Minnelli recalled.
“He was exhausted, and a constant diet of hostility and substances certainly wasn’t helping. As it turned out, his life was in danger and he can now admit that he ended up in the hospital, cheating death.”
Eventually, the romance came to an end. Minnelli celebrated the fact that Scorsese managed to overcome his drug addiction and build a successful career in cinema. She said she tried to reconnect with him in the 21st century, but he ignored her.
“Not all bad feelings have healed. Years later, I saw Marty at the 2014 Oscars ceremony and approached him to say hello. Unfortunately, he turned away from me. Very sad,” Minnelli lamented.
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