American film director Martin Scorsese has Shetland blood, he declared today.
New York-born Scorsese, who is of Sicilian and Italian parentage, said: “My family name means "The Scotsman" but it's spelt differently, it's mis-spelt. But they checked my DNA and I do have Scottish blood, from Shetland. I really, really want to go up there. It's a base of civilisation.”
Scorsese, 69, who is also a screen writer, producer, actor and film historian, has some of America's most distinctive films to his credit, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, GoodFellas, Gangs of New York, The Departed and Shutter Island.