Watch: Martin Scorsese's mom holds her own with De Niro, Pesci in 'Goodfellas'

Goodfellas turns 25 this year, time to shine a light on one of the overlooked stars of the Mob classic -- director Martin Scorsese's mother, Catherine.

Catherine Scorsese plays Joe Pesci's mother and gets her due in the special extras for the 25th anniversary Blu-Ray release.

She holds her own with super heavyweight actors like Pesci, Robert De Niro (and Ray Liotta) in this scene.

Scorsese points out that his mother didn't see them as big-time actors.
"She perceived it as, 'My son's making a film. And these are my son's friends.' It wasn't De Niro. It wasn't Joe Pesci, it wasn't the level of these incredible actors. It was literally my son's friends."

Scorsese's longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who received an Oscar nomination for Goodfellas, says that Catherine was a natural.




"All Marty does is turn his mother on and say, 'Action.' That's it. And then anything goes between all of them...He would never direct her. He would just put her in the scene. He knew she was the perfect thing to make Bob and Joe improvise together."
And perfection comes out of this table scene as the conversation turns from a painting to her screen son's love life.