The name Nicolette Scorsese has long vanished from the entertainment scene. However, the former actress and model are forever remembered for her role as Mary, the sexy salesgirl in the Christmas classic film, A Christmas Vacation, which was released in 1989.
Scorsese has since brought her acting career to a halt. However, in the wake of every Christmas season, her memory is rekindled thanks to TV stations that air the film as part of their holiday broadcast.
Nicolette Scorsese enjoyed a little bit of fame in Hollywood after the film’s release but sadly won’t go on to last long like her co-stars, including Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who all went on to become household names in the film and TV industry. In retrospect, we take a look at Nicolette Scorsese’s life and career.
Early Life and Background
We are sure that before she became known as the girl behind the counter in Christmas Vacation, Nicolette Scorsese had a full life with childhood and education. But so far, details about the actress’ background have remained elusive, despite the rising interest in her since she starred in the Christmas-themed movie.
We do, however, know that she was born on the 6th of January 1954, in the United States. Blessed with a tall and slender figure, Scorsese sought to become a model from a very young age, and she found mild success as a model representing some brands via commercials.
After some time working as a model, Nicolette expanded her resume in show business by taking up a career as an actress, the profession for which she is most known.
Nicolette Scorsese’s Life as an Actress
She started her career as an actress on the small screen and landed her debut in two 1985 episodes of the action TV show, The A-Team. She then appeared in a 1987 episode of Charles in Charge before making her film debut in 1988’s Perfect Victims, where she played the role of Melissa Cody.
Following her debut in the two prominent mediums of acting, Nicolette Scorsese began an acting career that lasted fifteen years. Her most significant work came in her second role in a feature-length film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
The film, which starred already established acts like Chevy Chase, turned out to be her best-known role, critically and commercially. It grossed over $70 million on a budget of $25 million.
Nicolette Scorsese’s career as an actress got busier in the ’90s with roles in films like Aspen Extreme, Boxing Helena, as well as short films, The Waiter and Lone Greasers. However, none of her characters generated attention like Mary in Christmas Vacation.
Back on the small screen, she had parts in L.A. Law, Rebel Highway, Girls in Prison, ER, and NYPD Blue, where she played two different roles in two episodes. After her last appearance on screen in NYPD Blue, Nicolette had a total of 14 credits to her name.
Is She Related to Martin Scorsese?
The name Scorsese is quite a rare one in Hollywood, so when Nicolette Scorsese popped on to the scenes, it was normal for people to wonder if she was related to the ace filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. However, Nicolette happens to come from a different Scorsese family as she has no family relationship with Martin.
Apart from a sibling relationship, many have wondered if maybe Nicolette had in the past married the filmmaker. However, of the five women that Martin has walked the aisle with, none of them was Nicolette. On the other hand, Nicolette has also never been married (at least as of when she became famous).
Where is Nicolette Scorsese Now?
Without prior notice, Nicolette Scorsese quietly vanished from the entertainment space. Maybe she was tired of the typecast “hot girl” roles that she kept getting. Scorsese was last seen in a 2000 episode of NYPD Blue. At the time, the actress was in her forties.
While she didn’t give reasons for her rather early retirement, the actress most likely got herself involved in some other non-Hollywood venture. Her earnings from a relatively successful 15-year career would certainly not have been enough to last her a lifetime.
The former actress is living her life quietly away from the glitz and glamour that comes with the entertainment industry. It is unknown whether or not she is married. However, during her heydays, she was rumored to have dated a couple of men.
Among those men were actor and filmmaker Sean Penn – who has a history of dating actresses, model Antonio Sabato Jr. musician, Jellybean Benitez, and The Cult band member, Billy Duffy, with whom she was rumored to be dating in the late ’90s. Rumor has it that Nicolette Scorsese had a child, a daughter named Shiloh, with Billy Duffy.
Nicolette Scorsese might not have made it to superstardom, regardless, she did well to leave an indelible mark in Hollywood, thanks to her role as Mary in A Christmas Vacation.
