Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Paul Sorvino, and Joe Pesci in the 1990 film 'GoodFellas' There was, however, one "starburst" of improvisation in the movie — and it came directly from the actor Joe Pesci.

For most people, it was an easy ask. After all, Martin Scorsese is a living legend, a director who has produced masterpiece after masterpiece in a career that has spanned decades. So collaborators ...