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Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an
Honorary Academy Award The Academy Honorary Award – instituted in 1950 for the 23rd Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award, which was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929) – is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of M ...
in 2013. Additionally, he was nominated for two
Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
for his musical '' Bright Star'' in 2016. Among many honors, he has received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center Honors, and an AFI Life Achievement Award. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' named him one of the best actors never to have received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination. Martin came to public notice in the 1960s as a writer for ''
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...
'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1969, and later as a frequent host on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
''. In the 1970s, Martin performed his offbeat, absurdist comedy routines before sold-out theaters on national tours. Since the 1980s, having retired from stand-up comedy, Martin has become a successful actor, starring in such films as '' The Jerk'' (1979), '' Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' (1982), '' The Man with Two Brains'' (1983), '' All of Me'' (1984), ''
Three Amigos ''Three Amigos'' (stylized as ''¡Three Amigos!'') is a 1986 American Western comedy film directed by John Landis, written by Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, and Randy Newman (who also wrote the film's songs), and starring Chevy Chase, Steve ...
'' (1986), '' Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' (1988), ''
L.A. Story ''L.A. Story'' is a 1991 American satirical romantic comedy film written by and starring Steve Martin and directed by Mick Jackson. The plot follows a weatherman (Martin) trying to find love in Los Angeles. It was released on February 8, 1991, ...
'' (1991), '' Bowfinger'' (1999) and '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' (2003). He has also known for portraying the family patriarch in '' Parenthood'' (1989), the '' Father of the Bride'' films (1991–1995), and the ''
Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsel ...
'' films (2003–2005). Since 2015, Martin has embarked on several national comedy tours with fellow comedian Martin Short. In 2018, they released their
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
special '' An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life'' for which they received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In 2021, he co-created and starred in his first television show, the
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
comedy series ''
Only Murders in the Building ''Only Murders in the Building'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The ten-episode first season premiered on Hulu in August 2021. The plot follows three strangers played by Steve M ...
'' alongside Short and Selena Gomez where he earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, two
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
nominations and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
nomination. In 2022, Martin and Short co-hosted ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' together with Gomez making an appearance. Martin is also known for writing the book to the musical '' Bright Star'' (2016) and to the comedy '' Meteor Shower'' (2017), both of which premiered on Broadway; he co-wrote the music to the former. He has played
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
since an early age and has included music in his comedy routines from the beginning of his professional career. Since the 2000s he has increasingly dedicated his career to music, acting less and spending much of his professional life playing banjo, recording, and touring. He has performed with various bluegrass acts, including Earl Scruggs, with whom he won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2002. His first solo music album, '' The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo'' (2009) received the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.


Early life and education

Martin was born on August 14, 1945 in Waco, Texas, the son of Mary Lee (née Stewart; 1913–2002) and Glenn Vernon Martin (1914–1997), a real estate salesman and aspiring actor. He has an older sister, Melinda. Martin is of English, Scottish,
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
, Scots-Irish, German, and French descent, and was raised in Inglewood, California with his sister, and then later in
Garden Grove, California Garden Grove is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, located just southwest of Disneyland (located in Anaheim, CA). The population was 171,949 at the 2020 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, ...
, in a
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
family. Martin was a cheerleader of Garden Grove High School. One of his earliest memories is of seeing his father, as an extra, serving drinks onstage at the Call Board Theatre on Melrose Place. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, in the United Kingdom, Martin's father had appeared in a production of ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thr ...
'' with Raymond Massey. Expressing his affection through gifts, like cars and bikes, Martin's father was stern, and not emotionally open to his son. He was proud but critical, with Martin later recalling that in his teens his feelings for his father were mostly of hatred. Martin's first job was at
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...
, selling guidebooks on weekends and full-time during his school's summer break. That lasted for three years (1955–1958). During his free time, he frequented the Main Street Magic shop, where tricks were demonstrated to patrons. While working at Disneyland, he was captured in the background of the home movie that was made into the short-subject film '' Disneyland Dream'', incidentally becoming his first film appearance. By 1960, he had mastered several magic tricks and illusions and took a paying job at the Magic shop in
Fantasyland Fantasyland is one of the "themed lands" at all of the Magic Kingdom-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world. It is themed after Disney's animated fairy tale films. Each Fantasyland has a castle, as well as several gentle ...
in August. There he perfected his talents for magic, juggling, and creating balloon animals in the manner of mentor Wally Boag, frequently performing for tips. In his authorized biography, close friend Morris Walker suggests that Martin could "be described most accurately as an agnostic ... he rarely went to church and was never involved in organized religion of his own volition". In his early 20s, Martin dated Melissa Trumbo, daughter of novelist and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. After high school, Martin attended
Santa Ana College Santa Ana College is a public community college in Santa Ana, California. History In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Ora ...
, taking classes in drama and English poetry. In his free time, he teamed up with friend and Garden Grove High School classmate Kathy Westmoreland to participate in comedies and other productions at the Bird Cage Theatre. He joined a comedy troupe at Knott's Berry Farm. Later, he met budding actress Stormie Sherk, and they developed comedy routines and became romantically involved. Sherk's influence caused Martin to apply to the California State University, Long Beach, for enrollment with a major in philosophy. Sherk enrolled at UCLA, about an hour's drive north, and the distance eventually caused them to lead separate lives. Inspired by his philosophy classes, Martin considered becoming a professor instead of an actor-comedian. His time at college changed his life. Martin recalls reading a treatise on comedy that led him to think: {{cquote, What if there were no punch lines? What if there were no indicators? What if I created tension and never released it? What if I headed for a climax, but all I delivered was an anticlimax? What would the audience do with all that tension? Theoretically, it would have to come out sometime. But if I kept denying them the formality of a punch line, the audience would eventually pick their own place to laugh, essentially out of desperation.{{cite magazine , last=Martin , first=Steve , date=February 2008 , title=Being Funny: How the path-breaking comedian got his act together , url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/being-funny-17061140 , archive-date=May 18, 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518235349/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/being-funny-17061140/?all , url-status=live , magazine= Smithsonian Magazine , access-date=December 21, 2022 Martin periodically spoofed his philosophy studies in his 1970s stand-up act, comparing philosophy with studying geology. {{cquote, If you're studying geology, which is all facts, as soon as you get out of school you forget it all, but philosophy you remember just enough to screw you up for the rest of your life. In 1967, Martin transferred to UCLA and switched his major to theater. While attending college, he appeared in an episode of '' The Dating Game'', winning a date with
Deana Martin Deana Martin is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer Dean Martin. Film and television Martin was born in Manhattan to Dean Martin and his first wife, Elizabeth Anne "Betty" McDonald. She moved to Beverly Hills, Californ ...
. Martin began working local clubs at night, to mixed notices, and at twenty-one, he dropped out of college.


Career


Stand-up comedy


Late night

In 1967, his former girlfriend Nina Goldblatt, a dancer on ''
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...
'', helped Martin land a writing job with the show by submitting his work to head writer Mason Williams.{{sfnp, Martin, 2007, p=76 Williams initially paid Martin out of his own pocket. Along with the other writers for the show, Martin won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
in 1969 at the age of twenty-three. He wrote for '' The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' and '' The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.'' Martin's first television appearance was on ''
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...
'' in 1968. He says: {{cquote, appeared on ''The
Virginia Graham Virginia Graham, born Virginia Komiss, (July 4, 1912 – December 22, 1998) was an American daytime television talk show host from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. On television, Graham hosted the syndicated programs ''Food for Thought'' (1953 ...
Show,'' circa 1970. I looked grotesque. I had a hairdo like a helmet, which I blow-dried to a puffy bouffant, for reasons I no longer understand. I wore a frock coat and a silk shirt, and my delivery was mannered, slow and self-aware. I had absolutely no authority. After reviewing the show, I was depressed for a week. During these years his roommates included
Gary Mule Deer Gary Mule Deer (born Gary C. Miller; November 21, 1939) is an American comedian and country musician. Biography During a career spanning six decades, Gary Mule Deer has performed on many major concert stages in the United States, and has made ...
and Michael Johnson.{{sfnp, Martin, 2007, p=77 Gary Mule Deer supplied the first joke Martin submitted to Tommy Smothers for use on the ''Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' show. Martin opened for groups such as The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (who returned the favor by appearing in his 1980 television special ''All Commercials''), The Carpenters, and Toto. He appeared at
The Boarding House "The Boarding House" is a short story by James Joyce published in his 1914 collection ''Dubliners ''Dubliners'' is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. It presents a naturalistic depiction of Irish m ...
, among other venues. He continued to write, earning an Emmy nomination for his work on '' Van Dyke and Company'' in 1976. In the mid-1970s, Martin made frequent appearances as a stand-up comedian on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', and on '' The Gong Show'', HBO's '' On Location'', ''
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...
'', and NBC's ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' (''SNL''). ''SNL''{{'s audience jumped by a million viewers when he made guest appearances, and he was one of the show's most successful hosts. Martin has appeared on twenty-seven ''Saturday Night Live'' shows and guest-hosted sixteen times, second only to Alec Baldwin, who has hosted seventeen times {{as of, 2017, February, lc=y. On the show, Martin popularized the air quotes gesture.{{cite book , title=How We Got Here: The '70s , last=Frum , first=David , author-link=David Frum , year=2000 , publisher=Basic Books , location=New York City , isbn=0-465-04195-7 , page
36–37
, url=https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/36 , url-access=registration
While on the show, Martin grew close to several cast members, including Gilda Radner. On the night she died of
ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
, a visibly shaken Martin hosted ''SNL'' and featured footage of himself and Radner together in a 1978 sketch.


Comedy albums

In the 1970s, his television appearances led to the release of comedy albums that went
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
. The track "Excuse Me" on his first album, '' Let's Get Small'' (1977), helped establish a national catch phrase. His next album, '' A Wild and Crazy Guy'' (1978), was an even bigger success, reaching the No. 2 spot on the U.S. sales chart, selling over a million copies. "Just a wild and crazy guy" became another of Martin's known catchphrases. The album featured a character based on a series of ''Saturday Night Live'' sketches in which Martin and Dan Aykroyd played the Festrunk Brothers; Yortuk and Georgi were bumbling Czechoslovak would-be playboys. The album ends with the song " King Tut", sung and written by Martin and backed by the "Toot Uncommons", members of the
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constan ...
. It was later released as a single, reaching No. 17 on the U.S. charts in 1978 and selling over a million copies.{{cite magazine , last1=Corliss , first1=Richard , title=Steve Martin, a Mild and Crazy Guy , url=https://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1684540,00.html , access-date=January 13, 2020 , magazine=
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
, date=November 15, 2007 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220021910/http://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1684540,00.html , archive-date=December 20, 2007 , url-status=dead
The song came out during the King Tut craze that accompanied the popular traveling exhibit of the Egyptian king's tomb artifacts. Both albums won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Martin performed "King Tut" on April 22, 1978, ''SNL'' program. Decades later, in 2012, '' The A.V. Club'' described Martin's unique style and its effect on audiences: {{cquote, artin wasboth a consummate entertainer and a glib, knowing parody of a consummate entertainer. He was at once a hammy populist with an uncanny, unprecedented feel for the tastes of a mass audience and a sly intellectual whose goofy shtick cunningly deconstructed stand-up comedy. On his comedy albums, Martin's stand-up is self-referential and sometimes self-mocking. It mixes philosophical riffs with sudden spurts of "happy feet",
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
playing with balloon depictions of concepts like
venereal disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and ora ...
, and the "controversial" kitten juggling (he is a master juggler; the "kittens" were stuffed animals). His style is off-kilter and ironic and sometimes pokes fun at stand-up comedy traditions, such as Martin opening his act (from ''A Wild and Crazy Guy'') by saying: {{cquote, I think there's nothing better for a person to come up and do the same thing over and over for two weeks. This is what I enjoy, so I'm going to do the same thing over and over and over ..I'm going to do the same joke over and over in the same show, it'll be like a new thing. Or: "Hello, I'm Steve Martin, and I'll be out here in a minute." In one comedy routine, used on the ''
Comedy Is Not Pretty! ''Comedy Is Not Pretty!'' (1979) is an album by the American comedian Steve Martin. It was recorded at The Boarding House in San Francisco, California, where his previous two albums were also recorded. When released, the album was not as well-rec ...
'' album, Martin claimed that his real name was "Gern Blanston". The riff took on a life of its own. There is a Gern Blanston website, and for a time a rock band took the moniker as its name.{{sfnp, Martin, 2007, pp=176–177 Martin's show soon required full-sized stadiums for the audiences he was drawing. Concerned about his visibility in venues on such a scale, Martin began to wear a distinctive three-piece white suit that became a trademark for his act. Martin stopped doing stand-up comedy in 1981 to concentrate on movies and did not return for thirty-five years. About this decision, he states "My act was conceptual. Once the concept was stated, and everybody understood it, it was done. ... It was about coming to the end of the road. There was no way to live on in that persona. I had to take that fabulous luck of not being remembered as that, exclusively. You know, I didn't announce that I was stopping. I just stopped."


Return to standup

In 2016, Martin made a low-key comeback to live comedy, opening for Jerry Seinfeld. He performed a ten-minute stand-up routine before turning the stage over to Seinfeld. Also in 2016 he staged a national tour with Martin Short and the
Steep Canyon Rangers Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon ...
, which yielded a 2018 Netflix comedy special, ''Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life''. The special received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations with Martin receiving two nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special and Outstanding Music and Lyrics for ''The Buddy Song''.


Acting career


1970s

By the end of the 1970s, Martin had acquired the kind of following normally reserved for rock stars, with his tour appearances typically occurring at sold-out arenas filled with tens of thousands of screaming fans. But unknown to his audience, stand-up comedy was "just an accident" for him; his real goal was to get into film. Martin had a small role in the 1972 film ''
Another Nice Mess ''Another Nice Mess'' is a 1972 comedy film written and directed by Bob Einstein and starring Rich Little as Richard Nixon and Herb Voland as Spiro Agnew. Plot The film is presented in the style of a Laurel and Hardy comedy, with Nixon in the ...
''. In 1974, he starred in the Canadian travelogue production The Funnier Side Of Eastern Canada, created to promote tourism in Montreal and Toronto, which also included standup segments filmed at the Ice House in Pasadena, California. His first substantial film appearance was in a short titled '' The Absent-Minded Waiter'' (1977). The seven-minute-long film, also featuring Buck Henry and Teri Garr, was written by and starred Martin. The film was nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
as ''Best Short Film, Live Action''. He made his first substantial feature film appearance in the musical ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composi ...
'', where he sang
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' " Maxwell's Silver Hammer". In 1979, Martin starred in the comedy film '' The Jerk'', directed by Carl Reiner, and written by Martin, Michael Elias, and Carl Gottlieb. The film was a huge success, grossing over $100 million on a budget of approximately $4 million.
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
met with him to discuss the possibility of Martin starring in a screwball comedy version of '' Traumnovelle'' (Kubrick later changed his approach to the material, the result of which was 1999's ''
Eyes Wide Shut ''Eyes Wide Shut'' is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on the 1926 novella '' Traumnovelle'' (''Dream Story'') by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's set ...
''). Martin was executive producer for ''Domestic Life'', a prime-time television series starring friend Martin Mull, and a late-night series called ''Twilight Theater''. It emboldened Martin to try his hand at his first serious film, '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1981), based on the 1978 BBC serial by
Dennis Potter Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935 – 7 June 1994) was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Singing Detective'' (198 ...
. He was anxious to perform in the movie because of his desire to avoid being typecast. To prepare for that film, Martin took acting lessons from director
Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...
and spent months learning how to
tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...
. The film was a financial failure; Martin's comment at the time was "I don't know what to blame, other than it's me and not a comedy."


1980s

Martin was in three more Reiner-directed comedies after ''The Jerk'': '' Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' in 1982, '' The Man with Two Brains'' in 1983 and '' All of Me'' in 1984, his most critically acclaimed performance up to that point. Martin was by now requesting almost $3 million per film, but ''Plaid'' and ''Two Brains'' both failed at the box office like ''Pennies'', endangering his young career.{{Cite news , last1=Harmetz , first1=Aljean , author-link=Aljean Harmetz , date=July 26, 1983 , title=The Talk of Hollywood: At The Studios, Star Billing Means a Parking Space , page=C11 , work=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/26/movies/talk-hollywood-studios-star-billing-means-parking-space-talk-hollywood.html , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524142748/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/26/movies/talk-hollywood-studios-star-billing-means-parking-space-talk-hollywood.html , archive-date=May 24, 2015 , url-status=live , access-date=June 16, 2022 , url-access=subscription , issn=0362-4331
In 1986, Martin joined fellow ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' veterans Martin Short and
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
in '' ¡Three Amigos!'', directed by
John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' (1978 ...
, and written by Martin, Lorne Michaels, and singer-songwriter
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and vari ...
. It was originally entitled ''The Three Caballeros'' and Martin was to be teamed with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. In 1986, Martin was in the movie musical film version of the hit Off-Broadway play ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (based on a famous B-movie), playing the sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello. The film was the first of three films teaming Martin with Rick Moranis. In 1987, Martin joined comedian John Candy in the John Hughes movie '' Planes, Trains and Automobiles.'' That same year, '' Roxanne'', the film adaptation of '' Cyrano de Bergerac'' which Martin co-wrote, won him a Writers Guild of America Award. It also garnered recognition from Hollywood and the public that he was more than a comedian. In 1988, he performed in the Frank Oz film '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', a remake of ''
Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockma ...
'', alongside Michael Caine. Also in 1988, he appeared at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center in a revival of '' Waiting for Godot'' directed by Mike Nichols. He played Vladimir, with
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
as
Estragon Estragon (affectionately Gogo; he tells Pozzo his name is Adam) is one of the two main characters from Samuel Beckett's '' Waiting for Godot''. His name is the French word for tarragon. Personality The impulsive misanthrope Estragon represent ...
and
Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has made a num ...
as Lucky. Martin starred in the
Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...
film '' Parenthood'' with Rick Moranis in 1989.


1990s

He later re-teamed with Moranis in the Mafia comedy '' My Blue Heaven'' (1990). In 1991, Martin starred in and wrote ''
L.A. Story ''L.A. Story'' is a 1991 American satirical romantic comedy film written by and starring Steve Martin and directed by Mick Jackson. The plot follows a weatherman (Martin) trying to find love in Los Angeles. It was released on February 8, 1991, ...
'', a romantic comedy, in which the female lead was played by his then-wife Victoria Tennant. Martin also appeared in
Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the '' Star Wars'' films '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), '' Return of the Jedi'' (1983), '' The Force Awakens'' (2015), and '' Solo: A Star Wars ...
's '' Grand Canyon'', in which he played the tightly wound Hollywood film producer, Davis, who was recovering from a traumatic robbery that left him injured, which was a more serious role for him. Martin also starred in a remake of the comedy '' Father of the Bride'' in 1991 (followed by a sequel in 1995) and in the 1992 comedy '' Housesitter'', with Goldie Hawn and Dana Delany. In 1994, he starred in '' A Simple Twist of Fate''; a film adaptation of '' Silas Marner''. In David Mamet's 1997 thriller '' The Spanish Prisoner'', Martin played a darker role as a wealthy stranger who takes a suspicious interest in the work of a young businessman ( Campbell Scott). He went on to star with Eddie Murphy in the 1999 comedy '' Bowfinger,'' which Martin also wrote. In 1998, Martin guest starred with U2 in the 200th episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' titled "
Trash of the Titans "Trash of the Titans" is the twenty-second episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The 200th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 26 ...
", providing the voice for sanitation commissioner Ray Patterson. In 1999, Martin and Hawn starred in a remake of the 1970 Neil Simon comedy, '' The Out-of-Towners''.


2000s

By 2003, Martin ranked fourth on the box office stars list, after starring in '' Bringing Down The House'' (2003) and ''
Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsel ...
'' (2003), each of which earned over $130 million at U.S. theaters. That same year, he also played the villainous Mr. Chairman in the animation/live action blend, '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action''. In 2005, Martin wrote and starred in '' Shopgirl'', based on his own novella (2000), and starred in '' Cheaper by the Dozen 2''. In 2006, he starred in the box office hit '' The Pink Panther'', as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. He reprised the role in 2009's '' The Pink Panther 2''. When combined, the two films grossed over $230 million at the box office. In the comedy '' Baby Mama'' (2008), starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Martin played the founder of a health food company. Martin also appeared as a guest star in '' 30 Rock'' as Gavin Volure in the episode
Gavin Volure "Gavin Volure" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 40th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episod ...
. He was nominated for an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. The following year he starred in Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy '' It's Complicated'' (2009), opposite Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. In 2009, an article in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' listed Martin as one of the best actors never to receive an Oscar nomination.


2010s

During the 2010s Martin sparsely appeared in film and television. In 2011 he appeared with Jack Black,
Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for ''Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...
, and
JoBeth Williams Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American actress and television director. Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film ''On Hope'' earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2009 she bega ...
in the birdwatching comedy ''
The Big Year ''The Big Year'' is a 2011 American comedy film starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin. ''The Big Year'' was directed by David Frankel and written by Howard Franklin. It was based on the 2004 nonfiction book ''The Big Year: A Tale of ...
'' directed by David Frankel. The film was criticized for its lightweight story and was a box office bomb. After a three-year hiatus, Martin returned in 2015 when he voiced a role in the DreamWorks animated film ''Home'' alongside Jim Parsons and
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...
. The film received mixed critical reception but was a financial success. In 2016, he played a supporting role in Ang Lee's war drama '' Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk''. He also appeared as himself in Jerry Seinfeld's
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
series '' Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'' in 2016. He also appeared in the taped version of ''
Oh, Hello on Broadway ''The Oh, Hello Show'' is a comedy act created by Americans Nick Kroll and John Mulaney that was popularized on Comedy Central's ''Kroll Show''. The show centers on Gil Faizon (Kroll) and George St. Geegland (Mulaney), elderly men from the Upper W ...
'' (2017) as the guest. He also starred in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
comedy special ''An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life'' with Martin Short in 2018.


2020s

In February 2020, Martin opened the 92nd Academy Awards alongside Chris Rock with comedy material. They were not previously announced as that year's hosts, and joked after their opening monologue, "Well we've had a great time not hosting tonight". In 2020, Martin reprised his role as George Banks in the short '' Father of the Bride, Part 3(ish)''. Martin stars in and is an executive producer of ''
Only Murders in the Building ''Only Murders in the Building'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The ten-episode first season premiered on Hulu in August 2021. The plot follows three strangers played by Steve M ...
'', a
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
comedy series alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez, which he created alongside John Hoffman. In August 2022, Martin revealed that the series will likely be his final role, as he does not intend to seek out roles or cameos for other shows or films once the series ends.


Writing


Books

In 1993, Martin wrote his first full-length play, ''
Picasso at the Lapin Agile ''Picasso at the Lapin Agile'' is a full-length play written by American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician Steve Martin in 1993. Description The play features the characters of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a bar ...
''. The first reading of the play took place in Beverly Hills, California at his home, with Tom Hanks reading the role of
Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
and Chris Sarandon reading the role of
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theor ...
. Following this, the play opened at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, and played from October 1993 to May 1994, then went on to run successfully in Los Angeles, New York City, and several other US cities. In 2009, the school board in La Grande, Oregon, refused to allow the play to be performed after several parents complained about the content. In an open letter in the local ''Observer'' newspaper, Martin wrote: {{cquote, I have heard that some in your community have characterized the play as 'people drinking in bars, and treating women as sex objects.' With apologies to William Shakespeare, this is like calling ''Hamlet'' a play about a castle ..I will finance a non-profit, off-high school campus production ..so that individuals, outside the jurisdiction of the school board but within the guarantees of freedom of expression provided by the Constitution of the United States can determine whether they will or will not see the play. Throughout the 1990s, Martin wrote various pieces for ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
''. In 2002, he adapted the
Carl Sternheim Carl Sternheim (born William Adolph Carl Francke; 1 April 1878 – 3 November 1942) was a German playwright and short story writer. One of the major exponents of German Expressionism, he especially satirized the moral sensibilities of the emergi ...
play '' The Underpants'', which ran
Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
at Classic Stage Company, and in 2008 co-wrote and produced ''
Traitor Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
'', starring Don Cheadle. He has also written the novellas '' Shopgirl'' (2000) and '' The Pleasure of My Company'' (2003), both more wry in tone than raucous. A story of a 28-year-old woman behind the glove counter at the
Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue (originally Saks & Company; colloquially Saks) is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in New York City and founded by Andrew Saks. The original store opened in the F Street shopping district of Washingt ...
department store in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
, '' Shopgirl'' was made into a film starring Martin and
Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, '' Time'' named her one of the 100 most influenti ...
.''But Seriously, Folks''. ''Time'' article. October 16, 2000
Retrieved August 14, 2010
The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
in September 2005 and was featured at the
Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
and the Austin Film Festival before going into limited release in the US. In 2007, he published a memoir, '' Born Standing Up'', which ''Time'' magazine named as one of the Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2007, ranking it at {{abbr, No., Number 6, and praising it as "a funny, moving, surprisingly frank memoir." In 2010, he published the novel ''An Object of Beauty.'' Beginning in 2019, Martin has collaborated with cartoonist
Harry Bliss Harry Bliss (born March 9, 1964, in Rochester, New York) is an American cartoonist and illustrator. Bliss has illustrated many books, and produced hundreds of cartoons and 25 covers for ''The New Yorker''. Bliss has a syndicated single-panel comi ...
as a writer for the syndicated single-panel comic ''Bliss''. Together, they published the cartoon collection ''A Wealth of Pigeons''. In 2022, they collaborated again for Martin's illustrated biography, ''Number One is Walking''.


Broadway

Inspired by ''Love has Come for You'', Martin and Edie Brickell collaborated on his first musical, ''Bright Star''. It is set in the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virg ...
of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
in 1945–46, with flashbacks to 1923. The musical debuted on Broadway on March 24, 2016.
Charles Isherwood Charles Isherwood (born 1964/65) is an American theater critic. Education Isherwood is a graduate of Stanford University. Career Isherwood wrote for '' Backstage West'' in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of ''Variety'', where he was pr ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' praised its score by Martin and Brickell writing, "The shining achievement of the musical is its winsome country and bluegrass score, with music by Mr. Martin and Ms. Brickell, and lyrics by Ms. Brickell...the songs — yearning ballads and square-dance romps rich with fiddle, piano, and banjo, beautifully played by a nine-person band — provide a buoyancy that keeps the momentum from stalling." The musical went on to receive five
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
nominations including Best Musical. Martin himself received Tony nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score and received the
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...
for Outstanding Music and the Outstanding Critics Circle Award for Best New Score. He also received a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for
Best Musical Theater Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...
. Martin's next work as a playwright was the comic play '' Meteor Shower'' which opened at
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
's Old Globe Theatre in August 2016, and went on to
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
's
Long Wharf Theatre Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared. Fo ...
later the same year. The play opened on Broadway at the Booth Theater on November 29, 2017. The cast features Amy Schumer, Laura Benanti, Jeremy Shamos and Keegan-Michael Key, with direction by
Jerry Zaks Jerry Zaks (born September 7, 1946) is an American stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing '' The House of Blue Leaves'', ''Lend Me a Tenor'', and '' Six Degr ...
. Critic Allison Adaot of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' wrote, "Meteor Shower is a very funny play. Keening-like-a-howler-monkey funny. Design-a-new-cry-laughing-emoji funny...In the confident hands of writer and comedy maestro Steve Martin, the premise is polished to sparkling."


Hosting

Martin hosted the
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
solo in 2001 and 2003, and with Alec Baldwin in 2010. In 2005, Martin co-hosted '' Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years'', marking the park's anniversary. Disney continued to run the show until March 2009, which now{{when, date=October 2012 plays in the lobby of '' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln''. A fan of Monty Python, in 1989 Martin hosted the television special, '' Parrot Sketch Not Included – 20 Years of Monty Python''.


Music career


Banjo music

Martin first picked up the banjo when he was around 17 years of age. Martin has stated in several interviews and in his memoir, ''Born Standing Up'', that he used to take 33 rpm bluegrass records and slow them down to 16 rpm and tune his banjo down, so the notes would sound the same. Martin was able to pick out each note and perfect his playing.{{Citation needed, reason=, date=October 2020 Martin learned how to play the banjo with help from John McEuen, who later joined the
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constan ...
. McEuen's brother later managed Martin as well as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Martin did his stand-up routine opening for the band in the early 1970s. He had the band play on his hit song "King Tut", being credited as "The Toot Uncommons" (as in
Tutankhamun Tutankhamun (, egy, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled ...
).{{Citation needed, reason=, date=October 2020 The banjo was a staple of Martin's 1970s stand-up career, and he periodically poked fun at his love for the instrument. On the ''
Comedy Is Not Pretty! ''Comedy Is Not Pretty!'' (1979) is an album by the American comedian Steve Martin. It was recorded at The Boarding House in San Francisco, California, where his previous two albums were also recorded. When released, the album was not as well-rec ...
'' album, he included an all-instrumental jam, titled "Drop Thumb Medley", and played the track on his 1979 concert tour. His final comedy album, '' The Steve Martin Brothers'' (1981), featured one side of Martin's typical stand-up material, with the other side featuring live performances of Steve playing banjo with a bluegrass band. In 2001, he played banjo on Earl Scruggs's remake of "
Foggy Mountain Breakdown "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is a bluegrass instrumental, in the common " breakdown" format, written by Earl Scruggs and first recorded on December 11, 1949, by the bluegrass artists Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. It is a standard i ...
". The recording was the winner of the Best Country Instrumental Performance category at the Grammy Awards of 2002. In 2008, Martin appeared with the band, In the Minds of the Living, during a show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In 2009, Martin released his first all-music album, '' The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo'' with appearances from stars such as
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2010. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member John McEuen produced the album. Martin made his first appearance on The Grand Ole Opry on May 30, 2009. In the ''American Idol'' season eight finals, he performed alongside Michael Sarver and Megan Joy in the song "Pretty Flowers".


Steep Canyon Rangers

In June 2009, Martin played banjo along with the
Steep Canyon Rangers Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon ...
on '' A Prairie Home Companion'' and began a two-month U.S. tour with the Rangers in September, including appearances at the
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB), originally Strictly Bluegrass, is an annual free and non-commercial music festival held the first weekend of October in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. Conceived and subsidized by San Francisco ...
festival, Carnegie Hall and
Benaroya Hall Benaroya Hall is the home of the Seattle Symphony in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. It features two auditoria, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, a 2500-seat performance venue, as well as the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital H ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
. In November, they went on to play at the Royal Festival Hall in London with support from Mary Black. In 2010, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers appeared at the New Orleans Jazzfest, Merlefest Bluegrass Festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, at Bonnaroo Music Festival, at the ROMP Bluegrass Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, at the Red Butte Garden Concert series, and on the BBC's '' Later... with Jools Holland''. Martin performed "Jubilation Day" with the Steep Canyon Rangers on ''
The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
'' on March 21, 2011, on '' Conan'' on May 3, 2011, and on BBC's ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan ...
'' on July 6, 2011. Martin performed a song he wrote called "Me and Paul Revere" in addition to two other songs on the lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, at the "Capitol Fourth Celebration" on July 4, 2011. While on tour, Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers occasionally performed Martin's 1978 novelty hit song "King Tut" live in a bluegrass arrangement. One of these performances was released on the 2011 album '' Rare Bird Alert''. In 2011, Martin also narrated and appeared in the PBS documentary "Give Me The Banjo" chronicling the history of the banjo in America. '' Love Has Come for You'', a collaboration album with Edie Brickell, was released in April 2013. The two made musical guest appearances on talk shows, such as '' The View'' and '' Late Show with David Letterman'', to promote the album. The title track won the
Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song The Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song is an award category at the annual Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the American Roots Music ...
. Starting in May 2013, he began a tour with the
Steep Canyon Rangers Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon ...
and Edie Brickell throughout the United States. In 2015, Brickell and Martin released '' So Familiar'' as the second installment of their partnership. In 2017, Martin and Brickell appeared in the multi award-winning documentary film '' The American Epic Sessions'' directed by Bernard MacMahon. Recording live direct-to-disc on the first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s,{{Cite news, url=https://www.legacyrecordings.com/2017/04/28/american-epic-collection-american-epic-soundtrack-may-12th/, title=American Epic: The Collection & The Soundtrack Out May 12th {{! Legacy Recordings, date=April 28, 2017, work=Legacy Recordings, access-date=February 27, 2018 they performed a version of " The Coo Coo Bird" a traditional song that Martin learned from the 1960s folk music group The Holy Modal Rounders. The song was featured on the film soundtrack, '' Music from The American Epic Sessions'' released on June 9, 2017. In 2010, Martin created the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, an award established to reward artistry and bring greater visibility to bluegrass performers. The prize includes a US$50,000 cash award, a bronze sculpture created by the artist Eric Fischl, and a chance to perform with Martin on '' Late Show with David Letterman''. Recipients include Noam Pikelny of the Punch Brothers band (2010), Sammy Shelor of
Lonesome River Band The Lonesome River Band is an American contemporary bluegrass band. The band has released 15 recording projects since its formation in 1982. Lonesome River Band is led by Sammy Shelor who is a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame ...
(2011), Mark Johnson (2012), Jens Kruger (2013), Eddie Adcock (2014), Danny Barnes (2015), Rhiannon Giddens (2016),
Scott Vestal Scott Vestal is an American banjoist, songwriter and luthier, known for his innovative approach to playing and designing the banjo. Biography Early years The older of two children, Scott Vestal was raised in Duncan, Oklahoma in a musical fami ...
(2017), Kristin Scott Benson (2018), and Victor Furtado (2019).


Personal life

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Martin was in a relationship with Bernadette Peters, with whom he co-starred in '' The Jerk'' and '' Pennies from Heaven''. He also dated
Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...
and Karen Carpenter. On November 20, 1986, Martin married actress Victoria Tennant, with whom he co-starred in '' All of Me'' and ''
L.A. Story ''L.A. Story'' is a 1991 American satirical romantic comedy film written by and starring Steve Martin and directed by Mick Jackson. The plot follows a weatherman (Martin) trying to find love in Los Angeles. It was released on February 8, 1991, ...
''. They divorced in 1994.{{cite web, url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/76/Victoria-Tennant.html, title=Victoria Tennant Biography (1950?-), website=FilmReference.com, access-date=February 13, 2013 Martin went on a USO Tour to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm from October 14 to 21, 1990. Martin met with military service men and women all over the region signing thousands of autographs and posing for pictures. "Everybody coming out here, giving up part of their lives for this effort. I had some time off, and I felt kind of bad just sitting there," Martin said, "so I came." On July 28, 2007, Martin married writer and a former ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' staff member Anne Stringfield.
Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vie ...
presided over the ceremony at Martin's Los Angeles home. Lorne Michaels served as best man. The nuptials came as a surprise to several guests, who had been told they were coming for a party.{{cite news, url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-07-29-martin-marriage_N.htm, title=Steve Martin weds girlfriend Anne Stringfield, date=July 29, 2007, agency=
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
, newspaper=
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
In December 2012, Martin became a father at age 67 when Stringfield gave birth to their daughter. Martin has been an avid art collector since 1968, when he bought a print by Ed Ruscha. In 2001, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art presented a five-month exhibit of twenty-eight items from Martin's collection, including works by Roy Lichtenstein,
Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
,
David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists o ...
, and Edward Hopper. In 2006, he sold Hopper's ''Hotel Window'' (1955) at
Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
for $26.8 million. In 2015, working with two other curators, he organized a show, "The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris", to introduce Americans to Canadian painter and Group of Seven co-founder Lawren Harris. In July 2004, Martin purchased what he believed to be ''Landschaft mit Pferden'' (''Landscape with Horses''), a 1915 work by
Heinrich Campendonk Heinrich Mathias Ernst Campendonk (3 November 1889 – 9 May 1957) was a painter and graphic designer born in Germany who became a naturalized Dutch citizen. Life Campendonk was born in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He was th ...
, from a Paris gallery for approximately €700,000. Fifteen months later, the painting was sold at
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is owned by Groupe Artémi ...
auction to a Swiss businesswoman for €500,000. Police believe the fake Campendonk originated from a collection devised by a German forgery ring led by Wolfgang Beltracchi, pieces from which had been sold to French galleries. Martin only discovered the fact that the painting had been fake many years after it had been sold at the auction. Concerning the experience, Martin said that the Beltracchis "were quite clever in that they gave it a long provenance and they faked labels, and it came out of a collection that mingled legitimate pictures with faked pictures." Martin served on the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 19 ...
board of trustees from 1984 to 2004. Martin assisted in launching the
National Endowment for Indigenous Visual Arts National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
(NEIVA), a fund to support Australian Indigenous artists in 2021. Martin has supported Indigenous Australian painting previously. He organized an exhibition in 2019 with Gagosian Gallery titled "Desert Painters of Australia", which featured art by George Tjungurrayi and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Martin suffers from tinnitus; the condition was first attributed to filming a pistol-shooting scene for ''
Three Amigos ''Three Amigos'' (stylized as ''¡Three Amigos!'') is a 1986 American Western comedy film directed by John Landis, written by Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, and Randy Newman (who also wrote the film's songs), and starring Chevy Chase, Steve ...
'' in 1986, but Martin later clarified that the tinnitus was actually from years of listening to loud music and performing in front of noisy crowds.


Influences

Martin has stated that his comedy influences include
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...
, Laurel and Hardy,
Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
,
Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
and
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
. Martin stated, on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...
'', that Jerry Seinfeld is one of his "retro heroes", "a guy who came up behind me and is better than I am. I think he's fantastic, I love to listen to him, he almost puts me at peace. I love to listen to him talk". Martin's offbeat, ironic, and deconstructive style of humor has influenced many comedians during his career. This includes Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel,
Bo Burnham Robert Pickering "Bo" Burnham (born 1990) is an American comedian, musician, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His comedy work often combines musical, sketch, and stand-up elements with filmmaking. Following his success as one of the earlie ...
, and Jordan Peele. Singer and composer Mike Patton cited Steve Martin as an early influence and said that he identified with Martin.


Filmography

{{Main, Steve Martin filmography


Awards and nominations

''{{Main, List of awards and nominations received by Steve Martin''


Discography


Albums

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , +Steve Martin albums , - ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Album ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Year ! scope="col" colspan="2", Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2",
Certifications Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

{{cite web , url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-%20platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=steve+martin , title=Gold & Platinum , publisher=
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
, access-date=June 15, 2022
! rowspan="2" , Type , - ! scope="col" style="width:5.5em;font-size:90%;", ''Billboard'' 200
! scope="col" style="width:5.5em;font-size:90%;", US Bluegrass
, - ! scope="row" , '' Let's Get Small'' , 1977 , 10 , — , * US: Platinum , rowspan="4" , comedy , - ! scope="row" , '' A Wild and Crazy Guy'' , 1978 , 2 , — , * US: 2× Platinum , - ! scope="row" , ''
Comedy Is Not Pretty! ''Comedy Is Not Pretty!'' (1979) is an album by the American comedian Steve Martin. It was recorded at The Boarding House in San Francisco, California, where his previous two albums were also recorded. When released, the album was not as well-rec ...
'' , 1979 , 25 , — , * US: Gold , - ! scope="row" , '' The Steve Martin Brothers'' , 1981 , 135 , — , , - ! scope="row" , '' The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo'' , 2009 , 93 , 1 , , rowspan="6" , music , - ! scope="row" , '' Rare Bird Alert'' (with
Steep Canyon Rangers Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon ...
)
, 2011 , 43 , 1 , , - ! scope="row" , '' Love Has Come for You'' (with Edie Brickell) , 2013 , 21 , 1 , , - ! scope="row" , ''Live'' (with Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell) , 2014 , — , 1 , , - ! scope="row" , '' So Familiar'' (with Edie Brickell) , 2015 , 126 , 1 , , - ! scope="row" , ''The Long-Awaited Album'' (with Steep Canyon Rangers) , 2017 , 189 , 1 , , - , colspan="6" style="font-size:90%" , "—" denotes a title that did not chart.


Singles

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" , +Steve Martin singles , - !scope="col", Title !scope="col", Year !scope="col", Peak chart positions
US
{{cite web, access-date=January 15, 2011, url={{AllMusic, class=artist, id=p198/charts-awards/billboard-singles, pure_url=yes, title=Steve Martin – Billboard Albums, publisher=AllMusic !scope="col", Album !scope="col", Type , - , scope="row", "Grandmother's Song" , 1977 , 72 , '' Let's Get Small'' , comedy , - , scope="row", " King Tut" , 1978 , 17 , '' A Wild and Crazy Guy'' , music , - , scope="row", "Cruel Shoes" , 1979 , 91 , '' Comedy Is Not Pretty'' , comedy


Music videos

{, class="wikitable" , +Steve Martin music videos , - !scope="col", Video !scope="col", Year !scope="col", Director , - , scope="row", "Jubilation Day" , 2011 , Ryan Reichenfeld , - , scope="row", "Pretty Little One" , 2014 , David Horn , - , scope="row", "Won't Go Back"{{cite news, last1=Carr, first1=Courtney, title=See Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's 'Won't Go Back' Music Video, url=http://theboot.com/steve-martin-edie-brickell-wont-go-back-music-video/, access-date=November 11, 2015, work= The Boot, date=October 22, 2015
(with Edie Brickell) , 2015 , Matt Robertson , - , scope="row", "Caroline" , 2017 , Brian Petchers , - , scope="row", "So Familiar" , rowspan="2", 2018 , rowspan="2", Laurence Jacobs , - , scope="row", "Promontory Point"


Stand-up specials

*''Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life'', 2018


Other video releases

* ''Steve Martin-Live!'' (1986, VHS; includes short film "The Absent-Minded Waiter and footage from a 1979 concert) * ''Saturday Night Live: The Best of Steve Martin'' (1998, DVD/VHS; sketch compilation) * ''Steve Martin: The Television Stuff'' (2012, DVD; includes content of ''Steve Martin-Live!'' as well as his NBC specials and other television appearances)


Bibliography

{{Incomplete list, date=April 2022


Books and Plays

{, class="wikitable" , +Books and plays authored by Steve Martin !scope="col", Year !scope="col", Title !scope="col", Notes , - , 1977 , scope="row", ''
Cruel Shoes ''Cruel Shoes'' is a collection of essays and short stories by Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, an ...
'' , collection of essays and short stories, first widely published in 1979 , - , 1993 , scope="row", ''
Picasso at the Lapin Agile ''Picasso at the Lapin Agile'' is a full-length play written by American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician Steve Martin in 1993. Description The play features the characters of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a bar ...
and Other Plays:
Picasso at the Lapin Agile, the Zig-Zag Woman, Patter for the Floating Lady, WASP'' , plays , - , 1998 , scope="row", ''
Pure Drivel ''Pure Drivel'' is a collection of stories by Steve Martin, published in 1998, many of which first appeared in ''The New Yorker''. External links ''Pure Drivel''at Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technolog ...
'' , collection of essays and short stories , - , 2000 , scope="row", '' Shopgirl'' , novella , - , 2001 , scope="row", ''Kindly Lent Their Owner: The Private Collection of Steve Martin'' , nonfiction , - , 2002 , scope="row", ''The Underpants: A Play'' , play , - , 2003 , scope="row", '' The Pleasure of My Company'' , novel , - , 2005 , scope="row", '' The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z'' , children's book , - , 2007 , scope="row", '' Born Standing Up'' , nonfiction , - , rowspan="2" , 2010 , scope="row", ''An Object of Beauty'' , novel , - , scope="row", ''Late for School'' , children's book , - , 2012 , scope="row", ''The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten.: The Tweets of Steve Martin'' , collection of tweets , - , 2014 , scope="row", '' Bright Star'' , musical with Edie Brickell , - , 2016 , scope="row", '' Meteor Shower'' , play , - , 2020 , scope="row", ''A Wealth of Pigeons'' , collection of cartoons with
Harry Bliss Harry Bliss (born March 9, 1964, in Rochester, New York) is an American cartoonist and illustrator. Bliss has illustrated many books, and produced hundreds of cartoons and 25 covers for ''The New Yorker''. Bliss has a syndicated single-panel comi ...
, - , 2022 , scope="row", ''Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions'' , memoir with illustrations by Harry Bliss


Screenplays

{, class="wikitable" , +Screenplays by Steve Martin !scope="col", Year !scope="col", Title !scope="col", Notes , - , 1977 , scope="row", '' The Absent-Minded Waiter'' , short film , - , 1979 , scope="row", '' The Jerk'' , with Michael Elias and Carl Gottlieb , - , 1982 , scope="row", '' Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' , with Carl Reiner and
George Gipe George Gipe (February 3, 1933, Baltimore, Maryland – September 6, 1986, Glendale, California) was an American magazine writer, author and screenwriter. Gipe died at the age of 53 as the result of an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Life ...
, - , 1983 , scope="row", '' The Man with Two Brains'' , with Carl Reiner and
George Gipe George Gipe (February 3, 1933, Baltimore, Maryland – September 6, 1986, Glendale, California) was an American magazine writer, author and screenwriter. Gipe died at the age of 53 as the result of an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Life ...
, - , 1986 , scope="row", ''
Three Amigos ''Three Amigos'' (stylized as ''¡Three Amigos!'') is a 1986 American Western comedy film directed by John Landis, written by Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, and Randy Newman (who also wrote the film's songs), and starring Chevy Chase, Steve ...
'' , with Lorne Michaels and
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and vari ...
, - , 1987 , scope="row", '' Roxanne'' , based on '' Cyrano de Bergerac'' by Edmond Rostand , - , 1991 , scope="row", ''
L.A. Story ''L.A. Story'' is a 1991 American satirical romantic comedy film written by and starring Steve Martin and directed by Mick Jackson. The plot follows a weatherman (Martin) trying to find love in Los Angeles. It was released on February 8, 1991, ...
'' , screenplay first published in 1987 with ''Roxanne'' as ''Two Screenplays'' , - , 1994 , scope="row", '' A Simple Twist of Fate'' , based on the 1861 novel '' Silas Marner'' by George Eliot , - , 1999 , scope="row", '' Bowfinger'' , , - , 2005 , scope="row", '' Shopgirl'' , based on his novella of the same name , - , 2006 , scope="row", '' The Pink Panther'' , with
Len Blum Len or LEN may refer to: People and fictional characters * Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lén, a character from Irish mythology * Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player * Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ * ...
, - , 2008 , scope="row", ''
Traitor Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
'' , story only; with
Jeffrey Nachmanoff Jeffrey Nachmanoff (born March 9, 1967) is an American screenwriter and director. He wrote the screenplay for the 2004 blockbuster film ''The Day After Tomorrow''. He wrote and directed '' Traitor'', which was released on August 27, 2008. His mos ...
, - , 2009 , scope="row", '' The Pink Panther 2'' , with Scott Neustadter and
Michael H. Weber Michael H. Weber (born January 13, 1978) is an American screenwriter and producer. He and his writing partner, Scott Neustadter, are best known for writing the screenplay for the romantic comedy film ''500 Days of Summer''. The film is based on t ...


Essays, reporting and other contributions

* {{cite book, ref=none , author=Danto, Arthur C. , author-link=Arthur Danto , others=Afterword by Steve Martin , title=Eric Fischl 1970–2000 , location=New York , publisher=Monacelli Press , year=2001 * ''Modern Library Humor and Wit Series'' (2000) (Introduction and series editor) * {{cite magazine, ref=none , author=Martin, Steve , title=Two menus , department=Shouts & Murmurs , date=February 13, 2000 , orig-year=published February 21 & 28, 2000 , magazine=The New Yorker , volume=97 , issue=27 , pages=25 , url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/06/magazine20000221two-menus , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830114823/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/06/magazine20000221two-menus , archive-date=August 30, 2021 , url-status=live , url-access=subscription


Citations

{{Reflist


General and cited sources

* {{cite book , last=Martin , first=Steve , year=2007 , title=Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life , url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781416553656 , url-access=registration , publisher=Scribner , isbn=978-1-4165-6974-9 * {{cite book , last=Walker , first=Morris , year=1998 , title=Steve Martin: The Magic Years , url=https://archive.org/details/stevemartinmagic0000walk , url-access=registration , publisher=SPI Books , isbn=978-1-5617-1980-8


External links

{{Sister project links, d=Q16473, n=no, b=no, v=no, voy=no, m=no, mw=no, s=no, wikt=no, species=no * {{Official website * {{IMDb name * {{TCMDb name * {{The Interviews about, steve-martin * {{National Public Radio, 16629674: 2008 ''
Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 A ...
'' interview * {{National Public Radio, 1456566: 2003 '' Fresh Air'' interview * {{Charlie Rose view, 20473
Image of Steve Martin playing the banjo with a trick arrow through his head, 1978.
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
Photographic Archive (Local identifier uclalat_1429_b940_287780-7). UCLA Library Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library The Charles E. Young Research Library is one of the largest libraries on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. It initially opened in 1964, and a second phase of construction was completed ...
,
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...
.
Interview with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short about The Three Amigos in 1986
from Texas Archive of the Moving Image {{Steve Martin, state=expanded {{Navboxes , title = Awards for Steve Martin , list = {{Academy Honorary Award {{AFI Life Achievement Award {{Disney Legends Awards 2000s {{DramaDesk Music 2001–2025 {{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1960s {{Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album {{Hasty Pudding Man of the Year {{Kennedy Center Honorees 2000s {{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor {{Mark Twain Prize for American Humor {{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor {{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor {{TCA Career Achievement Award {{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Steve 1945 births Living people 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male musicians Academy Honorary Award recipients AFI Life Achievement Award recipients American art collectors American banjoists American comedy musicians American dramatists and playwrights American film producers American male comedians American male dramatists and playwrights American male film actors American male non-fiction writers American male screenwriters American male television actors American male voice actors American memoirists American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of German descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Welsh descent American sketch comedians American stand-up comedians Audiobook narrators California State University, Long Beach alumni Comedians from California Comedians from Texas Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Film producers from California Film producers from Texas Grammy Award winners Kennedy Center honorees Male actors from California Male actors from Inglewood, California Male actors from Texas Male actors from Waco, Texas Mark Twain Prize recipients Musicians from Inglewood, California People from Garden Grove, California People from Inglewood, California People from Waco, Texas Primetime Emmy Award winners Rounder Records artists Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Texas Television producers from California Television producers from Texas The New Yorker people University of California, Los Angeles alumni United Service Organizations entertainers Warner Records artists Writers Guild of America Award winners