The multi-award-winning American actor, comedian, and writer Steve Martin originally came to public attention as a writer for the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He began his career by performing stand-up comedy routines in nearby venues. He soon entered the television industry and made his debut on “The Steve Allen Show”; later, he also made an appearance on “The Virginia Graham Show.” He successfully entered the television industry, and by the middle of the 1970s, he was very well-known and appeared in many series. After making a guest appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), he gained particular notoriety and received 15 invitations to host the show as a guest. With the release of his comedy CDs, Steve Martin experienced even greater success; his album “A Wild and Crazy Guy” climbed at No. 2 on Billboard’s Pop CDs Chart and was certified double-platinum. He had amassed a sizable fan base by this point, and he understood the opportunity to break into the film industry was now. In the Academy Award-nominated short film “The Absent-Minded Waiter,” he had his first significant film appearance. He is well renowned for his love of the banjo and is a musician in addition to being an actor and comedian.
Early Childhood & Life
Mary Lee and Glenn Vernon Martin welcomed Stephen Glenn “Steve” Martin into the world on August 14, 1945, in Waco, Texas. He had a real estate executive for a father. He began working as a guidebook salesman at Disneyland throughout the summer and on weekends when he was a teenager. He also performed magic feats at Main Street Magic, where he eventually developed a number of illusions and tricks.
He enrolled at the Santa Ana Junior College after graduating from high school and studied drama and English poetry there. Following that, he went to State College in Long Beach, California, to study philosophy. His major was theater when he transferred to UCLA in 1967 after moving there. He also began performing comedic routines in nearby nightclubs about this time. He soon left school to concentrate on his career.
Steve Martin’s Career
In 1967, Steve Martin was hired as a writer for the program “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” and he soon began making appearances on television as well. In 1969 and 1970, he made a few of his first television appearances on “The Steve Allen Show” and “The Virginia Graham Show.”
By the middle of the 1970s, he was a fairly well-known comedian thanks to his frequent appearances on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL), The Gong Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His appearances on SNL as a guest significantly increased the show’s audience.
Let’s Get Small and A Wild and Crazy Guy were two albums he recorded in the 1970s as a result of the popularity of his stand-up career. Both songs were huge successes, with the latter reaching its peak at No. 2 on the US sales list and selling more than a million copies. He developed a sizable fan base while touring and performing stand-up comedy. He also attained tremendous fame.
After a few tiny film appearances, he eventually decided to try his hand at acting, and in 1978, the jukebox musical film “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” gave him his first significant role. Despite the negative reviews, Martin’s performance was praised.
The comedy movie “The Jerk” (1979), which he co-wrote with Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias, was one of his works. In the movie, he played Navin R. Johnson. The movie was a great hit, earning more than $100 million at the box office.
The actor had a phenomenal decade in the 1980s, appearing in blockbusters like “All of Me” (1984) and “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” (1987). Three Amigos!, which was released in 1986 and was partially inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 film “Seven Samurai,” was another of his notable films from the 1980s.
Despite typically playing comedic roles in movies, Steve Martin took on a more serious role in the drama “Grand Canyon” in 1991. This was a significant departure from his usual performances. He took on a more sinister role as Jimmy in the 1997 thriller “The Spanish Prisoner,” a suspicious character who becomes intrigued by the activities of a young businessman. The movie received a nomination for the Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay from the Mystery Writers of America.
He appeared alongside Queen Latifah in the comedy movie “Bringing Down the House,” which was helmed by Adam Shankman, in 2003. The film was a huge success, grossing $132.6 million in the United States and $32 million abroad. He appeared in “Cheaper by the Dozen” that same year, which likewise went on to become a huge economic success.
He portrayed the inept Inspector Clouseau in the 2006 comedy-detective movie “The Pink Panther.” He reprised his role in the sequel, “The Pink Panther 2,” which was released in 2009 and was another great box office success.
Steve Martin also enjoys writing, and in 2000 he released the novella “Shopgirl.” In 2003, he released another novella, “The Pleasure of My Company.” His autobiography, “Born Standing Up,” was published in 2007 and was listed as one of “Time” magazine’s “Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2007.”
Steve’s Bigger Works
One of his most enduring roles was unquestionably Navin R. Johnson the Cat Juggler in the comedy “The Jerk” (1979). The film has received recognition for being one of Martin’s funniest productions, and “Premiere” magazine ranked Martin’s performance as the 99th greatest performance of all time.
In the 1991 movie “Father of the Bride,” Steve Martin was similarly well-liked as George Banks, the reluctant groom’s father. His character was a businessman whose daughter was engaged to be married. The movie enjoyed great success at the box office.
Recognition & Achievements
Several Grammy Awards have been given to him, including two for Best Comedy Album for “Let’s Get Small” (1978) and “A Wild and Crazy Guy” (1979). In 2000, the American Comedy Awards gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Awarded an Academy Honorary Award in 2013, Steve Martin received it “in recognition of his extraordinary talents and the unique inspiration he has brought to the art of motion pictures.”
Personal Legacy & Life
On November 20, 1986, he wed Victoria Tennant, an actress. In 1994, there was a divorce from the marriage.
In 2007, he wed Anne Stringfield, a writer and formerly employed member of “The New Yorker” staff. At the age of 67, Steve Martin became a father for the first time when his wife gave birth to a daughter in 2012.
Estimated Net Worth
The American comedian, actor, writer, and musician Steve Martin has a $140 million net worth. Since the late 1960s, Steve Martin has entertained audiences with his brand of witty humor. At the age of 23, he received an Emmy Award for his writing on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”.