Steve Martin is one wild and crazy guy, and has been ever since he first appeared on stage alongside some of the other amazing “SNL” comic talents such as Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase, though the silver-haired comedian never became a regular on the series. Born in Waco, Texas in 1945, Steve’s family moved to Southern California where he was raised for a majority of his childhood. After finishing with high school in 1964, Steve enrolled in California State College where he briefly studied philosophy before deciding to become a comic, and after he graduated, he began writing for the Emmy Award-winning series, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” By the end of the 60’s, Steve was performing his own stand-up material in nightclubs, but became incredibly popular with his frequent guest appearances on “Late Night with Johnny Carson” and “Saturday Night Live.”
As Steve’s popularity grew between his guest spots on both television series, the rising comic star eventually released a series of comedy albums, namely Let’s Get Small and A Wild and Crazy Guy, which included the Top 40 hit, “King Tut.” Steve finally made the jump to film at the end of the decade in the Carl Reiner-directed comedy, “The Jerk,” and the pair quickly reunited for three more films, including “All of Me,” which Steve received a Best Actor Award for from both the New York Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. Steve continued to thrive throughout the 80’s and early 90’s with an endless supply of leading man comedic roles, as well as his share of dramatic performances that would quickly prove his talent within the industry.
The comedian fell flat on his face, though, in the late 90’s with box office flops that included “Bowfinger” and “The Out-of-Towners,” but has more recently recreated himself a la the Eddie Murphy family film mold. Luckily for him, the switch to family comedy has actually worked in his favor (sorry Eddie), but don’t expect the actor to abandon his slapstick roots so quickly. Steve’s upcoming recreation of the Inspector Jacques Clouseau character from the “Pink Panther” series should breathe new life into the actor’s career, but even if it does fail, we can feel comfort in the fact that the comedian/actor will continue to blossom as one of the more interesting modern comic novelists to come around in a long time.
Steve on the Screen
Steve Martin may just be one of the most accomplished comedy actors of the past twenty five years, and his lengthy and impressive resume only helps to validate that statement. Steve started his career with numerous stints on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” in the late 70’s, before becoming a staple guest on “Saturday Night Live.” His first film, “The Jerk,” was an instant hit with his ever-growing fan base, and he followed that up with other great comedy classics including “The Man With Two Brains,” “Three Amigos,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Steve enjoyed even greater success with other great performances in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” and “Grand Canyon.” His career hit a major slump in the late 90’s with forgettable flops (i.e. “Sgt. Bilko), but he’s since experienced a minor renaissance with recent roles in “Novocaine,” “Bringing Down the House,” and “Cheaper By the Dozen.”
Steve Martin Quotes – Truisms From One Crazy Guy:
On leisure activities:
“I gave my cat a bath the other day… He sat there, he enjoyed it, it was fun for me. The fur would stick to my tongue, but other than that…”
On the French:
“In French, oeuf means egg, cheese is fromage… it’s like those French have a different word for everything.”