Steve MartinStephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, musician and composer born in Waco, Texas and raised in Orange County, California. Early yearsMartin worked at the Bird Cage Theater in Knott's Berry Farm and at the Magic Shop at Disneyland as a teenager, where he developed his talents for magic, juggling, playing the banjo and creating balloon animals. Martin majored in philosophy at California State University, Long Beach, but dropped out. Nevertheless, his time there changed his life:
A girlfriend helped him get his first real job in 1967, as a comedy writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the show she was on as a dancer. Martin, along with the other writers for that show, won an Emmy Award in 1969. Martin also wrote for John Denver (a neighbor of his in Aspen, Colorado at one point) and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. He then started performing his own material, sometimes as an opening act for groups such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Carpenters, and sometimes appearing on camera:
He appeared at San Francisco's The Boarding House among other locations. He continued to write, earning an Emmy nomination for his work on Van Dyke and Company in 1975. Becoming a household nameIn the mid-1970s he made frequent appearances as a stand-up comedian on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That exposure, together with appearances on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL), led to his first of four comedy albums, Let's Get Small. The album was a huge success; one of its tracks, Excuse Me, helped establish a national catch phrase. His next album, A Wild and Crazy Guy, was an even bigger success reaching the number two spot on the chart, and spawning another catch phrase, this time based on an SNL skit where Martin and Dan Aykroyd played a couple of bumbling Czechoslovakian playboys. A top 40 hit King Tut, from the album, released in 1978, was backed by the Toot Uncommons (better known as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). Both were million sellers. Both albums won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording in 1977 and 1978. In these and his two other albums, Martin's stand-up comedy was self-referential, sometimes self-mocking. It mixes philosophical riffs with sudden spurts of "happy feet", deft banjo playing with balloon depictions of concepts like venereal disease. His style is off kilter and ironic, and sometimes makes fun of stand-up comedy traditions. A typical gag might be interrupted for a sip from a glass of water, and just as he was about to speak again, he forcefully spits the water onto the floor. Movie careerBy the end of the 1970s, he 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's first film was a short, The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977). The seven-minute long film was written by and starred Martin. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Short Film, Live Action. In 1979, Martin wrote and starred in his first full-length movie, The Jerk, directed by Carl Reiner. The movie was a huge success, grossing $100 million on a budget less than a twentieth of that amount. The success of The Jerk opened more doors for him. Stanley Kubrick met with him to discuss him starring in an early, screwball comedy version of Traumnovelle (Kubrick later changed his approach to the material). He was executive producer for a prime-time TV series starring Martin Mull and a late-night series called Twilight Theater. It emboldened him to try his hand at his first serious film, Pennies From Heaven, a movie he was anxious to do because of the desire to avoid being typecast. To prepare for that film, he took acting lessons from the director, Herbert Ross, and spent months learning how to tap dance. 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." Martin was in two more Reiner-directed comedies after The Jerk: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid in 1982, and The Man with Two Brains in 1983. In 1986, Martin joined fellow Saturday Night Live veterans Martin Short and Chevy Chase in Three Amigos!, which was directed by John Landis, and written by Martin, Lorne Michaels and Randy Newman. It was originally entitled The Three Caballeros and Martin was to be teamed with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. In 1987, Martin joined comedian John Candy in the John Hughes film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. That same year, Roxanne, a film he cowrote, won him a Writers Guild of America award and more importantly, the recognition from Hollywood and the public that he was more than a comedian. Martin starred in the Ron Howard film, Parenthood in 1989. In 1999, Martin and Goldie Hawn starred in a remake of the 1970 Neil Simon comedy, The Out-of-Towners. Other workThroughout the 90s, after Tina Brown took over The New Yorker, Martin wrote various pieces for the magazine. They later appeared in the collection Pure Drivel. He appeared in a version of Waiting for Godot as Vladimir (with Robin Williams as Estragon). In 1993, Martin wrote the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile, which had a successful run in several American cities. In 2001, Martin hosted the 73rd Annual Academy Awards. In 2002, Martin adapted the Carl Sternheim play The Underpants, which ran Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company. Art collectionMartin is also an avid art collector, particularly modern American art, and a trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Martin's personal collection has at one time included the art of O'Keeffe, Twachtman, Diebenkorn, de Kooning, Kline, Twombly, Frankenthaler, Hopper, Hockney, Lichtenstein, and Picasso. Associations and membershipsMartin is a member of Mensa International. Bibliography
Discography
Filmography
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Martin is a member of Mensa International. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6435 Hollywood Blvd. Martin's personal collection has at one time included the art of O'Keeffe, Twachtman, Diebenkorn, de Kooning, Kline, Twombly, Frankenthaler, Hopper, Hockney, Lichtenstein, and Picasso. Academy Awards and Nominations. Martin is also an avid art collector, particularly modern American art, and a trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Partial Filmography. In 2002, Martin adapted the Carl Sternheim play The Underpants, which ran Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company. He died in Montecito, California. In 2001, Martin hosted the 73rd Annual Academy Awards. He was becoming increasingly infirm, however, and by 1959, soon after receiving his final Academy Award nomination for The Last Angry Man (1959) he retired from acting. In 1993, Martin wrote the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile, which had a successful run in several American cities. After several failed projects, Muni was nominated for a Tony Award in 1955 for the role of Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind. He appeared in a version of Waiting for Godot as Vladimir (with Robin Williams as Estragon). Over the years, he also because increasingly dependent on his wife Bella, who terrified directors by forcing them to redo scenes that did not meet her satisfaction. They later appeared in the collection Pure Drivel. He would go into a rage whenever anyone wore red, but at the same time he could often be found between sessions relaxing with his violin. Throughout the 90s, after Tina Brown took over The New Yorker, Martin wrote various pieces for the magazine. He was widely recognized as a talented if eccentric individual. In 1999, Martin and Goldie Hawn starred in a remake of the 1970 Neil Simon comedy, The Out-of-Towners. In the ensuing years until his retirement in 1959, he spent his time acting on film and stage. Martin starred in the Ron Howard film, Parenthood in 1989. He went on to receive a Best Actor nomination for The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and to win the Academy Award for The Story of Louis Pasteur (1939). That same year, Roxanne, a film he cowrote, won him a Writers Guild of America award and more importantly, the recognition from Hollywood and the public that he was more than a comedian. Warner Brothers recognized his considerable talent and signed a long-term contract with him. In 1987, Martin joined comedian John Candy in the John Hughes film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. In 1932 Muni returned to Hollywood to star in Scarface and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, for which he received a second Best Actor nomination. It was originally entitled The Three Caballeros and Martin was to be teamed with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. He was signed by Fox three years later, in 1929, and received an Oscar nomination for his first film The Valiant, but he was unhappy with the roles and decided to return to Broadway. In 1986, Martin joined fellow Saturday Night Live veterans Martin Short and Chevy Chase in Three Amigos!, which was directed by John Landis, and written by Martin, Lorne Michaels and Randy Newman. His first role, that of an elderly Jewish man in the play We Americans by Sam Harris, was also the first time that he ever acted in English. Martin was in two more Reiner-directed comedies after The Jerk: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid in 1982, and The Man with Two Brains in 1983. Muni was twenty-nine when he began acting on Broadway. 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.". It was an appropriate beginning for an actor who loved wearing elaborate costumes and assuming accents in his film career. To prepare for that film, he took acting lessons from the director, Herbert Ross, and spent months learning how to tap dance. In a stage quirk, Muni played an eighty-year-old man as his first role. It emboldened him to try his hand at his first serious film, Pennies From Heaven, a movie he was anxious to do because of the desire to avoid being typecast. He made his stage debut at the age of twelve, and was quickly recognized by Maurice Schwartz, who signed him up with his Yiddish Art Theater. He was executive producer for a prime-time TV series starring Martin Mull and a late-night series called Twilight Theater. Both of Muni's parents were actors with the Yiddish theater and it was only natural that he would join them on stage. Stanley Kubrick met with him to discuss him starring in an early, screwball comedy version of Traumnovelle (Kubrick later changed his approach to the material). Born Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund in Lwow, Galicja, autonomus province of Austria-Hungary (now Lviv, Ukraine), his family emigrated to the United States in 1902. The success of The Jerk opened more doors for him. Paul Muni (September 22, 1895 - August 25, 1967) was a versatile actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood, nominated for five Academy Awards. The movie was a huge success, grossing $100 million on a budget less than a twentieth of that amount. 1930 Nominated The Valiant. In 1979, Martin wrote and starred in his first full-length movie, The Jerk, directed by Carl Reiner. 1934 Nominated I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Short Film, Live Action. 1937 Won The Story of Louis Pasteur. The seven-minute long film was written by and starred Martin. 1938 Nominated The Life of Emile Zola. Martin's first film was a short, The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977). 1960 Nominated The Last Angry Man. His real goal was to get into film. The Last Angry Man (1959). But
unknown to his audience, stand-up comedy was "just an accident" for him. Counter Attack
(1945). By the end of the 1970s, he 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. A Song to Remember (1945). His style is off kilter and ironic, and sometimes makes fun of stand-up comedy traditions. The Good Earth (1937). It mixes philosophical riffs with sudden spurts of "happy feet", deft banjo playing with balloon depictions of concepts like venereal disease. The Life of Emile Zola (1937). In these and his two other albums, Martin's stand-up comedy was self-referential, sometimes self-mocking. The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936). Both albums won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording in 1977 and 1978. Socrates (1935). Both were million sellers. Dr. A top 40 hit King Tut, from the album, released in 1978, was backed by the Toot Uncommons (better known as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932). His next album, A Wild and Crazy Guy, was an even bigger success reaching the number two spot on the chart, and spawning another catch phrase, this time based on an SNL skit where Martin and Dan Aykroyd played a couple of bumbling Czechoslovakian playboys. Scarface (1932). The album was a huge success; one of its tracks, Excuse Me, helped establish a national catch phrase. Seven Faces (1929). That exposure, together with appearances on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL), led to his first of four comedy albums, Let's Get Small. The Valiant (1929). In the mid-1970s he made frequent appearances as a stand-up comedian on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He continued to write, earning an Emmy nomination for his work on Van Dyke and Company in 1975. He appeared at San Francisco's The Boarding House among other locations. He then started performing his own material, sometimes as an opening act for groups such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Carpenters, and sometimes appearing on camera:. Martin also wrote for John Denver (a neighbor of his in Aspen, Colorado at one point) and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. Martin, along with the other writers for that show, won an Emmy Award in 1969. A girlfriend helped him get his first real job in 1967, as a comedy writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the show she was on as a dancer. Nevertheless, his time there changed his life:. Martin majored in philosophy at California State University, Long Beach, but dropped out. Martin worked at the Bird Cage Theater in Knott's Berry Farm and at the Magic Shop at Disneyland as a teenager, where he developed his talents for magic, juggling, playing the banjo and creating balloon animals. Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, musician and composer born in Waco, Texas and raised in Orange County, California. Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003). Cheaper by the Dozen (2003). Bringing Down the House (2003). Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2002, TV). Novocaine (2001). Fantasia 2000 (1999) host. Bowfinger (1999). The Out-of-Towners, (1999). The Prince of Egypt (1998, voice). The Spanish Prisoner (1997). Bilko (1996). Sgt. Father of the Bride Part II (1995). Mixed Nuts, (1994). A Simple Twist of Fate (1994), also written by Martin. Leap of Faith (1992). HouseSitter (1992). Grand Canyon (1991). Father of the Bride (1991). Story (1991), also written by Martin. L.A. My Blue Heaven (1990). Parenthood (1989). Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988). Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). Roxanne, (1987), also written by Martin. Little Shop of Horrors (1986). ¡Three Amigos!, (1986), also co-written by Martin. All of Me (1984). The Lonely Guy (1984). The Man with Two Brains (1983) also co-written by Martin. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) also co-written by Martin. Pennies from Heaven (1981). The Jerk, (1979) also co-written by Martin. The Muppet Movie (1979). Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, (1978). Sgt. The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977) (short). The Steve Martin Brothers (1981). Comedy is Not Pretty! (1979). A Wild and Crazy Guy, (1978). Let's Get Small (1977). The Pleasure of My Company (2003). The Underpants: A Play (2002). Shopgirl (2001). Pure Drivel (1998). Story and Roxanne: Two Screenplays (1997). L.A. Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Other Plays: Picasso at the Lapin Agile, the Zig-Zag Woman, Patter for the Floating Lady, Wasp (1996). Cruel Shoes (1979). Johnny Cash and Friends in 1976. The Smothers Brothers Show in 1975, and. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour from 1972 to 1973,. The Ken Berry Show in 1972,. Ray Stevens Show in 1970,. |