Martin, Steve (redirected from Steve Martin)

Martin, Steve, 1945–, American comedian, actor, and writer, b. Waco, Tex. An Emmy-winning television comedy writer in the late 1960s, he began performing stand-up in the early 70s, achieving acclaim as a regular on Saturday Night Live in the late 70s. His catchphrases, e.g., "I'm a wild and crazy guy," became instant clichés, and his characters, e.g., a hopelessly gauche Eastern European swinger, instant classics. He recorded several comedy albums, two of them Grammy winners, and starred in TV specials. Turning to films, Martin starred in and wrote The Jerk (1979), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983), and Bowfinger (1999). He also starred in the comedies All of Me (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and Roxanne (1987) as well as in the despairing Pennies from Heaven (1981), the drama Grand Canyon (1991), David Mamet's dark The Spanish Prisoner (1998), and the black thriller Novocaine (2001). Martin also has written humorous pieces; several plays, notably Picasso at the Lapin Agile (1993); and two novellas, Shopgirl (2000; he wrote the screenplay and starred in the 2005 film version) and The Pleasure of My Company (2003).

---

Martin, Steve

(born Aug. 14, 1945, Waco, Texas, U.S.) U.S. comedian and writer. He began writing for the Smothers Brothers in 1967. In the 1970s he wrote for and performed on shows such as Saturday Night Live. His slapstick and absurdist humour were showcased in The Jerk (1979), which he both wrote and starred in. His other film comedies include All of Me (1984), Roxanne (1987), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), Parenthood (1989), L.A. Story (1991), Bowfinger (1999), and Bringing Down the House (2003). He wrote the stage play Picasso at the Lapin Agile (1995).

---

Martin, Steve (?1945–  ) comedian, actor; born in Waco, Texas. He wrote television comedy for others before perfecting his own wacky routines for national television in 1975. After 1978 he became a successful film actor and director, drawing on a mix of slapstick and absurdism.