Take a Look Back at Steve Martin’s Incredible Life and Career in Photos
From his many Saturday Night Live appearances to his longtime collaboration with Martin Short, the actor is one of the most enduring funnymen in entertainment.
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After over 50 years in show business, Steve Martin remains one of the most likable celebrities in the industry. From the moment he began strumming his banjo and cracking jokes, fans were hooked. He brings charm to everything he does, and his clever writing can get people of all ages laughing. Whether he’s touring the world with his music, starring in a classic movie like Father of the Bride, or goofing off on Saturday Night Live, there’s nothing Martin can’t do.
The actor’s most recent success is with Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, which he both stars in and executive produces, alongside longtime pal Martin Short and Selena Gomez. The hit show has been a hit with audiences and critical, picking up a ton of Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In celebration of all of his achievements, scroll through to see Steve Martin’s inspiring life and decorated career.
Watch Only Murders in the Building on Hulu
Circa 1968
Born in Waco, Texas, Martin’s family moved to California when he was 5 and he worked at Disneyland from ages 10 to 18. There, he learned magic and the art of comedic timing from Disney performer, Wally Boag.
By college, he was performing a comedy and banjo act in nightclubs. His big break came when he began writing for the hit television show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (pictured, far left, with writers and performers from the show).
Circa 1970s
Martin first began playing the banjo at 17 years old in the 1960s—a time when he told CNN there was a lot of musical activity in Orange County. He tried to use his instrument to make a name for himself: “I did a lot of things when I first started out. In order to be in show business, I juggled, I did magic tricks, cards tricks and I played the banjo.”
1969
Martin’s experimentation on-stage often involved guest starring on popular television shows, such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Circa 1970s
In 1977, he released his first comedy album, Let’s Get Small—which included the hit track “Excuse Me.” The routine detail his quest for “mood lighting” during a performance, and ends with him yelling his now-iconic catchphrase: “Excuuuuse me!”
Circa 1970s
Over time, Martin became determined to take his talents to the big screen. He wrote and starred in his debut film, The Absent-Minded Waiter. The 1977 short was nominated for an Academy Award.
1972
Variety shows were a big trend in the 1970s, and Martin appeared on almost every one you could think of. Here, he brings the laughs on The Ken Berry “Wow” Show.
1975
He became a regular on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and spent the early years of his career trying to impress the comedy legend. The pair eventually became good friends, with Martin scoring an invite to Carson’s poker nights. “All we did was laugh,” he said on The Howard Stern Show. “The whole premise of the poker game was laughter. And then occasionally we would play poker.”
1977
The comedian met Bernadette Peters in 1977 through their agents, and the two immediately hit it off. They dated for four years, until they eventually broke up in 1982.
1977
Martin’s star power really took off in the late ’70s, but he wasn’t always prepared for the limelight. “Despite a lack of natural ability, I did have the one element necessary to all early creativity: naïveté, that fabulous quality that keeps you from knowing just how unsuited you are for what you are about to do,” he wrote in his 2008 memoir, Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. Here, he plays in the Golden Nugget’s annual Celebrity Softball Game in Las Vegas.
1977
The crowds went crazy for Martin at Tower Records, lining up to score an autograph and talk to the comedian.
1978
In 1978, Martin scored the first of what would eventually be five Grammy wins. He won Best Comedy Recording for Let’s Get Small.
Circa 1978
Any fan of Saturday Night Live will recognize these two. Martin and Dan Aykroyd cracked audiences up with their “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” skits. They played the Festrunk Brothers, Georg and Yortuk.
1978
The comedian brought out his inner Elvis Presley in what appears to be a take on Blue Hawaii in a sketch for The Carol Burnett Show in 1978.
1978
In 1978, Martin released his second comedy album, A Wild and Crazy Guy. It landed at the number two spot on Billboard’s Pop Albums Chart, and was eventually certified double platinum.
Pictured, Martin also made an appearance in the musical comedy Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, as Dr. Maxwell Edison.
1979
By the end of the ’70s, everyone wanted to be like Steve Martin—literally. Pictured is the comedian judging a hilarious lookalike contest in Los Angeles.
Circa 1980
The 1980s were a transformative time for Martin. It was the era he formally retired from stand-up comedy to pursue a career in acting. He didn’t return to the art form until 2016, when he opened for Jerry Seinfeld.
1983
Martin has called the Big Apple—specifically the Upper West Side—home for many years. Pictured, he films The Lonely Man on the city streets in 1983.
1984
In 1984, the comedian guest-hosted Lorne Michaels’ The New Show with Cyndi Lauper. The program was an attempt to recreate the magic of Saturday Night Live.
1986
It doesn’t get more iconic than this comedic trio: Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short released Three Amigos! in 1986. It was the first of many collaborations between Martin and Short. “When you make a movie, you’re intensely in people’s lives for a few months, and often you never see them again for the rest of your life when the movie ends. In our case, we made a conscious effort to keep this joyful friendship continuing,” Short told Total Film in 2021.
1986
In 1986, Martin shared his hilarious “Holiday Wish” to the world on Saturday Night Live. The skit became an instant classic, and he even reprised the bit on the show with Kristen Wiig in 2013.
