Steve Martin — A Man That Won’t Stop
Discover an incredible journey
Steve Martin is one of the undisputed kings of comedy; he is one of cinema’s most recognizable faces, and he has managed to leave an impression in several generations through his work in TV and Film. How has he done all of this? By experimenting with new ideas, and keeping his career constantly moving and fresh.
Most of you might think of Steve Martin as an actor, but his career started as a TV comedy writer in the ’60s and early ’70s. He worked on hit shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which won him an Emmy, and on the timeless classic The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.
Most of us would stay doing what we are doing if what we are doing pays well and is getting us awards, right? Not Steve Martin, in the height of his TV writing career he switched into stand-up.
During the mid-’70s his stand-up set became the stuff of legends, he visited all the top late-shows in showbiz, from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to Saturday Night Live, which had record-breaking every time Steve Martin hosted the show.
Mr. Martin found success twice in intensely competitive industries, but how about thrice? Short answer, yes.
Today is not uncommon to see stars from other media jump successfully into the big screen, we have had it all lately, from e-stars to WWE wrestlers. If you can get an audience anywhere, you can probably get on a film.
But in the ’70s this was rare, especially for stand-up comedians, but Mr. Martin feared his act might get boring or that he might get tired of audiences, he wanted a change, he wanted to make a jump into film. But studio producers weren’t so sure about the whole idea, so they made Martin shoot a short film to see how the stand-up star would do in a screen. Being always one step ahead Martin not only starred in a short film, but he also wrote it.
In 1977 his short film The Absent-minded Waiter became a hit. The success of the short film allowed the star to write and star on his first feature film, The Jerk, a smart comedy that’s still celebrated today. The rest of his career is film history.
We can easily see how Steve Martin paved the way for stars like Chris Rock or Adam Sandler, smart comedies acts that translated great into the big screen.
So, what was the key to the success of Steve Martin career from TV writer to huge film star? A lot of you might think his natural gift for comedy was a star-making machine, but the truth is that Steve Martin never thought of himself as funny or exceptionally talented. His approach to comedy — as to writing — was intellectual, not intuitive. He carefully dissected other comedians acts, read voraciously, and work endless hours on his routine.
Early in his career, he had an epiphany:
“Everybody that’s popular now is going to grow older. They are going to need new people. Why not me?”
This approach plus an excellent work ethic transformed Martin into one of the most complete entertainers of the last century.
He has written a play called Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and a novella later turned into a film, called Shop Girl. He has 45 professional writing credits, and more than 60 acting credits to his name, in 2014 he received an honorary Academy Award for “his extraordinary talents and the unique inspiration he has brought to the art of motion pictures.”
Martin’s career has been a complete success because he has followed his curiosity anywhere it leads him.
Have you tried following yours?
Steve Martin has had a career in showbiz spanning almost 50 years, he’s been successful in all of his creative endeavors, and is continually trying new ideas and possibilities.
From writer to actor, to stand-up star to a produced playwright, this man has done it all.
Now you can learn how to do it all from the renaissance man himself.
