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Stanley Kubrick Initially Wanted Steve Martin in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’

Kubrick's final film could have seen some unexpected levity.

The Big Picture

• Stanley Kubrick had a great sense of humor and envisioned a surrealist sex comedy adaptation of Eyes Wide Shut .
• Steve Martin was considered for the lead role in Eyes Wide Shut and Kubrick admired his comedic abilities.
• While they never collaborated on the film, the meeting between Martin and Kubrick showcased their potential artistic synergy.

On the outskirts, it is hard to imagine a world where Stanley Kubrick and Steve Martin would ever cross paths professionally. The public perception of the two figures, that the former solely deals with cold drama and the latter is merely a comedian, is misguided. Kubrick had a great sense of humor and a genuine fondness for comedy , while Martin's artistic taste was unquestionable. During the interminable production of what would be his final film, Eyes Wide Shut , Kubrick's casting of a fractured married couple was crucial. For the male lead, Martin was originally eyed by the prestigious director to carry out his swan song film.

Eyes Wide Shut

A Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.

Stanley Kubrick Had a Unique Vision for 'Eyes Wide Shut'

For Stanley Kubrick , directing a new project requires mulling over concepts and extensive research. This is seen in his work output in the back half of his career, such as when he went 7 years without a film in between The Shining and Full Metal Jacket , and 12 years in between that and Eyes Wide Shut . In certain instances, he will dive head-first into a project and then abruptly abandon it ( one movie being Aryan Papers ), as seen with his unrealized Napoleon film and Holocaust drama. Kubrick began developing Eyes Wide Shut , an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler 's novella, Dream Story , following the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey . Upon purchasing the book rights, the director envisioned an unlikely pivot in the film's adaptation: a surrealist sex comedy . When it comes to comedy, Kubrick understands its effectiveness, despite the mythmaking of him as a clinical and sterile filmmaker. Dr. Strangelove is one of the finest satires of our time, and Barry Lyndon , an austere epic costume drama, has been championed as a masterful "comedy-in-disguise." Kubrick's distinct narrative shift naturally called for an innate comedic presence.

By the late 1970s, Steve Martin was an established star as a stand-up comic. At his peak, he resembled a rock star more than the traditional lounge comedian. In 1979, Carl Reiner brought his fiery energy and alluring charisma to the big screen with The Jerk . Throughout the next five decades of his illustrious career, which remains potent thanks to his hit Hulu series, Only Murders in the Building , Martin's comedic presence was indelible.

Interestingly enough, Kubrick praised The Jerk , citing it as one of his favorites. This endorsement, along with White Men Can't Jump and Albert Brooks ' rom-com about envy , Modern Romance , fueled the mystique surrounding an already enigmatic filmmaker. His admiration for comedy films seemed noteworthy. When casting the role of Bill Hartford ( Tom Cruise ), Kubrick, in the words of David Mikics , the author behind a 2020 biography of the director , "fantasized about casting an actor in Dream Story who would have a comedian’s resilience, imagining Steve Martin or Woody Allen in the leading role."

Steve Martin Was Considered for the Lead in 'Eyes Wide Shut' by Stanley Kubrick

Around the late '70s/early '80s, Martin was pitched the synopsis of a new story by Kubrick that would eventually become Eyes Wide Shut , an off-kilter erotic thriller about a Manhattan doctor's perverse, nightmarish odyssey into an underground cult of sex parties. After receiving a phone call from the director, Martin was invited to his home in England , where Martin was performing stand-up at the time. While accepting his hospitality, the actor-comedian had dinner and played chess with Kubrick . Known as an aficionado of the game, Kubrick decisively defeated Martin. Something cinephiles would yearn for, Martin received a luxurious, behind-the-curtains look at Kubrick's expansive archive room that featured reviews of his films and prints of 2001 . The Martin-Kubrick meeting took a bizarre turn inside the director's poolroom. As told in Nick de Semlyen 's book, Wild and Crazy Guys , Martin got a whiff of a horrific odor. He discovered that one of Kubrick's dogs defecated in the nearby hallway. In perfect inscrutable Kubrick fashion , he never acknowledged the malodor.

Ultimately, this was the closest that Martin and Kubrick ever came to collaborating on a project together. Eyes Wide Shut would eventually be realized posthumously in 1999, starring the real-life couple, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman . The shooting of Eyes Wide Shut encapsulated the Stanley Kubrick mystique that has mesmerized the film community for decades. Legend states that the film's production, which lasted roughly 400 days , was responsible for the eventual breakup of Cruise and Kidman. Months before the film was released in July 1999, Kubrick died of a heart attack just days after screening the final cut of Eyes Wide Shut to his family and its stars. Contributing to the ominous nature of his death and the legend-filled production, speculation ensued over whether the film the public viewed was Kubrick's completed vision.

How Stanley Kubrick and Steve Martin Complemented Each Other

If there was ever any doubt about Kubrick's sense of humor being intentional, his passion for comedy films and interest in casting a comic actor for Eyes Wide Shut proves his comedic sensibilities. Kubrick excelled at extracting humor in the most harrowing circumstances, such as nuclear destruction or the vicious berating of a drill instructor. The director's proposal for the Bill Hartford character to possess a "comedian's resilience" is a remarkable insight into the novella's text and the dynamic of a man disturbed by his wife's revelation of an adulterous encounter. The suppressed angst and malaise associated with comics could have matched the paranoid dread and nightmarish aura of Bill's odyssey. For a comedian like Martin , Kafkaesque situations, like the premise of Eyes Wide Shut , are prime for stand-up material. While not a comedian, Cruise, a figure who vowed to convey a pristine image in the face of his ties to Scientology, tapped into this phenomenon: a man who unraveled once his Utopian worldview was shattered.

Steve Martin and Martin Short Almost Starred in a Bizarre Unmade David Lynch Comedy

Steve Martin's greatest attribute as a comedic actor is his ability to unravel. His performance as Neal Page, a mild-mannered ad executive who is sent on countless detours on his trip home for Thanksgiving, in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles serves as a trial run for his hypothetical performance in Eyes Wide Shut . The humor, as well as the relatable quality of the film, stems from Neal turning increasingly irritable because of a string of disastrous travel mishaps and the incessant boisterous behavior of his travel companion, Del Griffith ( John Candy ). Kubrick's direction would channel Martin's rage internally , which would allow for an engaging artistic tension between the two. The actor's dramatic experience , notably in David Mamet 's neo-noir, The Spanish Prisoner , proves his chops. More pertinent to his hypothetical performance in Eyes Wide Shut is the rich expressiveness in his roles in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles , The Jerk , and Roxanne . The characters he brings to the screen are layered and packed with carefully thought-out creative choices like his work in It's Complicated .

Stanley Kubrick had already worked with one Inspector Jacques Clouseau in Peter Sellers . Steve Martin, who would later carry the mantle of Sellers' iconic Pink Panther character in a remake in the 2000s, would have been equally riveting as Sellers was in Lolita and Dr. Strangelove . A filmography filled to the brim with fascinating and provocative performances, Martin in Eyes Wide Shut could have redefined how we view his screen persona. Instead, Tom Cruise gave a spellbinding performance that challenged our expectations of the beloved movie star. All we're left with is a chess match between two unlikely near-collaborators: Steve Martin and Stanley Kubrick.

Eyes Wide Shut is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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The 50 Coolest Things Steve Martin Ever Did

There are few constants in life. Death, taxes, and maybe Steve Martin , whose epic fifty-year run as a comedian, musician, playwright, novelist, art collector, and all-around American institution will be examined in the Apple TV+ documentary STEVE! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces .

Premiering on March 29th, the two-part documentary from director Morgan Neville ( Won’t You Be My Neighbor , Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain ) promises insight into the famously private and enigmatic Martin’s life and career, from his meteoric rise to stand-up stardom and subsequent career as a big screen leading man to his startling choice to leave stand-up, embrace his musical and artistic pursuits, and occasionally emerge to remind us why he’s one of the most hilarious, talented, and all-around fascinating figures in American entertainment.

So here are our choices of the 50 Coolest Things Steve Martin Ever Did:

He Smoked Dope with Dalton Trumbo

Still in his coffeehouse-playing days, the pre-fame Martin for a time dated Mitzi Trumbo, daughter of famously blacklisted screenwriter and author Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus, Papillon, Lonely Are the Brave). After Donner one night, a 20-year-old Martin found himself passed a joint as part of a political conversation featuring Trumbo and fellow Hollywood Ten target Ring Lardner, Jr. According to Martin, the aging Trumbo didn’t know how to inhale properly, but the young comic was still suitably impressed.

He Was Nominated For an Oscar in 1977

Martin wrote and starred in the seven-minute short film The Absent-Minded Waiter , in which he portrays—an absent-minded waiter. Essentially a showcase for Martin’s just-catching-on comedy persona (his first stand-up album Let’s Get Small came out the same year), Martin’s unctuous waiter heedlessly pours water on diners Terri Garr and Buck Henry before placing down glasses, gets their orders hilariously incorrect (the increasingly irate Garr did not order the lard omelette), and, at one point, freezes for a smiling eternity before apologizing, “Sorry, just went to the Bahamas for a moment.” The payoff comes when the patient Henry receives $10,000 in change for a meal the couple never got. The film, directed by Martin’s pal and Jaws screenwriter Carl Gottleib received an Academy Awards nomination for Best Live Action Short Film but lost, depriving audiences of no doubt one of the greatest acceptance speeches ever.

He Was Almost Tom Cruise

While appearing in England at the height of his stand-up popularity in 1980, Martin received an unexpected call from legendary director Stanley Kubrick. A noted fan of Martin’s (he loved The Jerk ), Kubrick summoned Martin to his estate and pitched the comic the lead role in what would eventually become Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut . And while this more absurdly comic iteration of Kubrick’s long-gestating adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Traumnovelle was very different from what eventually emerged as 1999’s Tom Cruise-Nicole Kidman starring drama of sexual intrigue, it’s still fascinating to imagine the 1980’s Martin persona in the center of the protagonist’s erotic misadventures in high society masked sex parties.

He Stole (With Permission) the Joke That Saved His Job

Struggling to find his way as part of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , the 21-year-old Martin was tasked with coming up with sketch introduction by Tom Smothers, with the clear implication that failure would mean the end of the comic’s fledgling TV writing career. Drawing a complete blank, Martin thought of the perfect joke—one that belonged to his roommate, stand-up Gary Mule Deer. Thankfully, Mule Deer gave permission for the desperate Martin to use his bit, leading to Dick Smothers announcing, “It has been proven that more Americans watch television than any other appliance.”

Elvis Liked His Stand-Up

Opening for Ann-Margaret in 1971 Las Vegas was a big step for the young Steve Martin, despite the high-rolling crowds not necessarily getting his vibe. Still, Martin got the ultimate Vegas experience one night when Ann-Margaret’s pal Elvis Presley turned up backstage and, spotting Martin standing awestruck in the corridor, uttered in praise, “Son, you have an ob-leek sense of humor.” A later dressing room drop-by saw the King show Martin the guns he kept concealed in his dress whites.

He Led His Audience Right Into the Deep End

At a late ’60’s college gig, Martin was nonplussed when the audience wouldn’t leave. Packing up his props on a classroom stage with no backroom to retreat to, Martin attempted to shoo the curious kids away with a non-nonsense, “It’s over,” to no avail. So Martin left, with the crowd, apparently thinking this was all part of Martin’s conceptual comedy, following en masse as Martin made his way across campus. Spotting a drained swimming pool, Martin then ordered everyone into the water-less structure and, once assembled, crowd-surfed his way across the stubbornly assembled audience. In another gig later that year, Martin led his worshipful crowd out to the street, hailed a cab, and then drove off, leaving them wondering how long to stick around for the punchline.

A Famous Comic Song Helped Him Not Get Shot With Ping-Pong Balls

A very early stand-up gig at San Francisco’s Coffee and Confusion coffeehouse saw the young and nervous Martin spotting a scruffy regular in the audience with a gun. Sure, it only shot ping-pong balls (at would-be performers the guy didn’t like), but that was stressful enough. Strumming his ever-present banjo and preemptively flinching, the young Martin then debuted what would become one of the standout bits from his 1977 debut comedy album, Let’s Get Small . Introduced as something his beloved granny used to sing to him, Martin’s lyrics start with the innocuous advice, “Be courteous, kind, and forgiving,” before deadpan segueing into prompts to “Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus,” “Criticize things you don’t know about,” and “Be oblong and have you knees removed.” The gun stayed holstered.

He's One of the Only 'Comedy Magicians' People Can Stand

The teenaged Martin famously found a home at the just-opened Disneyland (and later at competitor Knott’s Berry Farm), first selling programs and then demonstrating tricks at the in-park magic shop. And while Martin’s youthful skills as an illusionist never progressed much beyond the birthday party stage, the gig gave him the performing bug, while the tricks and patter taught Martin the value of precision of tone and movement that would become his trademark. Elaborately setting up “the napkin trick” by ordering the audience into complete silence, Martin would dramatically conceal his face with a flimsy paper napkin and then stick his tongue through it, taking a glorious bow for his troubles. As Martin’s anti-comic stage persona developed, old magic tricks would appear, their inevitable underwhelming failure or deliberate anti-climax the perfect launching pad for Martin’s impersonation of a show business lifer unable or unwilling to admit defeat.

He Pioneered 'Anti-Comedy'

In his chronicle of his stand-up years, Born Standing Up , Martin traces the development of the style that would come to define his early comedy. Taking a heady cue from psychology and physiology, the young Martin theorized that audiences’ expectations are ripe to be toyed with, and that by omitting a traditional set-up/punchline structure by omitting the expected punchline, that audience energy and tension would emerge in unexpected places. So when Martin would ostentatiously introduce his famous Nose on Microphone routine and then proceed to simply place the mic on his nose for a few seconds, his own reaction that he’d just done something remarkable registered on a time-delay. Audiences laughed only once they realized they’d been had. Or didn’t. After one scathing review, Martin joked, “Wait, let me explain my theory!”

Gern Blanston In one of his stand-up shows, Martin explained to the audience that even he, Steve Martin, was succumbing to show business phoniness, shamefacedly confessing that his real name is the gloriously atonal “Gern Blanston.” There’s just something so unerringly, brilliantly right about that supposed name that both a Portland, Oregon rock band and a New Jersey record label (technically “Gern Blandsten”) took it up as their own.

The White Three-Piece Suit Was Born Out of Necessity

After trying out various stage get-ups over the years (Martin to this day cringes at his flower power era shaggy hair, beard and turquoise jewelry period), it was massive success that gave birth to his signature white three-piece suit look. Coming up amidst the tiny crowds in cramped coffeehouses, Martin learned that economy of motion and nuance were key to his stage presence. What to do then when, at the height of his stand-up drawing power, Martin was playing to stadiums where tens of thousands could only perceive him as an animated speck in the distance? The gleaming white gabardine suit highlighted those movements while playing on square conventionality, comically underscoring the absurdity of jokes like the magic dime trick, where Martin claimed to have magically changed the date on a dime, proudly holding it up for the throngs to not see.

He Quit Stand-Up at His Peak

Steve Martin quit doing stand-up comedy in 1981, despite the fact that he was drawing massive stadium crowds everywhere he went. There were several reasons—the infamously private Martin was increasingly freaked out by celebrity—but as he explains, Martin’s exit from the lucrative career he’d sought for so long came from creative frustration more than anything else. Playing to multitudes, Martin heard his punchlines echoing back to him before he said them, and heard applause coming in recognition rather than genuine comic surprise and appreciation. Meanwhile, his habit of giving the people what they wanted saw reviews lobbed his way proclaiming him “A Mild and Lazy Guy.” Martin’s last comedy album, 1981’s The Steve Martin Brothers , hinted at the split, with the second side being solely made up of Martin’s beloved banjo playing, but fans were still shocked when Martin announced that he was leaving stand-up behind for good—and for the movies—later that year.

He Got 'Saturday Night Live' Right From the Start

Say what you want about present-day Saturday Night Live , but the scruffy live comedy show was a massive gamble by NBC when it first aired on October 11, 1975. The mix of post-Watergate political brashness, edgy youth movement vibe, and adventurous sketch comedy was bound to shock and offend—and it did. But for Steve Martin, then living in Colorado and a year away from hosting the show for the first time, was on board immediately. “Fuck, they did it,” Martin reports himself saying out loud upon watching that first episode, the show’s irreverent boldness fueling his own resolution to break down some comedy traditions.

He Starred in the Broadway Show You Wish You Saw

Samuel Beckett might be the author of some of the most challenging and harrowing plays in theatrical history, but there was an almost preordained rightness to the casting of Martin and longtime friend Robin Williams in a 1988 production of Beckett’s tragicomic masterpiece, Waiting for Godot . With Martin as Vladimir comically sparring with Williams’ fellow-in-futility Estragon, the Mike Nichols-directed production also featured the likes of Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham, Bill Irwin, and a young Lucas Haas when it played to sold-out crowds at Broadway’s Mitzi E. Newhous Theater. Living on only as a series of brief and grainy clips, this legendary team-up of two of the most acclaimed and brilliant comic minds of their generation saw the two comics embodying their famous characters to fine (if sometimes grudging from the nation’s critics) reviews, with Martin especially coming in for praise for his intelligent, sometimes heartbreaking underplaying in the face of his costar’s signature unbridled improvisation. If every there were a time for someone to upload a secretly recorded full performance, this is it.

His Dramatic Follow-up to 'The Jerk' Was a Bold Failure

Long before the idea of Steve “Wild and Crazy Guy” Martin appearing in serious dramatic movies was on anybody’s radar, Martin shocked fans and critics alike when he chose his next role after the surprise smash hit of The Jerk . A Herbert Ross-directed adaptation of Dennis Potter’s typically brilliant and unnerving BBC TV mini-series Pennies From Heaven saw Martin starring as a Depression-era sheet music salesman who escapes from a humdrum life with forbearing wife Jessica Harper via an affair with Bernadette Peters’ obliging schoolteacher and a series of dazzlingly staged musical numbers representing the frustrated Arthur’s movie-fed imagination. Martin dares to be thoroughly unlikable as Arthur, and the comic applied himself to nearly a year’s worth of intensive dancing and singing instruction to embody the movie’s stylistic split personality with seamless grace. It was a courageous choice all around, but, like fellow funnyman Bill Murray ’s choice to buck his image with 1984’s passion project The Razor’s Edge , audiences stayed away, critics were puzzled, and the movie bombed. In a Rolling Stone interview, Martin joked/not-joked, “I must say that the people who get the movie, in general, have been wise and intelligent; the people who don't get it are ignorant scum.”

He Was Not Shy About His Beliefs 1981’s The Steve Martin Brothers might have been the last gasp of Martin’s stand-up career (the second half of the record being all banjo songs), but it did give us “What I Believe,” one of Martin’s greatest deadpan classic tracks. In a contemporary video, Martin, in front of a massive American flag like Patton, solemnly pledges allegiance to all of the the most noble things in modern American life. Things like, “mom, dad, grandma… and Uncle Todd who waves his penis.” With stirring patriotic music in the background, Martin assures listeners he believes in four-firths of the Ten Commandments, that there is only one respectful term for a woman’s breasts (it’s “hooters”), and that it’s noble to respect everyone’s beliefs, “no matter how stupid they are, or how much better I am than they are.” A bout of rare topicality concludes the pledge, as Martin expresses his belief that President Ronald Regan can make American what it once was, “an arctic region covered with ice.”

He Kept Up With Gregory Hines

A lot can be said about the time Martin invited all-time amazing dancer Gregory Hines for a tap duet on his 1981 TV special, Steve Martin’s Best Show Ever . About how Martin manages to keep pace with a brilliant professional dancer, showing off the tap acumen he’d learned for that year’s Pennies From Heaven . Or how ballsy it was for non-pro dancer Martin to step into Gene Kelly’s shoes to essay one of the most beloved dance numbers in movie history by picking Singin’ in the Rain ’s “Fit as a Fiddle.” Or how infectious it is to watch Hines graciously make way for Martin, perhaps sensing how affectionate was Martin’s slightly exaggerated yet faithful version of Hines’ dazzling footwork, and how the contrast made them both irresistible. But it’s probably best just to watch:

He and Carl Reiner Raided Movie Classics to Make One of Their Own After fledgling movie star Martin got humbled by the under-performance of the ambitious change of pace Pennies from Heaven , the smart money was on him retreating back to something safely within the expectations of his rabid fans. Instead of The Jerk Returns , however, Martin re-teamed with The Jerk ’s Carl Reiner for an oddball throwback detective comedy, in which Martin’s hard-boiled 1940’s detective Rigby Reardon takes on a case that requires him to interact with Hollywood royalty. Seamlessly sharing the screen with everyone from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman to Vincent Price and Veronica Lake, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid plumbed Martin’s cheeky cool guy persona to create a creditable film noir that nonetheless echoed with huge laughs thanks to Martin and femme fatale co-star Rachel Ward playing everything straight. Martin’s Reardon is all business, whether berating sidekick Bogart for not wearing a tie or making Burt Lancaster the world’s most elaborate cup of java (the funniest bit of anti-comedy in the film). The mix of technical virtuosity and Martin’s return to comedy proved a winner, with the film grossing double its budget.

He Won Over Roger Ebert Steve Martin’s decision to steer his stand-up into the anti-comedy waters wasn’t an immediate hit with audiences or critics. Martin himself says that his internal stand-up motto became, “This is funny, you just haven’t gotten it yet.” One influential critic who did not get Steve Martin was Roger Ebert. The legendary Chicago Sun Times movie expert rated The Jerk at just two stars out of four, with 1984’s The Lonely Guy sinking to one and a half, as Ebert freely admitted that he just didn’t get Martin’s whole schtick. But even the notoriously tough to please Ebert was won over by Martin’s second release of 1984, the Lily Tomlin-costarring All of Me , in which Martin’s brash lawyer must share half his body with the unruly spirit of Tomlin’s recently deceased society woman. And while Martin is hemmed in to an extent by the mainstream comedy’s narrative needs (he and Tomlin make for an unlikely romantic comedy duo), he’s still Steve Martin, with even Ebert grudgingly admitting that Martin’s long-honed skills as a physical comedian (especially in the first scene where Martin fights for control over his body) are second to nobody.

His Manager Had to Save What Became Martin’s Biggest Catchphrase As part of his evolving early stand-up set, Martin came up with an idea suited to his stage persona as a big shot. (All the funnier since at that point, hardly anyone knew who he was.) Martin instructed the lighting technician at San Francisco’s Boarding House (where his debut album Let’s Get Small was recorded), that he would demand a blue spotlight during one part of his act—but the tech was, under no circumstances, to honor that request. Sure enough, Martin stopped mid-show to berate the “hippies” running the light board, only growing more insistent and irate about how much he gives and how little consideration he gets. At that point, the nervous tech made a move to honor the forbidden request, only for Martin’s then-manager John McEuen to physically preserve the bit just in time for Martin to let out a furious, “Well, excuuuuuse meeeee!” And thus a million bad Steve Martin impressions were saved.

He Made Barbara Walters Play Along With the Bit

Journalist Barbara Walters was known over her long career for getting celebrities to open up and cry on camera. But she met her match in booking Steve Martin for a 1978 interview, as the riding-high comic refused the usual sit-down interview setup in favor of an extended comic bit in which Martin purports to give Walters a tour of the house he’s bought with his new-found show business riches. Blindfolding the wary Walters for the drive to his top secret address (and blindfolding himself, just to be safe), Martin eventually finds his way, only to reveal to Walters a dilapidated empty house where he proudly shows off everything from his pudding collection to a toilet in the living room, to a series of family portraits. (No matter the age, Martin always sports an arrow through the head.) It was a canny maneuver for the intensely private Martin, promoting his burgeoning comedy career (his filthy bedroom sports a life-sized standee hawking 1978’s A Wild and Crazy Guy album) while making a typically oddball stand against the oversharing industry.

He’s Hosted 'Saturday Night Live' an Almost-Record 16 Times Sure, arch-nemesis Alec Baldwin might have eclipsed Martin by hosting the late-night sketch institution for a record 17th time in 2017, but there’s still time for Martin to plot his comic revenge. After first hosting all the way back in Season 2, Martin has elevated SNL through the years with his inevitably high-rated hosting gigs. Everything from his expectedly hilarious monologues (stealing Bill Murray’s underpants, wowing the crowd with “Happy Feet”) to his recurring characters (Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber, Georg Festrunk), and one-off classics (Steve Martin’s Holiday Wish, Common Knowledge) reliably steal the show. Watch your back, Baldwin.

He Schooled David Letterman, Alan King, and Henny Youngman on Comedy

Martin’s 1984 special, Homage to Steve , has the perfect title, containing as it does his Oscar-nominated The Absent Minded Waiter , a full live performance of Martin at his Universal Amphitheater-filling peak, and the short opening concert, in which Martin dispenses some long-winded comedy advice to a very attentive (and illustrious) crowd. Steve, in full-on self-aggrandizing comedy genius mode and flanked by gold records, fields eager questions from era-spanning legends Henny Youngman, Alan King, and David Letterman on everything from the perfect timing between setup and punch line (a second an a half) to the enduring question, “What is comedy?” (The ability to make people laugh without making them puke, naturally.) Paul Simon is on hand as well for some reason, although Martin politely rebuffs the singer-songwriter’s requests for musical advice. Oh, and “Woody” phones in, Martin’s answer to the unheard question—“A second and a half.”

He and Gilda Made Us Laugh, Then Cry

In one of his three 1978 Saturday Night Live hosting gigs, Martin teamed up with perennial fan favorite Gilda Radner for an all-time sweet and silly sketch. Spotting each other across a busy singles’ bar, the pair, both dressed in impeccable white, imagine themselves in a swooning musical number, Martin and Radner swinging each other around the SNL stages with precise yet deeply silly abandon. (The piece is a comically exact approximation of a Fred Astaire-Cyd Charisse dance number from 1953’s The Band Wagon .) The sketch punctures the era’s singles culture while letting Martin and Radner sweep us away with their inimitable physical comedy skills with such irresistible charm that it was inevitable Martin would bring it back on a much more heartbreaking occasion. Martin was booked to host the May 20, 1989 show, only for everyone to learn that Radner had died that afternoon of cancer. A subdued Martin choked back unaccustomed tears as he introduced the long-ago two-hander with Gilda, greeting the audience’s extended ovation with a simple, “Gilda, we miss you.”

He Lost an Election to Homer Simpson

Martin deployed his peerless straight man skills when he did a guest voice on The Simpsons , as his no-nonsense sanitation commissioner Ray Patterson faces an unlikely election challenge from one Homer Simpson. (Homer’s mad because he forgot trash day.) Naturally, Homer goes negative (“You told people I lured children into my gingerbread house,” Patterson complains), winning the election, only for his ridiculous promises to bankrupt the town. Martin makes the most of his exit line once Springfield’s Mayor Quimby comes crawling back, uttering a pithy switcheroo, “I'm not much on speeches, but it's so gratifying... to leave you wallowing in the mess you've made.” Years later, a nation would add this to the list of future predictions The Simpsons has supposedly made, what with a vainglorious, unqualified demagogue whipping up an easily led populace with ridiculous, pandering over-promising and all.

He Puts the Cork on the Fork

There’s more to Steve Martin’s work in the 1988 conman comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels than “Ruprecht the Monkey Boy,” but nobody’s going to forget Ruprecht. Dragooned into playing the inbred and unpredictable younger brother to fellow crook Michael Caine’s suave ladies man as part of one of the film’s scams-within-scams, Martin uncorks some of his old manic energy as every respectable would-be rich bride’s worst relative nightmare. Swinging from a tire swing in a room covered in straw, peevishly knocking priceless breakables off a mantle like a misbehaved cat, or gleefully invading their prospective victim’s personal space, Martin makes Ruprecht a guaranteed belly-laugh. It’s a disastrous dinner scene that sticks in the mind, though, as the eyepatch-sporting Ruprecht demonstrates just why he has to eat his spaghetti with a cork covering the sharp tines of his fork, while his request to go to the bathroom is followed by a very, uncomfortably long wait until the vacantly smiling and unmoving Ruprecht says a satisfied, “Thank you.”

He Played a Terrific Movie Villain

David Mamet made a brilliant and unexpected casting choice when he tabbed Steve Martin to play Jimmy Dell, the cool, calculating bad guy in Mamet’s 1997 thriller The Spanish Prisoner . Playing against Martin’s outsized comic charm and to Martin’s real life remove and private nature, Dell expertly wraps wary inventor Campbell Scott around his finger without ever seeming to try. Even as the cast wraps their talents around Mamet’s signature enigmatic deadpan dialogue, Martin makes for a formidable foe, a consummate con artist whose placid, standoffish demeanor gives no hint of the furious machinations going on underneath.

He Stole Scenes from the Muppets

The Muppet Show was known for going meta (see the hilarious episode where host John Cleese refuses to start the show), so having Martin turn up to host on a night when the Muppet theater is closed to audition new acts just gives him the opportunity to be another part of the fuzzy, goofy gang. The 1977-era Martin is fully at home doing snatches of his stage act, overcoming his initial disappointment at the show going dark by wowing the assembled Muppets with his un-inflated balloon animals, juggling, popping his trusty arrow through his head, and even engaging in a thrillingly silly “Dueling Banjos” with some Muppet musicians. For the emerging stand-up, The Muppet Show provided the oddly perfect environment for Martin’s heady mix of stupid and smart, with the show making the unprecedented choice to ditch its trusty laugh track. All the laughs we hear come from the assembled off-camera crew, who were as entertained as viewers would be.

And Then He Did it Again

They say never work with children or animals. But what about Muppets? There was no chance whatsoever that peak stand-up Steve Martin would get upstaged by a romancing Kermit and Miss Piggy in 1979’s classic The Muppet Movie , but Martin’s one scene as the couple’s haughty waiter steals the movie right out from under his felt costars. Martin’s is affronted not by serving a frog and a pig at his station as much as having to deal with anyone at all, especially a little frog who orders the cheapest off-brand champagne on the menu (“One of the finest wines of Idaho,” Martin explains contemptuously) and who expects him to, you know, be a waiter. “Oh, may I?,” Martin purrs in fake gratitude upon being told he may serve the pair their wine (which he spits out in disgust upon being asked to taste it), and deadpans, “I expected as much” while producing the drinking straws he just knew these rubes would ask for.

He’s a Legit Collector of Modern Art

Martin credits his youthful exposure to writer Dalton Trumbo’s art-festooned home with inspiring his later love of art collecting, a passion that his funny friends have long speculated as the impetus behind Martin’s once-ubiquitous big screen presence in middling family films. Longtime pal Martin Short famously introduced himself to Martin on a home visit during Three Amigos! by asking, "How did you get that rich? Because I've seen your work.” Friendly jabs aside, Martin’s lifetime of assiduous collecting has seen him amass works from everyone from Picasso to Edward Hopper. He even passed the threshold of every legitimate art collector when he became the victim of a famous forger, purchasing an expensive fake from improbably named German painter Heinrich Campendonk.

He Starred in the Perfect 10-to-One 'SNL' Sketch

The last sketch of any given episode of Saturday Night Live has an unwarranted reputation as the sketch show’s dumping ground, a mere time-filler of rubbish when the night’s offerings are running short. While sometimes the case, the 10-to-one spot is sometimes where a writer or performer’s most brilliantly weird stuff is let out to play, as in a sketch titled “What the Hell Is That?” from Martin’s seventh hosting stint in 1979. Emerging in full tourist mode on a bare stage to an unhurried plinky piano accompaniment, Martin goggles into the camera at… something. Asking repeatedly, and with expertly subtle variations, just what the unseen something could be, Martin then summons Bill Murray’s slurring bystander to similarly stand in puzzled awe at this thing, the duo seemingly improvising their banter for a delirious two and a half minutes. With no structure, punchline, or set to speak of, it’s the ultimate throwaway sketch, except for being the funniest damn thing on the show.

He’s an Acclaimed Novelist and Playright Martin brought out his first play, the cheeky historical what-if? Picasso at the Lapin Agile in 1993, pulling in no less than Tom Hanks to essay the title role for its first public reading. From there, the former guy with the arrow through his head has written several more plays that have gone to Broadway (Amy Schumer scored a Tony nomination for her role in 2016’s Meteor Shower ), two well-received novels (including Shopgirl , which he adapted for the screen and starred in in 2005), and even a full-on musical with 2013’s Bright Star alongside collaborator Edie Brickell, which also received a handful of Tony noms. And lest people forget he’s Steve Martin, his books of short comic essays and fiction, 1977’s Cruel Shoes and 1998’s Pure Drivel (culled from his time at The New Yorker) are laugh-out-loud funny.

And He Had the Perfect Response to His Books Being Banned

All great artists court controversy, but Martin was taken aback when a school board in Oregon cancelled a student production of his philosophically funny Picasso at the Lapin Agile , calling the play merely, “people drinking in bars, and treating women as sex objects.” Martin, informed of the baffling decision, took action, funding an off-campus production of his play and responding to the school board’s reductive assessment of his tale of a youthful Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein’s possible meeting at a Paris tavern by noting, “With apologies to William Shakespeare, this is like calling Hamlet a play about a castle.” Similarly, when the current Florida GOP book-banning crusade claimed Martin’s novella Shopgirl for daring to mention that humans have sex, Martin expertly shot back the statement, “So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County, Florida! Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!’”

The Banjo Thing is No Joke

What with the head-arrow, the white suit, and the ballon animals, Steve Martin’s ever-present banjo was a staple signifier of his early stand-up, with Martin occasionally noodling away during some routines. Even then, Martin, whose self-taught love of the instrument stems from his teens, could bring it with the picks, an early routine seeing him pause mid-solo to marvel, “Hey, this guy’s good.” As stand-up lost its luster, Martin picked up his trusty banjo more and more, eventually making an acclaimed second career as a professional. In fact, Martin has more music Grammy awards than comedy album ones (the score’s 3-2), with his work alongside the likes of Dolly Parton, Edie Brickell and Earl Scruggs marking out his legitimacy in the bluegrass and roots music genres.

He Really Doesn't Like It When You Lose His Rental Car

John Hughes’ cross-country buddy comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles represented the only big screen team-up between Martin and the late, great John Candy . The comedy legends made the most of it, delivering a raucously funny, surprisingly heartfelt tale of two very different guys unwillingly thrust into each others lives by the vagaries of holiday travel. There are plenty of classic bits to choose from, but it’s Martin’s furious response to the placidly smiling airport rental car clerk (Edie McClurg) that truly set audiences back on their heels, as Martin’s buttoned-down commuter, having trekked across frigid parking lots, highways, fields, and an actual working runway to register his complaint, unleashes a torrent of F-bombs in clenched, staccato succession. There are 18 “fucks” in all, with the punchline 19th coming from McClurg, ensuring that Martin’s journey with Candy’s garrulous fellow traveler will continue.

He Made One of the Best Romantic Comedies of the '90s

There was a '90s spate of films in which aging funnymen took stock of their lives through supernatural cinematic adventures. Albert Brooks made the stellar Defending Your Life , about a middle-aged guy forced to justify his earthly existence in the afterlife (and fall in love with angelic Meryl Streep), while Steve Martin made L.A. Story , about a middle-aged guy discovering that the City of Angels has some magic in it yet. (He also falls in love with dishy then-wife Victoria Tennant.) Luckily, both examples of white male navel-gazing were outstanding, with L.A. Story functioning as an impeccable balance of Martin’s wacky and romantically earnest sides. As Martin’s ‘wacky weatherman” Harris K. Telemacher flails through a career and relationship seemingly without meaning, he starts receiving inexplicable messages from one of those ubiquitous electronic traffic signs, leading the overeducated, unsatisfied jokester to delve a bit deeper into what makes himself and his world tick. Filled with both swoony romanticism (Enya music plays a big role) and Martin’s signature physical comedy brilliance (his walk after finally freeing himself from a bad relationship is pure Steve), the Martin-written film is a smartly sunny piece of early ’90’s rom-com history.

He Even Made the Oscars Funny

Hosting the often interminable Hollywood awards show solo in 2001 and 203, teamed up with Alec Baldwin in 2010, and stole the show alongside Chris Rock opening the host-less 2020 show. For perennial wise-ass Martin, each time in the tux was an opportunity to have some pointed fun at the industry and his fellow celebrities, with Martin’s dry intelligence making a potently funny evening out of the decidedly hit-or-miss affair. Even hemmed in by the restrictions of the big corporate event, Martin always managed to squeeze in his own brand of brainy silliness, with even his toned-down signature archness seeming to suggest that him hosting such an overblown affair is something of a put-on. Too many greta one-liners to list, but here’s to his jab at co-star Meryl Streep: “Anyone who’s ever worked with Meryl Streep ends up saying the exact same thing—‘Can that woman act?’ and ‘What’s with all the Hitler memorabilia?’”

He Almost Fixed a Classic Rock Band's Name Before it Started

n his memoir Born Standing Up, Martin recalls running in the same circles as future classic rocker Glenn Frey , who’d just broken out of his former group, the era-specifically named Longbranch Pennywhistle and was about to start up another, much more successful group. As Martin recalls, “He'd say, 'What do you think of this name? Eagles?' I'd say, 'Yea, The Eagles . That sounds great.' He goes, 'No, Eagles.' I say, "Yeah, The Eagles. That really sounds good.' 'No, Eagles.' I went, ‘Eagles!’" Sadly for those unable to remember the soft-rock band’s proper one-word moniker to this day, Frey was unswayed.

He Almost Successfully Played an Italian Mobster

In their third film together, Steve Martin and Rick Moranis went the mismatched buddy route with Herbert Ross’ very funny My Blue Heaven , where straitlaced FBI man Moranis is tasked with keeping tabs on Mafia bagman turned state’s witness Martin. Dying his perennially white hair a dark slicked black helps a bit, and it’s unlikely Martin’s cocky Vinnie Antonelli would pass muster on The Sopranos , but damned if Martin doesn’t make his fast-talking gangster feel like an almost authentic comic creation. Martin and Moranis make a great team (again), as the two reluctant pals form their necessary bond, and Vinnie’s surprisingly sunny ambitions overcome both his stifling exile to suburbia and the inevitable resurfacing of the crime plot just in time for the satisfying climax. While Martin has proven himself a surprisingly versatile actor in comedy and drama over the years, Vinnie Antonelli is oddly one of his most committed performances.

He Tweeted an Anti-Choice Republican into Oblivion

After it was brought to his attention that a Virginia state senator named Steve Martin went on a 2014 rant calling pregnant women mere “hosts” for unborn fetuses, the comedian and not-misogynist creep Steve Martin took to social media to register some typically dry and succinct objections at being even momentarily associated with such nonsense. Martin tweeted, “FYI, I am not THAT Steve Martin,” and linking to a news article steering the irate toward the correct, decidedly lesser Steve Martin.

His Three Amigos! Rode Again as a Cult Favorite

Emerging from the unlikely screenwriting team of Martin, SNL producer Lorne Michaels, and singer-songwriter Randy Newman, the 1986 comedy Three Amigos! was merely a modest hit in theaters, bringing in only $39 million on its $25 million budget and garnering so-so reviews. (Noted Martin skeptic Roger Ebert gave it one star.) And while the presence of comedy superstars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase in the lead roles of three silent film cowboys thrust into a real-life Mexican bandit raid might have underwhelmed those expecting the trio to go for broad belly laughs, the intervening decades have brought more and more fans into the fold with the film’s off-center, often underplayed humor. (No doubt partly creditable to Martin.) There’s a sly absurdity to the John Landis-directed comedy that’s more in line with Martin’s intellectual bent than the knockabout farce the premise suggests, as when bandit leader El Guapo engages in taunting banter with his clueless henchman over the meaning of the word, “plethora.” Throw in a virtuoso bit of Steve Martin physicality as his imprisoned cowpoke attempts to overcome some four-limb weighted shackles and Three Amigos! settles nicely into the Martin movie canon.

He Makes An All-Time Great Evil Dentist

Martin took on the outsized role of Orin Scrivello, DDS, the secondary antagonist of Frank Oz’s adaptation of off-Broadway musical hit Little Shop of Horrors . And if it’s possible to steal focus from an enormous alien human-eating plant monster, Martin did it, the abusive Scrivello’s big musical number swiping the screen as Marin’s leather-clad dental torturer croons his way through a litany of all the joy he gets from hurting his patients. As the abusive boyfriend of Ellen Greene’s sweet Audrey, Martin roars into the picture on a revving motorcycle, gleefully hot-steps his way through some nimbly hilarious, Martin-style choreography, and, in the film’s most outrageous scene, copes with masochistic patient Bill Murray, perhaps the only person who can appreciate Scrivello’s tooth-based tortures more than the bad doctor himself.

He’s Mark Twain-Approved

The Mark Twain Prize is given by Washington’s Kennedy Center in recognition of those humorists who have “had an impact on American society in ways similar to” the famed 19th century writer. And while that definition might get stretched by some of the recipients’ work, it’s not hard to see how the former Samuel Clemens might have enjoyed Steve Martin’s acceptance speech upon receiving the prestigious award in 2005. Emerging to the expected respectful applause, Martin ostentatiously thanks everyone from the President, to the Supreme Court Justices, to an unspecified “Your Royal Highness,” all of whom Martin assumes have come to celebrate his life and career. Martin has a way of doing a thing while simultaneously sending it up, and his speech is a masterful piece of low-key puncturing of every stuffed shirt in sight, including his own. Faking humility was always a signature Steve move, as he notes solemnly at one point, “When I look at the list of people who have been given this award, it makes me very very satisfied. But when I look at the list of people who haven’t been given this award, it makes me even more satisfied.” And when he chuckles thinking of his favorite Mark Twain quote, he tells the formalwear-clad crowd it is, “Whatever you do, for god’s sake do not name a prize after me.”

He is… The Great Flydini

Johnny Carson’s final days as host of The Tonight Show were jam-packed with sentimental sendoffs and sincere flattery for the retiring talk show legend. And then Johnny invited Steve Martin. Introduced as The Great Flydini, Martin emerged in a suspiciously oversized tuxedo and, with all the self-important flourish of the most pretentious stage illusionists, pulled a bunch of weird stuff out of his pants. Martin, drawing from his lifelong love of sleight-of-hand and magic tricks, brought forth a series of eggs, a cocktail, a lit cigarette, a telephone, and eventually an alarmingly animated Pavarotti puppet singing an aria. It’s the quintessence of dumb-smart comedy, as Martin expertly subverts expectations (a pretty lady’s dropped hanky suddenly flies right back into Martin’s open fly) and oddball details. (The Great Flydini eventually tires of all the eggs, suggesting that perhaps that part of the act is actually some sort of medical issue.) For the bit, Martin deprives himself of language entirely, and his physical comedy chops largely, relying on precise movements and presentation to bring the house down. And he does.

He Refused to Bring Conan a Talk Show Bit

Sometimes not doing a bit is a bit, as Martin proved in a hilarious 2000 appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien promoting his just-published book, Shopgirl . With the eager Conan prodding his guest for one of his signature wacky talk show conceits, Martin only smiles and nods in satisfaction as the host futilely runs down such classic hits as his Tonight Show “Stand-up for Dogs” and “Steve and Dave’s Gay Vacation” from Late Show with David Letterman . (“Masterpiece,” Martin agrees smugly to O’Brien’s growing befuddlement.) Noting that, since those other shows are known for comedy, he’d chosen Late Night because, “When I think of your show, I think of books.” Conan continues to hint, pepping up when a raised curtain reveals a wild circus act complete with plate spinners, a hula-hooper, and two uniformed New York Giants slapping each other in the face, at least until Martin shuts it down. “Oh, that’s the bit I’m gonna do on Letterman,” Martin apologizes, before bringing out his actual bit, a glowing review of Shopgirl from “the literary critic of the Yale Graduate School of Serious Fiction.”

He’s Gavin Volure!

30 Rock had countless outstanding big name guest stars in the sitcom’s seven-year run, so it was inevitable that Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin would invite their pal Steve Martin to take a rare TV turn. As impossibly wealthy CEO Gavin Volure, Martin is, at first, at his most restrained and debonaire, respectfully wooing Fey’s Liz Lemon at his palatial country estate while apologizing for his crippling agoraphobia. The twist—Volure is actually under house arrest for embezzlement and fraud—allows Martin to shift comic gears, seeing the now on-the-lam mogul attempting to whisk Liz away with him from his Hunchback of Notre Dame-style perch in the 30 Rock rafters. “I’m Gavin Volure!!,” coming from Martin as his cornered and enraged plutocrat faces possible retribution is the essence of comically exaggerated white guy privilege, and the fact that the haughty Volure is only thwarted thanks to the timely assistance of a Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) Japanese sex doll (don’t ask) is the only possible comeuppance.

He is King Tut

Steve Martin had this silly little idea for a song about the long-deceased boy ruler of 18th Dynasty Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun. (The touring Treasures of Tutankhamun art exhibit was alive in 1970’s American cultural consciousness.) Martin was uncertain, but Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels was decidedly not, as SNL went on to put on what was, until that point, the most expensive and elaborate sketch in the show’s history, with Martin and his one-fof novelty song front and center. The resulting musical number saw a ridiculously pharaoh-garbed and bare-chested Martin leading the similarly outfitted Saturday Night Live band through a romping tune, complete with hieroglyph-inspired dance steps and saxophonist Lou Marini emerging gold-painted from a sarcophagus. Martin was shocked at the show’s enthusiasm for his little novelty song about the commodification of history (“He gave his life for tourism, Martin exclaims at one point), but not as shocked as when the ensuing single sold over a million copies, eventually becoming a mandatory staple of his stadium stand-up concerts.

He is Not Gonna Phone It in Tonight

For his twelfth Saturday Night Live hosting stint, a disaffected Martin was shown backstage before the monologue, brushing off a worshipful Chris Farley’s praise and assuring Victoria Jackson that all they had to do in their sketch was read the cue cards. Upon seeing his old King Tut costume, however, Martin got a faraway look thinking about “when the show meant something,” and launched into one of the most elaborately hilarious and self-lacerating cold opens the sketch show has ever done. “Not Gonna Phone It in Tonight” sees Martin leading the entire 1991 cast through the Studio 8H backstage, with each of them promising to shed the laziness, recurring sketches, and general sloppiness critics accused the show of engaging in at the time and, you know, actually try. While never dropping character as Mr. Big Hollywood Star, Martin yet conjures up something like real emotional enthusiasm, bragging to Kevin Nealon at one point that, even though he could buy and sell everyone involved “a thousand times over,” he’s not gonna phone it in this time, dammit. There’s a retrospectively uneasy interlude when Chris Farley cheerfully promises not to get drunk (at least until after Update ), but seeing a host who’d been there longer than anyone lead the cast in lockstep to a big, show-opening finish at home base is as funny as it is exhilarating.

He Found the Right Partner for His Return to Stand-Up

Call them the Two Amigos (Chevy Chase having crabbed his reputation out of the picture). Steve Martin and Martin Short have mined their decades-long friendship into a fruitful, late-career comedic partnership. Martin had made a tentative step back onto the stand-up stage opening for Jerry Seinfeld for a night in 2016, but it was that year’s team-up with Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life , their shared Netflix special that seemed to rekindle Martin’s love of live performance. Having each other as cozily spiky foils brings out the best in both performers, freeing Martin from old solo stand-up ghosts and giving Short’s manic improvisational energy someone to ground him. In the special (which also features plenty of music from Martin’s Steep Canyon Rangers), the two comedy legends roast each other and themselves, wheel out old characters, and leave plenty of room for sprawling, affectionate schtick. Both comics broke plenty of ground in their younger days, so it’s perfectly enjoyable to watch them kick back and have some fun together. Especially when the result is so rewarding. Plus, toss in a couple of Emmy nods, include for writing the catchy, amusing, and thematically on-target “The Buddy Song.”

And For His Return to Television

Speaking of Steve Martin and Martin Short (or Steve Martin Short, if you will), the duo reconnected in the streaming series Only Murders in the Building, a comedy-mystery series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman in 2021. Once more, the chemistry between two old friends and comedy partners is the heart of the matter, with Steve playing has-been TV actor Charles Haden-Savage and Marty playing perpetually broke theater impresario Oliver Putnam, a couple of old show biz hands with nothing in common but their residence in an ancient New York building that seems to attract murders. Teaming with Millennial fellow tenant Mabel (a more than able Selena Gomez) to jump-start their careers with a lucrative true crime podcast only serves to bring the old pros into welcome comic conflict, with both Martin and Short delivering some of their best and most layered work in years. (In Season 1, a drugged Martin does a silly walk worthy of a Steve Martin 50 years his junior.) With the now 77-year-old Martin claiming that Only Murders in the Building will represent his likely last TV or movie role in a legendary half-century career, it’s nice to see him going out with another win.

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Stanley Kubrick Came Close To Casting Steve Martin In Tom Cruise's Eyes Wide Shut Role

Can you imagine anyone besides Tom Cruise in the role of Bill from " Eyes Wide Shut ?" Probably not, as no matter your thoughts on the death-defying actor, it's hard to argue that he doesn't shine in Stanley Kubrick's final film. His discomforting and oftentimes goofy performance likely wouldn't work in any other film besides "Eyes Wide Shut," if we're being honest with ourselves.

However, Cruise was once barely a possibility for the project. After all, the origins for it date all the way back to the late 1960s when he was still a child. For the project's first decade, "Eyes Wide Shut" was slated to be a more traditional remake of the 1926 novella "Dream Story," set in the original setting of Vienna at beginning of the 20th century. During this phase of the film's development, Kubrick had his eye on one actor to play his leading man, and that was Steve Martin . In the book " Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever " by Nick de Semlyen, the " Jerk " actor recounted the unexpected phone call he received from the director. Kubrick cited an appearance on the talk show "Parkinson" as his inspiration for the call and invited Martin to visit him at his home in Hertfordshire, England.

"He called me up and said, 'I was just sitting there and thought, 'Oh, that's who I need for this movie,'" recalled Martin. "So I went to his house in the country."

No dream is ever just a dream

As the actor recalled, he accepted Kubrick's invitation and arrived at his home the next day. Over the span of two hours, Martin was granted access to the director's vast archives , played chess, and wandered the legendary home. However, perhaps the most notable aspect of the visit came when they visited the pool room, and we should probably let de Semlyen explain what happened next.

"Later that afternoon, they visited the pool room, where Martin smelled something awful: it turned out one of Kubrick's dogs had crapped all over a nearby hallway," he wrote from Martin's recollections. "The filmmaker didn't acknowledge the reek."

So, that's something! Anyways, it remains unclear why this initial version of "Eyes Wide Shut" failed to materialize — perhaps it had to do with a lack of marketability, or maybe Kubrick was asking for a budget that studios deemed too high. No matter what, the film famously then got back on track in 1994, resulting in the demented Christmas classic we all know and, hopefully, love today. It probably would've been just the tiniest bit better with Martin as the lead, though.

The Real Story Behind Steve Martin Getting Asked, 'How Come You're Not Funny Anymore?' And Why It Made His New Documentary

Steve Martin gets honest about how it felt to be asked why he wasn't funny anymore.

Steve Martin is one of the most successful comics to ever live. He sold out stadiums as a stand-up comic, something few have ever been able to do and has had an incredibly prolific career in films and television. Few would ever question that Steve Martin is hilarious , but the new documentary about his life and career does take a moment to recognize the time somebody asked him why he wasn’t funny anymore.

One of the moments that’s included in Steve! (Martin) the new two-part Apple TV documentary  is a bit with British comedian Paul Kaye, who interviewed celebrities as the character Dennis Pennis, grabbing Martin on the red carpet in 1996 and asking him “How come you’re not funny anymore?” Martin, not realizing at the time he was being ribbed, just turns away, looking quite dejected. Speaking with The Guardian , the comedian explains his reaction, saying that the question hit him quite hard in that moment. Martin explained…

It hurt because I was at a very vulnerable moment in my career.

The question was asked on the red carpet for Martin’s comedy Sgt. Bilko which, to be fair, is far from Steve Martin’s best work, and came during perhaps the roughest part of the star's career. It wouldn’t be that surprising if the reviews of that film did have an impact on him. While some stars say they don't read reviews, or claim they don't bother them, Martin admits that bad reviews do hurt. However, he says that claims that he stopped doing media entirely for a period following the red carpet blindsiding are simply untrue. He continued… 

No! That’s just Wikipedia. Bad reviews hurt; they really hurt. But if I’m at a screening and I see the critic, I just go: ‘Hey! How you doing?’ Like you don’t know anything.

Considering that the documentary, which recently arrived for Apple TV+ subscribers , is designed to celebrate the life and career of Steve Martin, it might be somewhat surprising that the incident was included in the film at all. Director Morgan Neville says that, despite personally feeling the moment was “nasty” he wanted to show the way that talents like Martin’s are judged when they are trying to be creative. He said…

It was nasty. And I wanted to show how the world judges you when all you’re trying to do is be creative.

Steve Martin is arguably one of the most creative comics of his generation. He’s done serious dramatic work as well as his trademark comedy. He’s written novels and plays and is an accomplished banjo player . Not everything he’s ever done has been warmly received, but there’s no argument he’s been willing to try just about anything.  If you ever question the man's creativity and ability, there are some great Steve Martin movies out there to show you just how funny he truly is.

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CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.

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How Tom Cruise Really Felt When He Joined Nicole Kidman In Eyes Wide Shut

It's one thing to be married to a fellow actor and shoot a movie together, but imagine working together for over a year on what was not only a legendary director's last film, but also a movie that explored the intricacies of keeping together a mundane marriage while withstanding outside temptation. This is what Tom Cruise and his then-wife Nicole Kidman went through while shooting Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut."

Released in 1999, "Eyes Wide Shut" centers around Dr. William "Bill" Harford (Cruise) and his wife Alice (Kidman), a Manhattan-based married couple who have gotten so used to the routines of domestic life that the only way sexuality plays a role anymore is through the temptations of strangers and mystery. Things start to unravel as William finds himself seeking a new kind of pleasure as he ventures outside the city to a mansion hosting a masked party at which an underground sexual ritual is taking place.

While "Eyes Wide Shut" is notable for its unique storytelling and blatant erotica, its probably best known as Stanley Kubrick's last film, as the director died before the movie was released. It's also known as one of the most "exhausting" shoots for any cast and crew (via  Vanity Fair ). According to Vanity Fair, when "Eyes Wide Shut" began shooting in the fall of 1996, Cruise and Kidman "fully expected to return to Hollywood by spring." However, filming didn't finish until 1998. Cruise and Kidman wound up spending 15 months working on "Eyes Wide Shut," which earned the Guinness World Record for "the longest continual film shoot."

So, how did Cruise feel when Kidman joined the cast of the historic film?

Brutal honesty

Originally aiming to cast Steve Martin in the lead role in 1980, 15 years later,  Stanley Kubrick eventually landed on casting Tom Cruise, at the suggestion of his producer Terry Semel. According to the Independent , Cruise flew to England to meet Kubrick in 1995, and after some basic conversation about "vintage cameras, planes, the New York Yankees," the filmmaker asked Cruise to star in "Eyes Wide Shut." After accepting, Cruise suggested his real life wife at the time play his on-screen wife as well. Kubrick apparently loved the idea, as it "introduced a new layer of psychosexual subtext" to the movie.

The couple went through a grueling shoot with Kubrick, whose unique filmmaking methods began affecting Cruise and Nicole Kidman's marriage. Kubrick decided he would psychoanalyze his married lead actors. Per Vanity Fair , Kubrick pushed Cruise and Kidman into admitting what they feared most about marriage during "conversations that the three vowed to keep secret." According to Kidman, these conversations left her then-husband subjected to "things that he didn't want to hear," and the discussions were "brutally honest at times." She also told Vanity Fair that while it was exciting that the lines of reality and fiction blurred, it was also dangerous. Cruise agreed: "I wanted this to work, but you're playing with dynamite when you act. Emotions kick up."

'Pluses and minuses' to filming a movie with your real-life spouse

In a 1999 press conference , Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were asked if they felt safe playing a married couple on screen, or if they would have felt better working alongside someone else. Cruise responded that he was "glad she played [the role in 'Eyes Wide Shut'] because of her talent." He elaborated, "As an actress, I was really excited, because she's such a great actress and artist and to share that experience together is something very special and I think that we had a lot to offer because we are married." Cruise also admitted that the entire experience "had its pluses and minuses."

While Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise would eventually divorce  in 2001 after 11 years of marriage — and only two years after the release of "Eyes Wide Shut" — they are reportedly open to a reunion as friends or co-workers as of early 2021 (via OK! Magazine ). Plus, in 2017, Kidman told Deadline that she would have continued working with Kubrick for years on end, as she really enjoyed the experience. 

"I could have stayed with Stanley [Kubrick] for five years. Never come back," she said. "I look back at that and go, 'Thank God I had this slightly zen approach to things.' Because I was married and I had my kids there. It wasn't like I was rushing to get finished, to get somewhere else. I was there, with Stanley, and I didn't care. Whatever." Kidman added, "He had a great wit and he was a philosopher, but he was never preachy. It was always coming from a place of curiosity and questioning and exploration."

Ten Things You Never Knew About Steve Martin

White-haired American comic Steve Martin returns to the big screen this month as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in Pink Panther 2 . Starting out as a madcap standup in the 1970s, Martin worked his way through the comedy ranks, producing music and TV shows until he hit the big time with 1979's classic The Jerk . His success continued with popular family franchises Father Of The Bride and Cheaper By The Dozen , while more recently he's turned his hand to writing novels such as 2001's Shop Girl . Read on to find out ten more facts about the veteran A-list funnyman.

1. Martin was born in Texas in 1945 to Mary Lee and real estate agent Glenn Vernon.

2. Before Martin's wedding to Anne Stringfield in 2007, he told some guests including Tom Hanks and Eugene Levy that he was hosting a party, surprising them when he partook in the nuptials.

3. The comic's first job was at Disneyland selling guidebooks. He later worked in Merlin's Magic Shop, where he learnt magic, juggling, the banjo and the art of balloon animals.

4. Martin won two consecutive Grammys for his comedy records Let's Get Small and King Tut in 1977 and 1978.

5. He is one of the few acts to own Grammys for Comedy and Best Country. He won the latter for his performance on the banjo with Earl Scruggs and Friends on 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'.

6. Stanley Kubrick initially considered Martin for the role of Bill Harford in Eyes Wide Shut , before opting for Tom Cruise.

7. Martin was never a full-time cast member of America's long-standing comedy show Saturday Night Live , but he has made 25 guest appearances and hosted the show 14 times. He is also the only person to ever host a SNL premiere, finale and Christmas show.

9. Martin admits that he may have been typecast in family comedies and "good sentimental" films like Planes, Trains and Automobiles . "Listen, I would love to be in a fabulous art film, or a mystery," said the comic. "But I'm not known for that, and people can't quite... I affect the movie negatively, I think."

10. The 63-year-old is not a fan of gross-out comedies and probably wouldn't approve of Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand's Manuelgate antics. "I wouldn't want to do a movie that is just an assault on your senses," he said. "The lower practitioners of [that genre of comedy] are really cruel - prank phone calls. Of course you can call up an old lady and lie to her on the phone and make her feel stupid. Of course you can."

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Steve Martin, ‘The Most Idolized Comedian Ever,’ Focus of Two-Part Documentary

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The upcoming fourth season of Only Murders in the Building won’t be the only opportunity to see Steve Martin on the small screen this year, as the beloved comic will be the focus of a two-part documentary debuting on Apple TV+ this month.

The streaming service has shared the first trailer for STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces , which examines Martin’s trailblazing rise in the comedy world, his decades as a Hollywood leading man, and his late-career transformation as a bluegrass musician and Only Murders co-star.

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“This guy was getting people so happy,” Jerry Seinfeld says of Martin in the preview for the documentary, which debuts March 29. “He’s the most idolized comedian ever.”

Apple TV+ added of the film, “Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces  dives into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. ‘Then’ chronicles Steve Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. ‘Now’ focuses on the present day, with Steve Martin in the golden years of his career, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.”

STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces was directed by Morgan Neville, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind 20 Feet From Stardom, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain . In addition to Seinfeld, the documentary boasts interviews with Tina Fey, Eric Idle, Only Murders ’ Martin Short and Selena Gomez, and Martin himself.

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Den of Geek

The top 25 films of Steve Martin

We salute the finest screen work of Steve Martin, a brilliant comedy actor, and an underrated dramatic performer too...

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Few people on the planet have made me laugh as hard as Steve Martin. I first encountered him when All Of Me appeared on telly one afternoon, which I could barely watch through the tears of laughter in my eyes. From that point on, I devoured every film I could lay my hands on, as well as his early comedy material. I’ve found things to like in the many remakes he’s tackled, where others, er, weren’t so keen. And I’m now going through the stages of introducing my own kids to his work.

For me, though, I had no curator. Steve Martin was the first leading actor or actress whose work I actively seeked out, back in the days when you had to wait for HMV to do a three for £20 offer on videos, or for the video shop bargain section to get one of his movies back in. That, or wait for ITV to stick one of his films on.

This, then, is clearly going to be a very subjective countdown we’re about to embark on. But hopefully we can at least be unified in the belief that Mr Steve Martin is an actor, comedian, musician and writer we should be cherishing.

There are some films you may like that aren’t on the list, because they didn’t do an awful lot for me. But rather than chat about those, I’d rather talk about this little lot…

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25. Sgt Bilko

“All I ever wanted was an honest week’s pay for an honest day’s work”

Let’s start with one of Martin’s least-liked films. In truth, I can fully understand the backlash that appeared – even in pre-internet times – when it was announced that a remake of Sgt Bilko was on the way. Sacrilege, right? Who could really bring to the screen what Phil Silvers already had, in realising the role of Bilko, the US army’s most entertaining scam artist?

Nobody. So Steve Martin didn’t try. Instead, he went his own way with the character, and the resultant film is a thoroughly decent comedy in its own right. Helmed by Jonathan Lynn – the Yes Minister co-creator who also directed Marisa Tomei towards the Oscar stage with My Cousin Vinny – it’s brisk, likeable, and works. Do I rewatch it often? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes.

The original Sgt Bilko series is still a flat-out classic of 50s television, of course. The 1996 film hasn’t changed that.

24. The Pink Panther

“I would like to take a closer look at your bawls”

And whilst I’m taking hits for remakes, I’ll say this too: the first of Steve Martin’s The Pink Panther movies is really quite fun. I’m not just saying that because Jason Statham’s in it, but rather because Martin was clearly having an awful lot of fun playing Inspector Clouseau. His take on the character was different enough to Peter Sellers’ for the film to just about work, and again, if you put the originals out of your head, there’s a decent amount to enjoy here.

I do share the frustration that at the peak of his box office powers, Martin was tackling remakes such as these, and I don’t have much time for the Pink Panther sequel. But still: it’s a decent, solid comedy. No amount of hate for the project’s existence can hide the fact that Martin is a skilled comedy actor, and his Clouseau is further proof of that.

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23. Novocaine

“I’ve always said the worst thing a man can lose is his teeth. It’s true, I should know”

A decent low key thriller this, that’s not the best Steve Martin film involving a dental role, but still warrants a look. Laura Dern and Helena Bonham Carter co-star, in the story of a dentist who becomes a suspect for murder, after being conned into prescribing drugs.

It’s a slightly unconventional piece of work, but perhaps not unconventional enough for people to really notice it. With elements of dark comedy to it, there’s the sense that a better film could have been made with the same ingredients, but the strong performances really do lift it.

22. Housesitter

“Wow, you’re a genius! You’re like the Ernest Hemingway of bullshit!”

Of the two movies that Martin made with Goldie Hawn in the 1990s – this, and the remake of The Out-Of-Towners (a film worth it for Hawn spitting out the line “I have grass, grass, grass in my ass”) – it’s Frank Oz’s Housesitter that I slightly veer towards. I can’t say I love the film, but there are two standout Steve Martin moments that wouldn’t work with any other actor.

The first looks simple: a stumble over some furniture. That Martin plays it so naturally and carries in is what makes the moment work. It’s not a demonstrative yearning for a laugh, it’s a very good actor doing some very good acting. The second is the movie’s standout moment, where he sings ‘Tura Lura Lura’. I’m just going to cheat and give you the video of that one. By distance, it’s the highlight of the movie… 

21. It’s Complicated

“Did you get this high from one hit?!”

Nancy Meyers makes films that feel like they exist in a slightly different, exaggerated, middle- to upper-class world. That’s no dig, incidentally – I think she makes films that others aren’t really tackling, and there’s a familiar feel to movies such as What Women Want , Something’s Gotta Give and The Holiday .

It’s Complicated certainly fits into the Meyers Movie Universe (TM), and for her third collaboration with Martin (only one of which, Father Of The Bride Part II , isn’t listed here) she teamed him up with Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep too, for a light romantic comedy aimed at grown-ups. It’s centred on a divorced couple who come back together for family reasons, and it’s a movie that works when its senior trio are on screen. It’s a good, solid movie this, and more of a dramatic role for Martin again.

20. A Simple Twist Of Fate

“When you turn a gift away from your door, it goes to the one who takes it in”

Another interesting low key movie this, that saw Martin star alongside Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney and Catherine O’Hara. He wrote this one, based on the book Silas Marner by Geroge Eliot, and it’s a modern day telling of the story. It’s not an entirely successful one in truth, nor does it stick in the mind too long. But it does boast an excellent central performance from Martin, as the recluse who finds an orphan on his doorstep one day.

It’s quite a quiet and straightforward drama, nicely played and quite touching too. A bit of a tear jerker as well, if you’re in the right mood. It barely got any attention on its original release mind, and it’s so unfussy, I can understand why. But it’s a quiet, impressive piece of work.

19. Father Of The Bride

“Drive carefully. And don’t forget to fasten your condom”.

A sizeable box office hit at the start of the 90s, and for the most part, this is a straight leading man role for Martin (perhaps his most obvious movie star role of the decade). A good one, too. It’s a remake of the 1950 Spencer Tracey movie of the same name, with Martin starring opposite Diane Keaton in a straightforward story of a man watching his daughter get married. Nancy Meyers penned the screenplay for this one, with Charles Shyer directing.

There’s a real generosity to Martin’s performance here, and he’s happy to stand back and let Martin Short waltz in to steal the movie as Frank, the wedding planner. Furthermore, it’s hard not to warm to his struggle to let his beloved daughter go, contrasted with the rising cost and scale of the wedding too. A few comedy slapstick moments are thrown in – a comedy dog chase the main one – but this is actually a fairly straight character comedy for the most part, and a warm one.

The sequel, which in turn was based on the earlier movie Father’s Little Dividend , is best avoided though. Thankfully, all concerned decided that a trilogy was a bad idea…

18. The Lonely Guy

“I’m not really jogging. I only ran about fifty yards. This is not real sweat, either. I sprayed it on”

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A real oddity this amongst the movies that Martin made in the early 1980s. It paired him with director Arthur Hiller, best known for making Love Story , and it contrasted deeply with the comedy roles that Martin had thus far been taking on for Carl Reiner. We’ll be talking about those shortly.

The Lonely Guy is quite a sombre film, and one that I recall Martin in an interview agreeing didn’t quite work. But still, it’s an ambitious character piece, about a man who comes home from work, and finds his girlfriend with another man. There’s humour in it too – as you’d expect from a movie penned by Neil Simon – although tonally it feels just a little uneven at times. That said, there’s still plenty to get your teeth into here, and it remains a quietly interesting film in the Martin back catalogue.

17. The Muppet Movie

“Don’t you want to smell the bottlecap?”

I’ve tried to resist including Martin’s supporting and cameo roles in this list (sorry, Baby Mama ), but I couldn’t resist adding The Muppet Movie into the mix. Mainly because I love The Muppet Movie .

Martin’s cameo here is as the waiter who serves Kermit and Miss Piggy. Said waiter has a rich line in sarcasm too. “Don’t you want to smell the bottlecap?” Ah, it cheers me every time.

Martin also popped up in The Muppet Show , of course, so take this entry in the list as a commendation of his united Muppets work. I’d happily watch a fresh Muppet film, with Steve Martin as co-star.

16. Grand Canyon

“All of life’s riddles are answered in the movies”

After a string of successful comedies in the late 80s and early 90s, Martin took a part in the ensemble for Lawrence Kasdan’s drama, Grand Canyon . Furthermore, it put Martin on the receiving end of one of the most genuinely shocking moments of screen violence in the 1990s.

Here, he plays movie producer Davis, one of six central characters in 90s Los Angeles that Kasdan’s film explores. Davis’ films are violent, and that’s what he’s built his career off the back of. And in a film where each character experiences something that turns their life in a different direction, Davis becomes the victim of a real act of violence. Even writing about it now, nearly 25 years since I first saw the film, I can remember the shock at how casual Kasdan put across such a moment on screen. There’s no build up, no fanfare. Just simple, cold brutality.

Martin’s story is one of the standout narratives of Grand Canyon , a film that doesn’t quite measure up to Kasdan’s earlier The Big Chill (nor, arguably, his subsequent Mumford , a movie I have a lot of time for). It’s still, at best, a very good drama, and it has moments and performances that ensure that at least some of it sticks in the head for a good deal after you’ve watched it. Over 20 years in my case…

15. L.A. Story

“Why is it that we don’t always recognise the moment when love begins but we always know when it ends?”

A really charming film this, penned by Martin and co-starring his then-wife Victoria Tennant. Directed by Mick Jackson, who would go on to helm The Bodyguard , it’s Martin’s love letter to the city of Los Angeles. A love that’s brought home in his conversations with a traffic sign. It shouldn’t work, but it really does.

It’s a gentle, relaxed comedy this, that pokes fun at the L.A. life (and thus tends to garner a lot more love from Los Angeles folk), but also puts a sweet romance at the heard of it. L.A. Story also boasts a smart cast, not least including the mighty Richard E Grant, and at its heart is a lovely, grown-up piece of writing

14.  Pennies From Heaven

“I’m Arthur… and I love you”

Early in his film career, this was the first sign that Steve Martin was willing to take a left turn and try something different. The Jerk had hit big at the box office, and he took on Herbert Ross’ film of Pennies From Heaven , adapted from his own work by Dennis Potter.

Martin was Golden Globe nominated for his work here, in a depression-era musical that tends to leave as many people cold as it does warm in truth. There’s an argument too that the 1978 television series is your better bet, and it’s certainly what interested Martin, who lobbied for the work, and spent months preparing for it.

Pennies From Heaven disappointed at the box office, but certainly doesn’t deserve to be forgotten. A bold choice from Martin, and very early proof that he had plenty to offer the screen.

Ah, no. We’ve done that thing where we split an article across two pages. Panic not, though – this is not a habit. Rather, we only do it when an article is particularly long, and it makes sense to load it in separate chunks.

With that, we’ll leave you with the rest of the article…

13. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

“I’ve got culture coming out of my ass”

Not for the first time, Martin gets put in a double act, and the two stars stand on the shoulders of each other and elevate each other’s work.

In this case it’s Martin alongside Michael Caine, as a pair of con artists looking to con Glenn Headly’s Janet out of her money. Directed by Frank Oz, who helmed several of Steve Martin’s films, for the most part this is a fun, lively comedy. But it becomes something else entirely when Martin slips into the persona of Ruprecht. His is a genuinely superb comedy performance here, and he walks away with the lion’s share of the film’s laughs. It stands the test of time well too, and for most actors, it’d stand proudly in their top ten movies.

In Martin’s case, there’s a lot of competition though. Which brings us on to [dons flamesuit]…

12. Three Amigos

“Not so fast El Guapo! Or I’ll pump you so full of lead you’ll be using your dick for a pencil!”

I fully accept that, were 50% of you writing this list, The Three Amigos would instantly be promoted to the top five. I remember reading an outstanding feature on the film, for instance, in Empire magazine, that reunited Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short and John Landis. It was a tremendous article, that highlighted the many hugely entertaining moments in Landis’ movie. And it’s that glorious triple act at the heart of the film that really makes it work, of course.

Why not higher up the list? Nothing more sinister than there are a lot of Steve Martin movies that I really love. One thing that always strikes me about Three Amigos whenever I watch it, though: can you imagine getting a generous cast that works together as well as Martin, Chase and Short here? The fact that they seemed to have an absolute hoot making the film is there on screen to see.

You can’t help but shudder at the thought of a Happy Madison-backed remake (don’t worry, one isn’t happening. Unless I’ve just tempted fate. In which case, lots of letters of apology).

11. Little Shop Of Horrors

“I find a little giggle-gas before I begin increases my pleasure enormously”

Appreciating I said I’d try and veer away from Steve Martin’s cameo roles, his scene-stealing dentist in the glorious Little Shop Of Horrors is utterly unavoidable.

Orin Scrivello, DDS, is the screen dentist you’d least want to meet this side of Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man , and Martin makes plenty of the screen time he gets. It helps that his patients include the likes of Bill Murray, of course.

Martin’s is more a supporting role in truth here, but it means he gets to some of the absolute highlights of a relentlessly entertaining movie. You simply can’t think of the 1986 Little Shop Of Horrors without Orin springing to mind.

10. Leap Of Faith

“Death’s a breeze. Ever hear someone come back to complain?”

If you’re perusing this list on the hunt for a Steve Martin film that may have escaped you to date, then there’s a sporting chance this might be it. Notwithstanding the fact that it got turned into a short-lived Broadway musical. Leap Of Faith still failed to ignite at the US box office come the end of 1992, grossing just under $25m. It took a few months to come to the UK (films used to do that), and didn’t really fare much better.

But it’s a very good comedy drama. A bit long, perhaps, but Leap Of Faith also gives Martin a really good role. He plays faith healer Jonas Nightingale, a fake faith healer whose roadshow rolls into a small town, that’s desperately in need of rain. Therein lies Liam Neeson’s cynical sheriff, and a lot of the base story beats here are fairly straightforward.

But what lifts Leap Of Faith are the shows themselves. Martin is pretty mesmerising here, imbuing Jonas with a conviction, tricky likeability and magnetic stage presence. You’re left in no doubt why people would buy his patter.

The supporting cast is good here – you’ll find Debra Winger, Meat Loaf and Lolita Davidovich in the ensemble – but this is very much A Steve Martin Show.

9. Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid

“Dead men don’t wear plaid. I still don’t know what it means”

YouTube mash-ups are pretty much ten-a-penny now, with technology in pretty much everyone’s homes that can edit someone into a movie (not always very well, but moving on). The flat-out ambition of Carl Reiner’s noir spoof, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid , simply can’t be understated, however.

This was Reiner’s second of four films he made with Martin, and technically the most demanding. The story centres on a private eye who’s hired by Rachel Ward’s Juliet, to get to the bottom of the death of her cheesemaker father. The film’s trick is then to weave in footage of the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and other stars of that era. It’s a clever, often very funny movie that results. For me, in terms of sheer comedy, it didn’t make me laugh quite as much as the other Reiner/Martin collaborations, but that’s a harsh criticism: this is still top grade stuff, and often ingenious filmmaking too.

8.  The Spanish Prisoner

“Always do business as if the person you’re doing business with is trying to screw you, because he probably is. And if he’s not, you can be pleasantly surprised”

Clever man, David Mamet. We’ll never know for sure how many dramatic, non-comedic roles Steve Martin was offered and turned down (unless he tells us), but Mamet clearly saw something in his acting that he tapped into wonderfully for The Spanish Prisoner .

He gives Martin a pivotal supporting role, in the kind of twisty confidence trick movie that Mamet excels at. There’s an undertone of real menace to the role of Jimmy Dell too, that Martin conveys in a restrained, non-showy yet highly effective manner.

Martin’s role isn’t a big one in terms of screen time, but it’s a pivotal one in the context of the film. Like most thrillers of this ilk, The Spanish Prisoner is best left discovered knowing as little as possible about it, so I’ll leave it there. Just know that it’s well worth digging out…

“The Lord giveth… and he just kept on giving, didn’t he?”

There’s superb writing at the heart of Roxanne , a modern American take on the Cyrano De Bergerac story. You thus may not be surprised to hear that it’s a Steve Martin screenplay here. He sticks close to the spirit and structure of the original play, with his character, C D Bales, a fire chief who has intelligence, romance, and a giant nose.

Thus, he lends his help to Rick Rossovich’s Chris, who’s trying to get together with Daryl Hannah’s Roxanne. And the film is primarily more romance than comedy, skilfully put together by director Fred Schepisi.

But that doesn’t mean it’s shy on laughs, and arguably Roxanne ‘s standout scene sees C D Bales having to come up with 20 different jokes about the size of his hooter. It’s Steve Martin gold, and the highlight of a joyful film that’s happily stood the test of time.

6. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

“Our speedometer has melted and as a result it’s very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going”

I know. There are still people annoyed that The Three Amigos didn’t make it this high up the list. But lord: Planes, Trains & Automobiles is some piece of work.

As strong a leading man as he is, Steve Martin has also shown several times on film that he’s excellent at working in tandem with other performers. The double act at the heart of Planes, Trains & Automobiles is one of the very best examples, even better, I’d argue, than the union of he and Michael Caine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels .

It’s a towering achievement from the late John Candy that he makes a character as potentially unlikeable as Del someone to root for. And oftentimes in Planes, Trains & Automobiles , Martin stands back a little, and lets him take the lead. He still injects delicate doses of sarcasm, rage, and marvellously sardonic delivery here. It’s a masterclass in that respect.

The pay offs are regular too, and picking a standout scene from John Hughes’ one film as director that wasn’t overtly aimed at a teen audience (even if lots of teens watched it anyway) is near impossible. And yet three words alone always crease me and leave me wanting to reach for the DVD: “those aren’t pillows”.

Bona fide comedy gold.

5. The Jerk

“What’s happening to my special purpose?”

Ask me another day, and The Jerk would top this list. It’s a constant delight that’s aged in some way, but has at its core a comedy masterclass. This was Martin’s movie debut, coming off the back of his already-hugely successful stand-up comedy work. What it proved was that not only is Steve Martin very funny, but he can also act.

Granted, Navin isn’t one of his most contained roles, but the childlike innocence of the character is quite wonderful. Carl Reiner’s movie is structurally pretty straightforward, and leaves plenty of room for the many memorable stand-out moments. The pulling of the small church. The finding of the special purpose. The moment where he’s told that his parents aren’t really his parents. Everyone has a favourite part of The Jerk , truth be told.

But I also like the commitment to good gags throughout. The simple standing at the bus stop for hours right near the start of the film is a delight in itself.

4. Bowfinger

“This film is only for Madagascar and Iran, neither of which follow American copyright law”

To date, the last outright comedic film that Martin has written himself, and it’s a real joy. Bowfinger arrived in 1999, just as Hollywood comedies were about to follow the lead of that year’s American Pie for the next decade. And it had that rarest of things at the heart of it ( Bowfinger , not American Pie ): an original idea.

The central conceit is that Martin’s Bobby Bowfinger is a filmmaker working at the lower end of the budget spectrum. Think Uwe Boll, but with fewer sweary videos. He hatches a scheme whereby movie star Kit Ramsey – played by Eddie Murphy – will appear in his new feature, just without him noticing. To do this, he must play on Ramsey’s paranoia, not least of shadowy cult-masquerading-as-religion (behave yourselves) MindHead (cue an excellent cameo from Terence Stamp, that would be recreated fairly closely in 2009’s Yes Man ).

Then there’s Bowfinger ‘s other trump card, Eddie Murphy’s second role in the movie, Jiff. There’s generally an inward groan at the thought now of a comedy where Eddie Murphy plays multiple characters, but he proved his skill at this in the 80s (hello, Coming To America! ), and he utterly excels in Bowfinger .

I’m going to come to the awards snub argument again shortly, but seriously, overlooking Eddie Murphy’s arguably career-best acting in Bowfinger – to create two distinct, quality, hugely entertaining and funny roles with no mask required – is a scandal. Murphy would go on to gain awards recognition and an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls , and therein lies bare the failure of awards voters to see past their own stuck up noses. A lesser performance in a more awards-friendly movie? Oscar nod. Two excellent performances in a comedy? Don’t let your door hit your backside on the way out.

At the heart of Bowfinger is the kind of lovable rogue character that Martin too is in a different class at putting on screen. His Bobby Bowfinger is a conman with a good heart, lurking in the shadows and working on his wits to get from A to B. And yeah, I’m less keen on Heather Graham’s character in Bowfinger , but for me, it’s the one misstep in a film that should be remembered as a 1990s comedy classic. It certainly is around these parts.

Oh, and if Chubby Rain had ever been made, that’d be top five too.

3. The Man With Two Brains

“If there’s anything wrong with my feelings for Dolores, just give me a sign”

I hardly know where to start. The Man With Two Brains is, simply, a sublime, very funny comedy. It’s based on a daft idea, committed to deeply by an incredible comedy performer, and it’s very, very funny. They’re not bad ingredients for a start are they?

Here, Martin plays Dr Michael Hfuhruhurr, the world’s best brain surgeon, and the inventor of screw top, zip lock brain surgery. Said surgery involves, basically, opening up someone’s head and taking their brains out. Easy peasy.

But the absolute gold here is Michael Hfuhruhurr’s relationship with Kathleen Turner’s Dolores Benedict. The pair are married, but Dolores is, it’s fair to say, more in it for the money. It’s a thankless role in the hands of some, so thank the lord for Turner, who has a ball as Dolores. She’s withholding panky of the hanky nature from Hfuhruhurr, and it’s those moments where he tries to be caring and understanding that absolutely crease me. Well, that, and “send me a sign”

I do accept that, even though I’ve put this third in the list, that The Man With Two Brains is a bit patchy. But then I also love just how of its time it feels. Can you seriously imagine something like this coming through the Hollywood system now? We’d end up with Will Ferrell doing his manchild thing again, and really, who wants to see that?

That The Man With Two Brains features cinema’s finest erection joke to date is further collateral to justify its heady position on this list. But truthfully, for me, if I’ve had a crappy day and I just need to laugh, The Man With Two Brains is never far from my reach. It’ll always be special to me for that.

And bonus trivia? It’s co-written by George Gipe, who penned the legendary novelisation of Back To The Future , as well as co-writing Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid . You are very welcome.

2. Parenthood

“Show him, honey”

It’s no fluke that the movie Parenthood has inspired two TV series to date, one of which went on to become one of the most grown-up, interesting comedy drama shows in recent US television history. Because the core film tapped into something: the concept of parenting, viewing from different angles.

That’s the wonderful trick to Ron Howard’s film, a movie I maintain is one of his very best. Based on his own experiences, and those of writers Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz, along with producer Brian Grazer, Parenthood feels very real and very relatable. Sure, it’s set in a middle-class Hollywoodland, as a big family each with large houses fret over well paid jobs and well-dressed kids (on the whole), but the problems are relatable. It’s just most of us have a lot less cash.

Steve Martin heads the ensemble, and is on absolutely top form. The trailer highlight is Cowboy Dan’s party tricks, and truthfully, I could watch that whole sequence on a loop. But it’s the education in delivering a line that’s also on offer here. That “show him, honey” quote at the top creases me, as does “waiting for her head to spin around”. “But the moments he shares with the late Jason Robards, and the wonderful spark with Mary Steenburgen deserve mention too. Lest we forget, Rick Moranis, playing straight for most of the film, then comes in to try and steal the whole thing with a Carpenters number.

Parenthood is very much a comedy drama, and a very funny one, and along with the brilliant, brilliant Dianne Wiest, Martin holds those moments in place too. I’ve mentioned his generosity before, but it’s all over Parenthood , a film where everyone gets a moment in the spotlight to shine. It’s something of a comedy classic in my house, and a film I watch time after time after time…

1.5. Born Standing Up

I’m cheating, but if you think I’m going to get through a look at the movies of Steve Martin without talking about his wonderful autobiography, Born Standing Up , then I must let you down.

I can’t apologise for doing so though, as Born Standing Up , a book about Martin’s childhood, and early music and comic days, is a first rate lesson in economy. It’s funny, interesting, beautifully written, tells you lots of things you don’t know, and leaves you wanting more. What it doesn’t do is give you too much insight into Steve Martin’s movie career, which is just starting up when the film ends. But what you do get is an autobiography in the truest sense. A genuine talent, telling their own story in their own way, with not a ghostwriter in sight.

Lots of stand up comedians cite Born Standing Up as a masterful book, but don’t believe it’s just for comedians: it’s a book that any fan of Steve Martin’s can get an awful lot out of. Hugely recommended, and like many others, I’d love to see a follow-up book. Please.

1. All Of Me

“I want my body back. And I want my freedom and privacy. And most of all, I’d like to be able to take a leak without being fondled”

He should have won an Oscar for this. Perhaps more than any other role that he’s been overlooked for.

The reason he didn’t is the Academy’s outright comedy snobbery. That he didn’t win any acting awards here – it’s not just Oscar that’s to blame here – says to me that movie awards organisers need to get their head out of their backsides, and look beyond what’s printed on a ‘For Your Consideration’ advert.

Still: a rant about awards not representing anything outside of a narrow corridor of movies is nothing new. So let’s chat about All Of Me a bit more.

In years gone by, I always had The Jerk has my favourite Carl Reiner-Steve Martin collaboration. But the more I watch it, the more I appreciate just how special All Of Me is. It’s such a tough ask, what Martin has to do here, spending the bulk of the film pretending that he’s sharing a body with Lily Tomlin. He starts off Roger Cobb, putting in the kind of wonderfully cutting comedy performance that he can do and nobody else really can.

But when events transpire to leave Lily Tomlin’s Edwina’s soul in his body too, a comedy masterclass ensues. I should note before I wax lyrical too much more that the film around Martin is very strong, and there’s a mighty toilet flushing joke that’s hard to beat.

Yet Martin’s performance? It demands so much, yet he makes it look so easy. The sheer physical comedy on display here is majestic in itself, with him capturing the mannerisms of two characters in one. His vocal work – and I’ve not talked about Martin’s animated films here, although could easily have done so – is superb too. It’s a controlled performance, pitched exquisitely, and the heart of one of the very best comedies of the 1980s.

Talk comes up every now and then about a possible remake of All Of Me . Yet the central problem remains: who do you cast in the lead role? Coming full circle, Martin gives an Oscar-worthy masterclass here, and it’s hard to think of any contemporary comedy actor who could come anywhere close.

Next time I do a Steve Martin list, it may well be that All Of Me doesn’t top the chart. But right now, it’s the Martin film that I keep wanting to sit back and enjoy the most. So right here, right now, it’s

Also…

A quick hat tip to The Prince Of Egypt , an ambitious and interesting animated movie that we will get round to talking about on the site soon.

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Simon Brew | @SimonBrew

Editor, author, writer, broadcaster, Costner fanatic. Now runs Film Stories Magazine.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Review: Tom Cruise Takes to the Skies, Literally, in Barrier-Breaking Sequel

Reteaming with 'Oblivion' director Joseph Kosinski, the perfectionist producer-star insists on flying his own planes in this stunning follow-up.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• ‘The First Omen’ Review: A Decently Executed Prequel Pales Next to Superior ‘Immaculate’ 3 days ago
• ‘Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces’ Review: A Sprawling Portrait Splits the Comedian’s Career, Saving the Payoff for the Second Half 2 weeks ago
• ‘Riddle of Fire’ Review: Weston Razooli’s Wilderness-Set Debut Feels Like Child’s Play, in a Good Way 2 weeks ago

The world is not the same place it was in 1986, when “Top Gun” ruled the box office. In Ronald Reagan, America had a movie star for a president, and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson as its honorary ministers of propaganda. The same year that “Platoon” challenged the United States’ militaristic track record, “Top Gun” sold a thrilling if narrow-minded fantasy of American exceptionalism — of boys and their toys, of macho-man bromance and what it means to be the best. Three years after Tom Cruise flipped the bird to a Russian MiG fighter plane, the Berlin Wall fell. Two years later, the Soviet Union collapsed.

One could argue that our new, post-Cold War world didn’t need a “Top Gun” sequel. (Tom Cruise himself once insisted as much.) But one would be wrong to do so. Building on the three-parts-steel-to-one-part-corn equation that director Tony Scott so effectively set 36 years earlier, the new film more than merits its existence, mirroring Cruise’s character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, in pushing the limits of what the machine could do — the machine in this case being cinema, which takes to the skies as no blockbuster has before.

Hardly anything in “ Top Gun: Maverick ” will surprise you, except how well it does nearly all the things audiences want and expect it to do. Orchestrated by Joseph Kosinski — the dynamo who collaborated with Cruise on “Oblivion” and first worked with Miles Teller on 2017’s terrific, underseen firefighter drama “Only the Brave” — to appeal to veterans and neophytes alike, this high-performance follow-up sends Maverick back to the Topgun program, where he won the heart of Charlie (Kelly McGillis) and lost best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards).

Flashbacks notwithstanding, neither of those actors is in this movie, though the screenplay — a tag-team effort between Christopher McQuarrie (Cruise’s guy), Eric Warren Singer (Kosinski’s guy) and Ehren Kruger (yikes) — just about resurrects Goose via his now-adult son, Bradley Bradshaw (Teller), call sign “Rooster.” (“Phoenix” would be more apt, but that tag goes to Monica Barbaro, playing the lone woman in this testosterone pool.) The resemblance between Rooster and his late dad is uncanny, courtesy of a goofy moustache, some hair gel and a scene in which the young pilot pounds out “Great Balls of Fire” on the Hard Deck piano, the way Goose once did.

The Hard Deck is now operated by a character from Maverick’s past, Penny Benjamin ( Jennifer Connelly ), although she was only referenced in passing before: In “Top Gun,” Maverick is chewed out by his superior officer for having “a history of high-speed passes over five air control towers — and one admiral’s daughter!” Penny is that daughter: strong, independent and responsible for a daughter of her own (not Maverick’s, and too young to be his love interest). Cruise’s character has matured on the womanizing front, and the movie provides a shallow yet satisfying romantic subplot between him and Penny, which gives him something to come home for, since his daredevil tendencies otherwise give off strong kamikaze vibes.

In theory, Maverick should have graduated Topgun and gone back to teach what he’d learned to other Navy pilots. But after losing his flying partner, the character wound up being more of a loner — or so we learn, catching up with him all these years later, working as a test pilot and stuck at the rank of captain. Following a nostalgia-baiting aircraft carrier landing montage, wherein “Top Gun” theme “Danger Zone” blazes once again, Kosinski tracks Maverick to the Mojave Desert, still living up to his nickname when he takes a multimillion-dollar piece of government equipment — a supersonic, SR-71 Blackbird-style (fictional) Darkstar jet — out for a speed test.

Showing up as none-too-amused Navy brass, Ed Harris arrives just in time to eat a face full of sand as Maverick takes off at rocket speed, gently pushing the plane to Mach 10. (As a point of reference, the F-14s seen in “Top Gun” top out around Mach 2.) It’s a glorious scene, and one that melds everything Maverick once represented with Cruise’s own off-screen personality — which also explains all the self-driven motorcycle rides. The stunt nearly gets Maverick kicked out of the Navy. His only option: Go back to the training academy, where Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer) is now filling Tom Skerritt/Viper’s shoes.

The script incorporates Kilmer’s throat cancer, such that Iceman has just one scene, communicating mostly by keyboard — but it’s a smart one, paying off the way the dynamic between these two ex-rivals has evolved. Considering the importance Goose and Rooster play in this next mission, which involves a near-impossible airstrike on a uranium plant, it would’ve been nice to see Meg Ryan return as the widow/mom, but the rules are cruel when it comes to aging female actors. Meanwhile, we can talk about all the cosmetic ways Cruise and Kilmer’s faces have evolved, although there’s only one change that matters: Cruise has perfected that little jaw-clenching trick that signifies “This is a really tough call.”

He won’t get an Oscar for pantomiming such swallow-your-pride stoicism, though Cruise deserves one for everything else the role demanded of him: If the flying scenes here blow your mind, it’s because a great many of them are the real deal, putting audiences right there in the cockpit alongside a cast who learned to pilot for their parts. The idea here is that Maverick has been grounded, relegated to coaching a dozen top-of-their-class hotshots, though he takes to the skies right away, trumping all of these aces in a series of adrenaline-fueled drills. Not a one of these students is convincing as a Navy pilot, though their personalities win us over all the same (even Glen Powell’s alpha-male “Hangman,” who serves as this movie’s Iceman equivalent), and once can imagine future spinoffs involving any of these characters.

“Top Gun” has always been “The Tom Cruise Show,” and no one believes for a second that Maverick won’t maneuver his way into flying the climactic mission. But he can’t do it alone: The operation calls for perfectly coordinated teamwork among six pilots, recalling the group air battle that bonded Iceman and Maverick in the original movie.

These days, videogame-styled blockbusters rely so heavily on CGI that it’s thrilling to see the impact of gravity on actual human beings, pancaked to their chairs by multiple G-forces. Sophisticated movie magic makes their performances seamless with the exterior airborne shots, while the commitment to filming practically everything practically feels like the cutting-edge equivalent of Howard Hughes’ history-making “Hell’s Angels.” The result is the most immersive flight simulator audiences will have ever experienced, right down to the great Dolby roar of engines vibrating through their seats (while the score teases cues for Lady Gaga’s end-credits anthem “Hold My Hand”).

Early on, Ed Harris’ character warns Maverick and his team that “one day, they won’t need pilots at all,” by which he means, drone technology is not far from allowing the Navy to do all of its flying by remote control. Cinema seems to be moving in that same direction, replacing actors with digital puppets and real locations with greenscreen plates — but not if Tom Cruise has anything to do with it. Engineered to hit so many of the same pleasure points as the original, “Top Gun: Maverick” fulfills our desire to go really fast, really far above ground — what the earlier film unforgettably referred to as “the need for speed.”

Still, this buckle-up follow-up also demonstrates why we feel the need for movie stars. It goes well beyond Cruise’s rah-rah involvement in what amounts to a glorified U.S. military recruitment commercial (the 1986 film might have been as perfectly calibrated as a Swiss watch, but it wasn’t subtle about its GI Joe agenda). It’s the way we identify with the guy when he’s doing what most of us thought impossible. Turns out we need Maverick now more than ever.

Reviewed at AMC Century City 15 (Imax), May 10, 2022. In Cannes Film Festival (Out of Competition). MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 130 MIN.

• Production: A Paramount Pictures release of a Paramount Pictures, Skydance, Jerry Bruckheimer Films presentation of a Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer production. Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison. Executive producers: Tommy Harper, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson.
• Crew: Director: Joseph Kosinski. Screenplay: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie; story: Peter Craig, Justin Marks, based on characters created by Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr. Camera: Claudio Miranda. Editor: Eddie Hamilton. Music: Lorne Balfe, Harold Faltermeyer, Hans Zimmer.
• With: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer.

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“STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” Interview With Steve Martin and Director Morgan Neville – Streaming Now On Apple TV+

Streaming now on APPLE TV+, and by the way one of the best services you can rent each month as they have the fantastic MASTERS OF THE AIR, FOR ALL MANKIND, MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS, the Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner CODA, is “STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” 

Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment and the doc dives into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. “Then” chronicles Steve Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. “Now” focuses on the present day, with Steve Martin in the golden years of his career, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.

STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces is streaming now HERE .

Martin has starred in such films as The Jerk (1979), Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983), All of Me (1984), Three Amigos (1986), Roxanne (1987), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Parenthood (1989), Father of the Bride (1991), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), and The Pink Panther (2006). Martin has also hosted Saturday Night Live 16 times.

Check out the interview between Steve Martin and Director Morgan Neville.

Watch as Steve Martin and Martin Short roast each other.

Hailing from A24 and Tremolo Productions, the two-part documentary is directed and produced by Academy Award® winner Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”). 

Huge passion for film scores, lives for the Academy Awards, loves movie trailers. That is all.

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Famous People & Celebrities with High IQs

by IQTest | Feb 26, 2020 | IQ Test

Want to see how you stack up? Take our free quick IQ test ! View our other list of famous IQ scores to search for other celebrities and people throughout history.

If you’d like to skip ahead to some of the more noteworthy celebrity IQ scores, feel free to use these quicklinks:

• Kobe Bryant IQ
• Lady Gaga IQ
• James Woods IQ
• Ted Bundy IQ
• Dolph Lundgren IQ

Ashton Kutcher

Jodie Foster

This actress is known for such iconic films as Silence of the Lambs and Taxi Driver. And while Jodie Foster is a fantastic actress, she is also highly intelligent, with an IQ of 132. She graduated from her prep school as Valedictorian and attended Yale University after graduation. She has a bachelor’s degree in Literature and she is an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.

Kobe Bryant

The former basketball great was a man of many talents. He skipped college to begin his professional basketball career in the NBA but was also regarded as an extremely intelligent player and a savvy businessman in his post-basketball life. His IQ was reported to be 114.

James Woods

Well known for his work on the big and small screen, not many people know that James Woods began in the theater, making his first Broadway appearance back in 1970. Woods has used his brain power over the years to become an accomplished poker player and a part time political pundit. James Woods IQ has been reported online as 180.

One of the most notorious serial killers in American history, Bundy admitted to 30 murders throughout the course of his “career”. His case captivated the country, and tragically, he escaped twice and was able to commit more crimes and murders. While undoubtedly a sociopath, Ted Bundy’s IQ was reported to be 124.

Few people have impacted technology the way that Steve Jobs was able to with Apple. The technology superpower he started with Steve Wozniak grew into one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world. Not bad for someone who dropped out of college during his first year. Steve Jobs’ IQ has has been reported to be 160.

More than just good looks, Ashton Kutcher transitioned from modeling, to television to social activist. He leveraged the fame gained during his starring role on That 70’s Show to launch a successful movie career and fight for the rights of children around the globe. Ashton Kutcher’s IQ has been reported to be 160.

Nicole Kidman

Another actress who possesses a high IQ is Nicole Kidman. She has performed in films such as Moulin Rouge and The Others. Ms. Kidman has an IQ of 132.

Madonna is a household name when it comes to pop music, but one thing that may not be so known about her is just how intelligent she really is. Madonna possesses an IQ of 140.

Shakira is another famous individual who claims her fame from performing in the musical arts. She is also a celebrity possessing a high IQ, at 140. Shakira has not only successfully opened a school in her hometown, located in the country of Columbia, she has been honored as a guest speaker at the fabulous University of Oxford. Previous individuals given this honor include Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein , and Dalai Lama XIV.

Steve Martin

This famous individual is known for his work as a funny man in Saturday Night Live, and various films released during the 1980s and 1990s. Mr. Martin is also a highly intelligent individual, with an IQ of 142. He attended California State University and majored in the subject of Philosophy. He even considered becoming a professor for some time.

Stephen Hawking

Another famous individual who possessed a high IQ (unfortunately, he is deceased) was Stephen Hawking. He created such works as A Brief History of Time and The Theory of Everything. He had an IQ of 160.

Dolph Lundgren

Known for playing Ivan Drago, Mr. Lundgren is a celebrity with a very high IQ indeed, reported to be 160. He possessed a master’s degree in chemical engineering, which he received in the country of Sweden.

Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino is the name behind such works as Pulp Fiction and Django: Unchained. He is a director and writer who claims a high IQ – 160. He did not finish high school but went on to write some of the best scripts (arguably) of all time.

We know many names in the entertainment industry for the works they have produced, written, or had a part in creating. But that does not mean that there are not some highly intelligent individuals who have become household names. Some honorable mentions when it comes to celebrities with high IQs are Paul Allen, James Woods, and Reggie Jackson.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, tom cruise: color him bankable.

"For years, all I had were a bed, a desk and a chair," Tom Cruise said. "When I was making a movie, they put me in hotel rooms. Between jobs, I moved back into my apartment, and my lifestyle dropped considerably."

Cruise was not talking about decades of struggle and poverty here. He is only 24, and his years in the room with the chair and the desk began when he was 18 -- when he moved to New York and started looking for work as an actor. New York is filled with young actors sitting on their beds and staring at their chairs and dreaming of the big time, but for Cruise, it happened quickly. He got a day's work on " Endless Love " the 1981 teenage romance film starring Brooke Shields . Then he played the crazy kid in " Taps ," opposite two other newcomers, Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton . Then he was steered into a horny teenager movie called "Losing It," but after that came 1983's " Risky Business " and then " Top Gun ," which probably will be the box-office champion of 1986. Now here he is, 24 years old, co-starring with Paul Newman in Martin Scorsese 's " The Color of Money ." To Hollywood's money men, no other young actor is more bankable than Tom Cruise.

"It's a strange thing, being handed so much power, to do whatever you want to do," he said, clasping his hands together and looking at the floor. "I'm offered a lot of movies, but I haven't worked in six or seven months, because I want to sit back and evaluate where I want to go next. My point of view and my values haven't changed. Everybody wants to push and pull me, but I refuse to change my lifestyle."

One day you were eating grilled cheese sandwiches, and the next day you became a famous movie star?

"Don't get me wrong. I want to be in this position. But I get inundated with so much information. I spend the day weeding through it. Charities, benefits, job offers, requests. And I don't want a huge company in front of me. I trust the people who work for me, and I spend time with them, and I want to hear their ideas and keep in touch. A lot of the challenge for me right now is simply to get my life together."

For Cruise, " Risky Business " was the breakthrough, a sensational debut in which he was all over the screen as a guilt-ridden, likable kid who got in lots of trouble. But " Top Gun " put him over the top, using sensational special effects and aerial sequences to tell the story of Navy F-14 pilots fighting to be the best. Cruise played the rash, talented young pilot nicknamed " Maverick " who not only had to prove himself, but vindicate the memory of his father. " Top Gun " has made Cruise the top box-office star of the year, and it's Hollywood folklore that with a hit that big, an actor can write his own ticket for a few years.

Even before " Top Gun " was released, however, Cruise was at work in " The Color of Money ," sort of a sequel to the 1961 movie " The Hustler ." In " The Color of Money ," Cruise plays a kid named Vincent Lauria, who is a brilliant pool player but a complete flake. Paul Newman reprises the role of "Fast Eddie" Felson - who, 25 years ago in " The Hustler ," was as hot as Vince is today.

The director of " The Color of Money " is Martin Scorsese, who knows pool halls; he staged a sudden, violent pool hall fight scene in his 1973 film " Mean Streets ." The director provides Vince with another Scorsese trademark, a punishing streak of jealousy. Like the Robert De Niro character in " Raging Bull ," Cruise is insecure about his hold on a sexy girlfriend ( Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ), and Newman uses that insecurity as a way to manipulate him.

As an actor, Cruise has the qualities to walk the line between leading man and insecure kid. For this interview, he came dressed right out of " Top Gun ": cowboy boots, jeans and a brown leather bomber jacket. His hair is short, dark and preppy, and his face is interesting because when he smiles he has a wide-open, almost goofy sincerity. When serious, he can look so intense that you almost suspect the smile is a mask -- that his life has not been as sunny as it seems.

Cruise said he had a lonely childhood, and perhaps his acting is inspired by whatever resources he found to draw on during those years; maybe that's why he suggests greater depth than your average young movie actor. He was born in Syracuse, N.Y., the only boy among four children, and his parents divorced when he was young. Memories of these years were divulged reluctantly. "We stayed with my mother, and she moved around a lot. I went to five different high schools. Thirteen different schools in all. Growing up was . . ." Cruise paused. "I wouldn't go back to those years for anything. Life was always from one extreme to the next. I never really had any friends. I spent most of my time alone, doing different things, especially little plays and skits.

"In high school, I discovered drama. I was a singer, a solo tenor, and I was in glee clubs and choirs, and a teacher suggested I try out for a high school production of 'Guys and Dolls.' I got the role of Nathan Detroit. And onstage, working, playing the role, I felt just really happy. At last I was working in something I understood. See, school for me was really difficult because of my problems with reading. I was dyslexic. Finally, on the stage, I felt I had something I felt good about.

"So, I'd saved up a little money from various jobs, and I had no particular plans for college. I was thinking of spending the money for a trip to Europe. But after I finished appearing in the play, I told my folks, 'I'm going to New York to study to be an actor. I want to see how it goes.' "

And he did, taking the ancient and traditional route, living in poverty, working at odd jobs, attending acting classes, going to auditions.

"My first movie was a hell of an experience," Cruise said with a frown. "I got one day's work on ' Endless Love ,' and the director was always grabbing my chest. I wondered, what's going on around here? He did it a couple of times, and I walked away. It was all pretty strange. I was so naive, I didn't understand.

"Then I did ' Taps ,' which was a good experience, and then my agents at the time wanted me to do 'Losing It,' which was a teenage sex film. I felt uncomfortable with the subject matter, but the agents said, 'Do it, do it -- it's good for your career.' As it turned out, it was, because I learned a lot of things, including what kinds of movies to avoid."

In the meantime, Cruise said, he had told director Francis Coppola that he wanted to work for him and would take any role -- it didn't matter. Coppola invited him to workshops and rehearsals for the movie " Rumble Fish ," which starred Matt Dillon , Vincent Spano and Mickey Rourke , but then Cruise was offered the lead in " Risky Business ," and took it. That was probably the turning point in his career.

"A lot of people thought I was crazy to walk away from a Coppola movie to take what looked like another teenage sex comedy," Cruise said, "but I read the script and it was so well-written. So I took a chance."

Then came the sincere but unsuccessful youth movie " All the Right Moves ," with Cruise as a small-town Pennsylvania kid who depends on high-school football as his ticket out of town. "The thing I remember about that one," he said, "was the studio's insisting we put in a love scene, no matter whether it had anything to do with the story or not. It seemed so stupid and out of place."

Although " Risky Business " was his only really big box-office winner, Cruise was clearly in the top ranks of young Hollywood stars. " Top Gun " pushed him over the top. "It was the first time I'd played a character who was larger than life," he said, "and it was the first movie where I'd been involved from the early planning stages. Also, I was playing a slightly older character for a change - somebody about my age."

I told him the film had fallen into two parts for me. I liked all of the aerial sequences, with Cruise as the hot, young F-14 pilot, but the scenes on the ground -- especially his love affair with a flight instructor ( Kelly McGillis ) -- didn't seem convincing.

"Yeah. We had some problems there," he said. "Kelly is a fantastic actress. It wasn't her fault. I just remember scenes like the dinner scene we had together. It just never worked. Our relationship didn't have the dimension the other relationships in the movie had. The script wasn't right from the beginning. It was hard to make people believe a sexy woman like that would, first of all, be a flight instructor, and, second, be interested in a kid like me. It never really felt like a love story."

Was this another case of trying to force a romantic situation where none was really necessary?

But audiences didn't hold the romance against " Top Gun ," which has earned more than $150 million at the box office. Now here comes " The Color of Money ," with the dynamic teaming of Paul Newman and Cruise. The movie is not, strictly speaking, a sequel, but simply another chapter in Felson's lifelong obsession with pool. The story was clearly Paul Newman's home turf. I asked Cruise how they got along, and whether Newman made things easy for him.

"He didn't go out of his way to make me feel comfortable, or uncomfortable," Cruise said carefully. "He is who he is. I was nervous when I went to make the movie - I'm always nervous at the beginning of anything new - and here was Paul Newman, and I'd seen all of his movies, and you think about the characters he's played - not only the strong and good ones, but also the movies like 'Slap Shot' and ' The Verdict ,' with the grungy characters, foul-mouthed and drunk. He's got such a wide range. And when you meet him, he's intelligent, dignified, very elegant. He could have easily intimidated me. But he put me at ease. What he's most concerned about is his rapport with the audience. He wants the audience to connect with him."

So there wasn't any shop talk between the young actor and the great old veteran?

"With acting, there are no tricks of the trade. That's what I think. You learn the basics of creating the character, and you do the best you can. He never said, 'This is how I do things.' He never pulled the wise old guy routine."

So how did you create the character?

"I didn't want Vince to come over as an arrogant young hot-shot. There is always a kind of arrogance in youth, of course, and here's this kid who knows how good he can play pool. His weak point is the woman, the woman of all women for him, and she was the controlling element in his life that he needed.

"Scorsese talked with me about the woman: 'She's those girls at the soda shop when I was growing up, tough girls who hung out and really weren't so tough after all.' For this character I play, apart from pool, his contact with reality is 'The A-Team' and ' Star Wars .' He works in a toy store, and here is this incredible woman he is so possessive about. That vulnerability is what keeps him from being too arrogant."

In " The Hustler ," Willie Mosconi did a lot of the shots, but in " The Color of Money " no shots are faked, and the audience can see that you and Newman are really hitting the balls yourself.

"Actually, Newman made his own shots in ' The Hustler ,' too," Cruise said. "I think there was only one shot by Mosconi. For this movie, I spent months learning to shoot pool. Mike Siegel, the world straight pool champion, was my coach. There is one scene where the camera goes in a 360-degree circle without a single cut, and I have to clean off the whole table. We shot it 18 times."

Until you finally got it right?

Cruise laughed. "I cleared the table 17 out of 18 times. It was just a case of getting everything lined up at once - the table, the camera, the placement of the camera. You couldn't plan it all in advance, because if one shot was a half-inch off, it changed the next shot."

Have you ever hustled pool for money?

"Once. We shot the movie in Chicago, and I went to the Blues Bar. I won $1.50. I was pretty proud of myself."

And now you have " Top Gun " and " The Color of Money " in the theaters. And you're still living with a bed and a desk and a chair?

"I've moved into a new apartment and I'm remodeling it. And it's a funny thing, the movies. The contractor was there yesterday with his young son, and I was showing him some models of the F-14 fighter, because he'd seen the movie and he really liked it. And the contractor told me that after they went home, the kid said he'd really like to meet that Maverick guy. And the contractor said, 'That was him -- that was Tom Cruise. He was the guy who played Maverick.'

"And the kid said, 'Naw, Dad. Maverick's cool.' "

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Who Lives on Captiva Island?

Wonder who lives on Captiva Island? You’ll find that the answer to the question varies depending on the time of the year. Typically, there are a humble number of people populating Captiva Island to the tune of 175 souls. But, when peak season rolls around, how that number swiftly rises to a whopping 20,000 people. Among the inflated seasonal number of people, you may come across a few very familiar faces from your favorite bands, movies, and other well-known people.

Just who lives on Captiva Island? Multiple celebrities call Captiva home, ranging from actors to musicians and business executives. Celebrities like TV newsman Ted Koppel, and “America’s Dad” Tom Hanks, are among a few well-known faces who are celebrity neighbors on Captiva Island. Even if their typical stay on the island amounts to the equivalent of one or two weeks in their vacation home.

While those are just a few names, there are many more. Keep reading to learn more about the known faces of Captiva Island.

Do Any Celebrities Live on Captiva or Sanibel Island?

Absolutely. Several celebrities live on Sanibel and Captiva Islands . A few of those that you may recognize immediately include:

Stephen King

The famed novelist and master of horror stories recently acquired a sprawling Lee County waterfront home to the tune of 8.9 million. Known for his cult classics such as Kujo and the hair-raising clown, IT, King’s mansion sits on 3 acres of land. It boasts picturesque views of the Gulf of Mexico. Can you imagine a new book, filled with horror up against such a fantastic backdrop?

Steve Martin

This classic funny man, known for hilarious comedies such as Bringing Down the House with co-start Queen Latifah, Father of the Bride, and Cheaper By the Dozen, may dominate the screen showcasing how all falls apart to one extent or another in his on-screen homes.

NBA Legend Larry Bird

Larry Bird is known for his basketball legacy, boasting the record of being the only athlete to win MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the year. So it’s no surprise that when he purchased his initial home on Captiva in 1993, he decided to demolish it and build his nearly 6,000 sq. ft. custom waterfront mansion overlooking Venetian Bay. He had his eyes set on bigger and grander things.

Tom Cruise’s Mother

Having the bird’s-eye view as Tom Cruise’s neighbor is something that nearly everyone would love to experience. While he does not personally have a residence on Captiva island, rumor has it that it was a frequent spot he visited because his mother lived there. The Mission Impossible actor as well enjoyed the beautiful sands of Sanibel for vacation getaways. Christopher Walken is a fellow actor who has parents living on the island.

Willard Scott

Before his passing, NBC Weatherman Willard Scott and his larger-than-life personality (creator of Ronald McDonald and voice behind ‘America’s favorite Clown,’ Bozo) had first views of the best weather conditions from his lakefront resort-style home. He credited his love for the island to his first visit in 1972.

What Celebrities Live in Southwest Florida?

Of course, the rich and famous are just like us. They have favorite supermarkets and clothing stores. They also enjoy a day out on the beach with family or simply curling up in a nice corner and reading a good book with a steaming cup of tea.

Until recently, when vacationing in Naples, you might have spotted Fox News’ Sean Hannity. His high-rise penthouse overlook had bird-eye views of the tropical-like views if you missed him out and about. It was perfect for his at-home broadcasts.

However, there are still an overwhelming number of celebrities who call southwest Florida home, including Aerosmith guitarist, Joe Perry . Joe Perry is the founding member and lead guitarist of the group. Perry was a nearby resident of the late NBC weatherman, Willard Scott.

Perhaps the area is where the musical juice really gets flowing—Rickey Medlocke, lead guitarist of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd; John Mooney, blues guitarist; and AC/DC guitarist Cliff Williams each have a residence in the Fort Myers area.

Were Any Movies Filmed on Captiva Island?

Setting and scenery make all the difference and North Captiva and surrounding areas of Southwest Florida have plenty of both. So, it’s no surprise that so many films are filmed in the area.

A few movies that you may have seen or thought of adding to your ‘films to watch list’ include:

Sweet Home Alabama

There’s nothing like a good tale chronicling a woman’s reinvention. Sweet Home Alabama unfolds as Reese Weatherspoon does just that. This 2002 Romantic Comedy was filmed on Captiva Island.

Donnie Brasco

Johnny Depp and Al Pacino outdid themselves in the mob drama which premiered right before the turn of the century. As the two of them maneuvered the gritty scenes of their world, there were many scenes that may be recognizable as areas of Captiva Island.

The Bodyguard

Possibly one of the most iconic films to ever be filmed in the area is The Bodyguard. The film chronicles the story of a former secret service bodyguard and an R&B singer. The beautiful scenes of Captiva in the early ’90s are still as prevalent today.

Great Expectations

There’s something about getting caught up in arts along with the pursuit of love. Charles Dickens got it and when the 1998 creatively influenced film Great Expectations made it to the screen, choosing to set the scene in Captiva was a great idea.

Gone Fishin’

Filled with great laughs at the turn of every half hour, this crime-centered comedy following Danny Glover and Joe Pesci is a classic. It’s also another great film among the ranks of iconic films that were shot along the beautiful shores of Southwest Florida.

Who Else Lives on Captiva Island?

While the islands of Captiva, Sanibel, and other Southwest Florida areas are populated with numerous celebs, some people live there daily and go about what is considered a typical life. Instead, they simply enjoy the scenery and revel in the beautiful location.

According to the most census count, the population of Captiva Island was 175 with a median property growth of $778,800.

The breakdown of the demographics identifies as 49.1% non-Hispanic whites, 29.1%African Americans, or non-Hispanic and the remaining 21.7% consists of those of Hispanic

Captiva has a large population of foreign-born citizens, predominantly born in Cuba, with a median age of 36. As for individuals native to the island, the median age is 65. Other foreign natives accounted for on the island rounds up from Haiti and Colombia.

Make Captiva Island Home This Season

You don’t have to be a celebrity or movie star to call Captiva Island home this season. Royal Shell Vacations has everything you need to make the most of your time on Captiva Island.

Whether you’re escaping winter’s cold weather from up north or planning a staycation from another part of Florida during the off-season, Captiva Island is the perfect destination to come home to when you’re ready to relax. With so much pristine nature, breathtaking beaches, gorgeous sunsets, and perfect shelling, you’ll love every moment spent on island time.

Who lives on Captiva Island? You could live on Captiva Island. Reach out to Royal Shell Vacations by calling (866) 202-0723 or browse Captiva Island vacation rentals to find your slice of paradise.

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