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Steve Martin
| Biography |
It's near impossible to think of a more talented character in Hollywood than Steve Martin. He's excelled in so many disciplines it's almost absurd. He's won an Emmy as a comedy writer: as a stand-up he drew crowds of over 20,000: his comedy albums sold millions: he had a million-selling disco single: he's written best-selling books and successful plays: he's penned hit screenplays and starred in many of the most memorable comedies of the last twenty years. The Jerk, All Of Me, The Man With Two Brains, Parenthood, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Roxanne and Planes, Trains And Automobiles - just some of the fabulous films that relied near-entirely up his extraordinary abilities. It's been a long and fascinating journey.
He was born Stephen Glenn Martin on the 14th of August, 1945, in Waco, Texas. When he was 5, the family (of English/Irish/Scottish descent) moved to Inglewood, California, where his father, Glenn, an aspiring actor, performed at the local playhouse, and sold real estate. His mother, Mary Lee, looked after the kids. It was in Inglewood that young Steve became interested in magic, buying books, learning tricks and performing them for his parents. It would serve him very well later. So would his gift for comedy. Watching the likes of the Red Skelton Show, Steve would learn the skits, then perform them for the kids at school next day.
After another 5 years, the family moved on to Garden Grove, near Anaheim. It was 1955 and, vitally, the year Disneyland opened nearby. From the age of 10 till 18, Steve would work there after school, at weekends and during the summers. First he sold guide-books at the gate, dressed in a straw boater and bow-tie. He'd take 2 cents per book sold, with the norm being 50 books a day. But, quickly learning the relentless cheeriness necessary (something else that would serve him well later), Steve far outdid the norm. One day he sold 625.
Then there was Wally Boag. Wally was an old vaudevillian entertainer plying his trade at Disneyland, telling (clean) jokes and making balloon animals. Steve watched his act every day, committing it all to memory.
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