Steve Martin’s 10 Best Movies and TV Shows

Steve Martin’s best movies and TV shows feature some of the most iconic comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, and he remains an in-demand star on television in his later years. Martin started out as a stand-up comedian in the late 1960s and began working in Smothers Brothers Comedy Time as a dancer and writer. Martin then began appearing on talk shows and variety shows with his stand-up show and broke through when he appeared on Saturday night live.

After releasing a few comedy albums, he began to make a name for himself in films. Steve Martin has worked with several big names, including Carl Reiner in The idiot and the cast of Saturday night live on Three friends. These releases turned Martin into a comedy protagonistwhich spanned the 1990s, where he starred in everything from slapstick comedies to family comedies. It’s now getting a second life in the 2020s thanks to its television comeback. Only murders in the building.

10

Three Amigos (1986)

Steve Martin plays the lucky day

In 1986, Saturday night live producer Lorne Michaels co-wrote the parody film Three friendsthat brought Steve Martin along with SNL stars Chevy Chase and Martin Short to star in western comedy. The three play silent film stars who are mistaken for true heroes by the people of a small Mexican village terrorized by bandits. They ask them to help rid their village of bandits and the three unfortunate actors end up fighting for their lives.

The film is full of great one-liners and visual slapstick humor, with all three comedic actors at the top of their game. While there are some moments that don’t hold up as well today, it’s remains one of Martin’s most eccentric and silly comedies. Critics at the time weren’t as enamored, giving it a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score is over 67% fresh. Three friends it has since become a cult favorite.

9

Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)

Steve Martin plays Tom Baker

In 2003, Steve Martin signed on to lead the comedy Cheaper by the dozendirected by Shawn Levy (Deadpool and Wolverine). In the film, Martin plays Tom Baker a college football coach who is also a father of 12 children. When given the opportunity to coach at his alma mater, he forces his family to move, despite most of them not wanting to, and creates friction at home.

However, when his wife gets a book deal and goes on a book tour, he realizes he is not prepared to take care of their large family, and the comedy comes from Martin’s Baker, messing with his head. The film received negative reviews but was a box office success, grossing over $190 million (via Mojo Box Office) and winning a sequel. The cast was also impressive, with Piper Perabo, Tom Welling and Hilary Duff playing three of the older children.

8

Saleswoman (2005)

Steve Martin plays Ray Porter

In 2005, Steve Martin starred in the independent romantic comedy-drama film Winner. Based on the novel Mirabela by Martinho, The story involves a love triangle between a saleswoman named Mirabelle (Claire Danes), a wealthy businessman named Ray (Martin) and an aimless young man named Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman). The film is an interesting look at the difficulties that surround people from different parts of life trying to find love.

Critics were indifferent to the film, giving it just a 61% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although Martin and Danes received praise for their performances. It was also only a minor box office success, remaining mostly a smaller, low-budget release. It also received attention at that year’s Saturn Awards, where Martin, Danes, and Schwartzman received nominations (Martin for screenplay, the other two for acting), as well as a nomination for Best Picture.

7

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Steve Martin plays Orin Scrivello, DDS

Frank Oz (Yoda of Star Wars films) directed the horror comedy musical Little Shop of Horrors, based on the off-Broadway musical of the same name. Rick Moranis was the film’s main star, playing Seymour Krelborn, a man who works at a flower shop in a run-down neighborhood. When the owner threatens to close the store, Seymour brings his personal plant to display and attract customers.

However, this plant (named Audrey II) needs human blood to thrive, creating the horror story when Audrey II starts demanding more blood and the deaths begin. Steve Martin stars as Orin Scrivelloa violent dentist who is also the ex-boyfriend of Seymour’s love interest Audrey. It’s rare to see Martin play a true villain, but that was the case here, and he was fantastic in the role. Critics loved the film, giving it a recent rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it even earned two Oscar nominations.

6

Fatherhood (1989)

Steve Martin plays Gil Buckman

Ron Howard directed Steve Martin in the 1989 family comedy-drama Paternity. The film was based largely on the parental experiences of Howard, screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, and producer Brian Grazer. Martin stars as Gil Buckman, a sales executive who discovers that his three children have emotional and psychological problems and are in need of counseling. As a result, he begins to question his worth as a father. This struggle becomes even more harrowing when his wife becomes pregnant again.

The film was a huge success, both critically and at the box office. The critical score was very high at 92%, with much praise going to the cast led by Steve Martin and critics calling it a funny look at family. It was a huge box office success and earned two Oscar nominations, including one for Dianne Wiest. Steve Martin also received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. Paternity It was eventually revived as a television series, first in 1990 and then in 2010, with the latter lasting six seasons.

5

Father of the Bride (1991)

Steve Martin plays George Banks

In 1991, Steve Martin plays a father who doesn’t know how to react when his daughter announces that she’s getting married. Martin stars as George Banks, while Kimberly Williams stars as his daughter Annie. George narrates the film as a father who is unwilling to accept that anyone is good enough to marry his daughter.and he fights it every step of the way until he finally gives in to accept his daughter’s happiness in the end.

The film was a box office success, while critics praised the humor and cast, giving it a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, which itself was a remake of a 1950 classic starring Spencer Tracy, also received a sequel in 1995 where Annie is pregnant and George is freaking out because he’s about to be a grandfather. Steve Martin returned for the sequel.

4

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Steve Martin plays Neal Page

Planes, trains and automobiles was a 1987 John Hughes film that saw Steve Martin and John Candy team up for a comedy film. In the story, Martin plays Neal, an uptight marketing executive on a business trip who needs to get home in time for Thanksgiving dinner with your family. However, when his flight is diverted, he agrees to return with a man he just met at the airport, Candy’s Del.

The entire film is a mismatched buddy comedy, with Martin playing the straight man to Candy’s over-the-top funnyman. However, it’s also a film that offers a lot of heart, as while Del drove Neal crazy, John Candy was able to give such a sincere performance that it made it difficult not to like him at any point in the film. This Martin release has a high score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and Planes, trains and automobiles remains a beloved holiday classic.

3

Roxana (1987)

Steve Martin plays CD Bales

Roxane is a romantic comedy by Steve Martin based on Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac. Martin is CD Bales, fire chief of a small town popular with locals. However, he is also self-conscious and sensitive because of his very large nose, and the townspeople know not to say anything about it lest he hurt his feelings. Bales then develops a romantic attraction to a young woman who arrives in town named Rosanne. (Daryl Hannah).

Critics praised the film and Martin’s performance as CD, awarding Roxane a recent score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. In fact, Martin received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical. Martin also won a Writer’s Guild of America award for writing the screenplay, cementing how impressive the overall project was.

2

Only Murders in the Building (2021-)

Steve Martin plays Charles Haden-Savage

Steve Martin saw his acting career gain a second life when he signed on for the television series Only murders in the building for Hulu. He teamed up here with Martin Short, with whom he had previously worked on Three friends, Father of the brideand other films, and the result was a huge success. With Selena Gomez as the third protagonist, the three play true crime aficionados who end up trying to solve a murder that takes place in your own building.

The series remains one of Hulu’s most successful streaming shows, with four seasons and a fifth coming up. Each season brings a new murder mystery for the three to solve and features an incredible roster of co-stars, including Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria and many more. The show received 49 Emmy nominations, with Martin receiving nominations for his writing and acting.

1

The Idiot (1979)

Steve Martin plays Navin R. Johnson

The film that made Steve Martin a star arrived in 1979 with The idiot. Directed by Carl Reiner, Martin plays Navin Johnson, a homeless man who tells viewers his life story. He was a child adopted by black sharecroppers in Mississippi and grew up in that atmosphere without having any knowledge of the outside world. When he sets out to find his way in the real world, his birth causes him all kinds of problems along the way.

The entire film is a slapstick comedy, with Navin going from one ridiculous event to another while annoying and alienating everyone he meets thanks to his often unintentional bad behavior. However, he soon finds great success thanks to something he invented, but a class action lawsuit leaves him broke and homeless. The idiot It was a huge commercial and critical success, reaching 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s problematic in areas of today’s society, but it remains a comedy classic and Martin’s best overall performance in a film.