Steve Martin started his comedic acting career in the 1970s and built a massive library of comedies. While he quit acting around 2009, Martin returned in 2021 for a new streaming series on Hulu he helped write titled Only Murders in the Building. The series reminded older fans of how funny and good of an actor Martin is.
Over his career, Martin has starred in biting satires, slapstick comedies, family movies, and even some quality dramas. A chameleon in front of the camera, he has created some of the most iconic characters in comedy movie history. From madcap detectives and frustrated fathers to clueless losers, Martin has some memorable characters that will live on forever.
Charles-Haden Savage: Only Murders In The Building (2021)
Steve Martin came out of retirement in 2021 for a streaming series that he helped write titled Only Murders in the Building. The show stars Martin and Martin Short as an actor and director who are obsessed with true crime podcasts and decide to try and solve a murder in their apartment building.
Martin's Charles-Haden Savage is an actor who hasn't had success in years and has shut himself off from the world after his wife left him. Martin is one of the best characters in Only Murders in the Building, and he imbues Charles with sadness, showing a man dealing with anxiety issues who finds his joy in trying to solve a murder, of all things.
Gil Buckman: Parenthood (1989)
In 1989, Steve Martin took a role in a family comedy with Ron Howard's Parenthood. In the movie, Martin stars as Gil Buckman, a father of three kids with one more on the way. The movie follows Gil's attempts to juggle his work life with his family.
The cast of Parenthood is full of great talent, with Mary Steenburgen, Keanu Reeves, and Jason Robards, but Martin made Gil stand out as a man who never has time for himself and fears he is failing as a dad. It is a great Martin performance as a man with anxiety issues just trying to be a better man.
C.D. Bales: Roxanne (1987)
Roxanne was the 1987 remake of Cyrano De Bergerac, where Steve Martin played a long-nosed fireman named C.D. Bales. In the movie, C.D. tries to help his coworker woo their love interest, Rosanne, but he ends up falling in love with the woman himself.
Martin gives Bales a loveable quality, and it is impossible to watch Roxanne and not want to see him succeed and find happiness in his life. Martin seamlessly moves between sweet and serious in the role and it shows his well-rounded skills as an actor.
Tom Baker: Cheaper By The Dozen (2003)
Steve Martin appeared in a pair of Cheaper By the Dozen movies as Tom Baker, the father of 12 kids, and the movie itself was a remake of a 1950 movie of the same name. There are a lot of characters in the movie, with 12 kids and the parents, but Martin stands out as Tom.
He is a father who struggles to maintain his work-life balance, as he works as a football coach and has to be a father at the same time. The Cheaper By the Dozen sequel pushes Martin into a more slapstick role, as he competes to win over a rival dad in Eugene Levy's Jimmy.
George Banks: Father Of The Bride (1991)
Steve Martin worked in a series of family comedies and one of his most touching was in 1991 with Father of the Bride. In the movie, Martin starred as George Banks, whose daughter (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) was preparing for her wedding.
Martin brought his trademark frustration to the role of George, who wanted to see his daughter happy but wasn't ready yet to let go. He also had the chance to work with his old friend Martin Short, who appeared as the wedding planner.
Harris K. Telemacher: L.A. Story (1991)
Steve Martin starred in L.A. Story in 1991, a movie he also wrote. Martin is Harris K. Telemacher, a TV weatherman who falls for a British journalist, despite being stuck in a relationship with a social climber. However, he then starts to get advice from a magical traffic sign on the freeway.
Martin went all-in on the character of Telemacher, a weatherman who was wacky in his delivery of the news. However, he was able to take the craziness of his character and level it out with a man who is lost and in a loveless relationship. It is one of the more nuanced performances of Martin's career.
Neal Page: Planes, Trains, And Automobiles (1987)
In Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Steve Martin plays the straight man to great effect. Martin is Neal Page, a very uptight executive who just wants to get back home to his family in time for Thanksgiving. However, when his plane is delayed, he agrees to ride with a stranger (John Candy).
The interaction between Martin and Candy is what carries this movie to great heights. Martin embued frustration and defiance into a character that eventually came around in the end, and it remains one of his best performances.
Lucky Day: The Three Amigos (1986)
Steve Martin teamed up with Martin Short and Chevy Chase for the 1986 comedy Three Amigos. The movie is one of the best Western comedies, telling the story of three actors who head to Mexico to give a live performance of their popular movie personas. However, the people there believe they are the real deal.
Martin stars as Lucky Day and his chemistry with both Chase and Short is on display here. This role gave him a chance to be as ridiculous as possible, and he delivered a great performance as a clueless actor turned hero.
Navin R. Johnson: The Jerk (1979)
The movie that made Steve Martin a star and one of his best was the 1979 comedy, The Jerk. In this movie, Martin stars as Navin R. Johnson, a clueless man adopted and raised by Black sharecroppers. However, he has no idea that he isn't their biological son and sets out to find out who he really is, with hilarious results.
Martin gives a star-turning role as a gullible and innocent man who wants to find somewhere to fit in. Navin is one of Martin's most beloved characters because, while zany and offbeat, he always brings tenderness and compassion to the role.
Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr: The Man With Two Brains (1983)
Steve Martin teamed with comedy mastermind Carl Reiner for the 1983 science fiction comedy spoof, The Man With Two Brains. In the movie, Martin is a neurosurgeon named Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr who has the ability to communicate with a woman's brain trapped in a jar.
This was one of Martin's true masterpiece performances, as he stretches his comedic talents to the breaking point but never goes off the rails. Martin is hilarious and delivers his trademark slapstick while keeping the character grounded enough to deserve a happy ending.