Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and musician. Since the 1980s, having branched away from comedy, Martin has become a successful actor, as well as an author, playwright, pianist, and banjo player, eventually earning him an Emmy, Grammy, and American Comedy awards, among other honors.
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I've always believed that there are funny people everywhere but they're just not comedians. In fact some of my best comedic inspirations were not professional entertainers.
I think I meant that given the circumstances of my childhood I had the illusion that it's easier to be alone. To have your relationships be casual and also to pose as a solitary person because it was more romantic. You know I was raised on the idea of the ramblin' man and the loner.
I wish I could do a lot of things different. I'm not going to tell you what they are but if I had a list of all my films right now I'd go 'Okay I'll cross that one out and cross that one out and cross that one out and cross that one out.' Really. But I've made over 40 films. How can I not have some losers in there?
I cringe at backstory. Because it never quite explains or gets into some psychological thing that is never quite right and never quite the truth and who knows why someone is some way.
I knew I could only play Cyrano if he were Americanized. I had no intention of writing the script myself. I was afraid of it. You're playing with fire when you tamper with a classic. So I went looking for a writer. But it was such a personal idea and anyone I would give it to would make it his own. It's hard to ask Neil Simon to write your idea.
In my banjo show with the Steep Canyon Rangers I do do comedy during that show. It'd be absurd just to stand there mute and play 25 banjo songs.
Movies always are open to being remade because times change so much and the tempo of movies changes. I think of it like a James Bond. They can have different actors play the same role... I've had people come up to me and say 'We want to remake 'The Jerk' with so and so.' And I say 'Fine.' It just doesn't bother me. It's an honor actually.
I believe entertainment can aspire to be art and can become art but if you set out to make art you're an idiot.
I actually credit Twitter with fine-tuning some joke-writing skills. I still feel like I'm working at it.
Throughout my whole life as a performer I've never played with a band. I've always played alone so I was never required to stay in rhythm or anything. So it was a real different experience for me to start playing with a band. There were so many basic things for me to learn.
I was raised with 'Laurel and Hardy' and 'I Love Lucy' and Jerry Lewis and I just loved it. And I had a friend in high school and we would just laugh all day and put on skits. You know it's the Andy Kaufman thing or the Marty Short thing where you're performing in your bedroom for yourself.