LIFE of LAUGHTER
An intimate profile of comedian and actor Steve Martin
Not many comedians or actors have won a new generation of young fans when they are in their 70s – but veteran Hollywood star Steve Martin has done just that with smash-hit series Only Murders in the Building.
The acclaimed mystery comedy, which stars Martin as a crime-solving New Yorker, is just the latest chapter in a glittering career that includes roles in 1980s movies such as Planes, Trains and Automobiles and ¡Three Amigos!.
Now, a new documentary on Apple TV+ looks back at Martin’s lifetime of laughter in a candid two-part profile made by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville and featuring contributions from Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld and Eric Idle, plus his Only Murders co-stars Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
STAND-UP SENSATION
The first episode, narrated in large part by Martin himself, uses archive footage to follow his rise to stand-up stardom, as he developed a style of manic, angst-ridden humour that moved away from punchlines. ‘I thought, “What if I just kept going so the audience picked their own place to laugh?”’ says Martin.
It covers his time on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, and a moment when he wins the approval of Elvis Presley during a stint in Las Vegas – only for Martin to eventually turn his back on his unique style of comedy in his 30s. ‘The act was conceptual. Once the concept was understood, there was no more to develop,’ he admits.
Meanwhile, the second episode is an intimate portrait of the comedian as he is now, aged 78. ‘We allowed the two films to grow organically in their own way,’ explains director Neville. ‘What it grew into was two different films that work together.’
The Martin of today is far removed from the ‘wild and crazy guy’ of the 1970s. He’s an art collector, writes plays and music, and has been working with cartoonist Harry Bliss to chronicle his movie career in comic-strip form. Neville uses the metaphor of a tree to describe his subject’s hugely varied career.
‘The tree trunk represents the singularly driven performer of the first part of Steve’s life,’ he says. ‘Then suddenly there’s a moment where the branches go everywhere.’