Living legend doesn’t even begin to describe Steve Martin’s place in Hollywood lore. The stand-up comic-turned-actor has been entertaining the masses in family-friendly films since the 1970s. It makes you often wonder, “How old is Steve Martin?” because not many nearly 80-year-old actors are still chugging along with so much success. Martin likes to play characters who endure everyday problems, but who are also usually subjected to uncanny or weird circumstances. His ability to go with the flow and overcome the humorous situations in the movies makes his brand of humor relatable yet unique.
While Steve Martin hasn’t been as active in the 2010s and 2020s, his renaissance for the masses has come with Hulu’s mystery series Only Murders in the Building. Steve Martin and Martin Short are joined by Selena Gomez for murder-mystery fun and intrigue, and the series has three seasons on the streamer. Let’s see where it ranks amongst the 10 best Steve Martin movies and TV shows of all time.
11. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
10. The Pink Panther (2006)
9. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
8. The Jerk (1979)
7. The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
6. Father of the Bride (1991)
5. Only Murders in the Building (2021)
4. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
3. Roxanne (1987)
2. All of Me (1984)
Fantasy is perhaps the best genre to bring the most comedic ideas to audiences around the world. Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin do an impeccable job of joining forces in one body, quite literally, when Tomlin’s character tries to have her soul put into another woman after her death. Martin is masterful at drawing the most possible laughs out of every unrealistic, fantastical situation.
1. Parenthood (1989)
Steve Martin yet again plays a father who is struggling to parent his children in the way he deems acceptable, blaming his kids for the lack of perfection he desires. Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix make early-career appearances in this comedic classic. Families of any age should be able to find at least one storyline or character in this film that they relate to.
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