Steve Martin was born on August 14, 1945, in Waco, Texas, to Mary Lee and Glenn Vernon Martin, a real estate salesman and aspiring actor. He grew up in Inglewood and Garden Grove, California, and developed an interest in magic, juggling, and balloon animals while working at the Magic shop of Disney's Fantasyland.
Martin attended Santa Ana College, where he took drama and English poetry classes, and later transferred to California State University as a philosophy major before switching to UCLA as a theatre major. He began his writing career on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, winning an Emmy Award, and went on to write for other shows, including The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.
Martin's stand-up comedy career took off in the 1970s, with appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Saturday Night Live. He released his first comedy album, "Let's Get Small," in 1977, which sold over a million copies and won a Grammy Award. He continued to release successful albums, including "A Wild and Crazy Guy" and "The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo."
Martin's film career began in the 1970s, with roles in "The Absent-Minded Waiter" and "The Jerk." He went on to star in a number of successful films, including "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," "The Man with Two Brains," and "All of Me." He also appeared in dramatic roles in films like "Pennies from Heaven" and "Grand Canyon."
In the 1990s, Martin continued to play a wide range of roles, including dramatic turns in "Leap of Faith" and "The Spanish Prisoner," as well as comedic roles in "HouseSitter" and "Bowfinger." He has continued to act in films throughout his career, including "Bringing Down the House," "Cheaper by the Dozen," and "The Pink Panther."
Martin has also been a prolific writer, publishing a memoir, "Born Standing Up," and a novel, "An Object of Beauty." He has also written for The New Yorker and has been an avid art collector since 1968.
In his personal life, Martin has been married to Anne Stringfield since 2007 and has a daughter with her.
