Comedian, writer, actor, author, and musician, the multitalented Steve Martin has been making audiences laugh for decades; in 2021, after having spent the last decade touring with his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Martin has returned to acting full force with Only Murders in the Building.
The comedy-mystery set in New York centers around Charles, a washed-up TV star played by Steve Martin; Oliver, a struggling Broadway director played by Martin ShortOnly Murders in the Building.
Created by Steve Martin, along with writer-producer John Hoffman, the show works on multiple levels. Each of the three main characters is missing something in their lives and learning to open up and face their past. Their backstories, along with the presence of other peculiar characters in the building (rock star Sting makes guest appearances in two episodes) keep the guessing in this mystery alive, and the two comedy icons Martin and Short, who have worked together in films and on stage since they became friends on the set of Three Amigos in 1986, dig deep while providing laughs.
The new show is nominated for Golden Globe Best Comedy/Musical TV series, and Martin also received his sixth Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the leading role. Short was also nominated for his first Golden Globe in the same category.
A comic legend, Martin has had a fascinating career. A world-famous movie star, he got his start in showbiz in the 60s while still in college as a staff writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He started working on his stand-up routine in the 70s and became a household name after appearing on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show. Never one to limit himself to the same genre, Martin transitioned from stand-up to acting with his breakout role in the hit movie The JerkPennies from Heaven was his first dramatic performance, one that earned Martin his first Golden Globe nomination. While some of his later projects got mixed reviews, Martin’s comedy style continued to shift and he has won box office success in broad comedies like Father of the Bride, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Parenthood. Martin’s strongest work has generally been material he has written himself, like Roxanne, L.A. Story and the adaptation of his bestselling novel Shopgirl. After acting opposite Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated in 2009, Martin made a conscious decision to cut down on his screen time.
“I travel with Marty Short. We do a live show with our band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, and that’s been the focus of ours,” he told the HFPA in 2016 when he appeared in Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.
Reflecting on his life’s work, Martin says he still enjoys being on stage and performing. “I find the things I write always have a little ‘magic’ in them, a little surrealism. Yes, the joy of being on stage and performing has not left me.”