Steve Martin is lauded as one of the most influential stand-up comedians in history. His comedic prowess is so widely recognized that modern stand-ups from all over the scene recognize his influence. From comedians like Bo Burnham who uses his personal demons and theatricality for his comedy to the creator of the internet juggernaut Nerdist, Chris Hardwick, it’s clear Martin’s reach is far and wide. He isn’t just a comedian though. He is a successful playwright and banjo player as well. He funds an endowment for the latter every year. With his vast influence, it has to amount to something substantial economically right?
Steve Martin Net Worth: $130 Million
Turns how a lot of influence can also turn into a lot of income. How did the man who was born standing up amass his fortune?
1945-1967
Steve Martin was born in Waco, Texas on August 14, 1945, but was raised in Inglewood, California with his brother Fred and sister Melinda. His father was a real estate agent and aspiring actor. He was a cheerleader for his high school and his first job was selling guidebooks at Disneyland. While working at Disneyland he would learn basic magic tricks, balloon animals, and juggling. After high school, he would begin attending Santa Anna College and begin performing in comedies on stage and with his first comedy troupe at Knot’s Berry Farms. He would later transfer to California State Universtiy, Long Beach before transferring one more time to UCLA. While in college he used his studies in logic and philosophy to form his comedic style while starting to perform at clubs. Martin would drop out of college in 1967.
1967-1981
Martin received his first writing job on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He would also help on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Sony and Cher Comedy Hour. Martin would go on to win his first ever Emmy for writing in 1969 at the age of 23. He would also make his first TV appearance with The Smothers Brothers in 1968. He would also garner another Emmy nomination for his writing on Van Dyke and Company in 1976.
His work in writing would not slow down his stand-up and performance career though. He would perform stand-up on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Gong Show, and The Muppet Show. What arguably launched his career even further in the 1970’s was his multitude of appearances on the then new, Saturday Night Live. Martin appeared on the show an insane 27 times, guest hosting 15 times. That is second only to Alec Baldwin’s 17 hosting appearances as of February 2017. One of his more famous sketches was his song called “King Tut”. He originally recorded it with members of The Nitty Gritty Band and won a Grammy for the song. He would also write and star in the comedy classic The Jerk in 1979. He decided to step away from stand-up comedy in 1981 to focus on movies.
1981-Present
In the 1980’s Martin would star in a multitude of comedic classics like The Three Amigos, Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Planes Trains and Automobiles with the late John Candy. When the early 90’s rolled around it didn’t seem like Martin was ready to slow down. He would continue to release classics in the form of My Blue Heaven and the Rom-Com staple, Father of the Bride. He would continue that success into the early 2000’s with movies like Cheaper By The Dozen and Bringing Down The House. Martin would begin to slow down his output but still star in both Pink Panther movies and a sequel to Cheaper By The Dozen. Martin would also continue to find success with his writing as well.
Not forgetting his roots Martin would write in all kinds of media. He wrote and starred in the 1999 movie Bowfinger with Eddie Murphy while also starring in 2005’s Shopgirl, a movie based on a novella that Martin himself wrote. Martin would not be held to just the screen, writing his first full length play Picasso at the Lapin Agile in 1993. He would also write multiple pieces for The New Yorker, a pair of novellas, and a memoir entitled Born Standing Up. He appeared on a multitude of albums playing banjo and started The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass to help bring better visibility to the instrument and art
To call Steve Martin a Jack of All Trades is an understatement. This list of accomplishments barely scratches the surface of what the comedian, writer, and musician has accomplished. Needless to say, this is someone who worked incredibly hard for the money he has earned and has affected millions with his art.