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Steve Martin

Steve Martin Quotes

Actor

Steve Martin is a renowned American comedian, screenwriter, director, and musician, born on August 14, 1945. He has achieved great success in film, television, and theater, known for his unique sense of humor and acting skills.

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All Funny People Ifs Thinking Knows Comedy Humor Writing Firsts Way

Famous Steve Martin Quotes

“The banjo is truly an American instrument, and it captures something about our past.”

Past Instruments Capture Our Past Banjos

Author:Steve Martin

“What is a movie star? A movie star is many things. They can be tall, short, thin, or skinny. They can be Democrats... or skinny.”

Actors Stars Democrat Movie Tall Movie Star Skinny

Author:Steve Martin

“I wish I could do a lot of things different. I'm not going to tell you what they are, but if I had a list of all my films right now, I'd go, 'Okay, I'll cross that one out and cross that one out and cross that one out and cross that one out.' Really. But I've made over 40 films. How can I not have some losers in there?”

Ifs Made Different Film Wish Right Now Crosses Okay Lists Loser

Author:Steve Martin

“Bad psychoanalysis would say I enjoyed pleasing people, working really hard and pleasing people, which is probably related to my father in some way. But I really liked working hard. When I worked at Disneyland, I'd do 12 hours straight and go home thrilled.”

People Way Hard Home Father Hours Work Enjoyed Related Psychoanalysis Disneyland Working Really Hard Pleasing People

Author:Steve Martin

“I loved to make people laugh in high school, and then I found I loved being on stage in front of people. I'm sure that's some kind of ego trip or a way to overcome shyness. I was very kind of shy and reserved, so there's a way to be on stage and be performing and balance your life out.”

People Way Kind School Found Laughing Stage Fronts Balance Ego High School Overcoming Performing Shy Reserved Making People Laugh Shyness Ego Trip

Author:Steve Martin

“I thought if I had a Twitter feed and say I had a following of a 100,000, that means 100,000 of them would be interested in my book. It was logical, but it didn't turn out to be true. It turned out if I had a Twitter feed of a 100,000, four of them were interested in my book.”

Ifs Mean Book Would Be Turns Four Following Being True Logical

Author:Steve Martin

“When I first started doing my comedy act, I just desperately needed material. So I took literally everything I knew how to do on stage with me, which was juggling, magic and banjo and my little comedy routines. I always felt the audience sorta tolerated the serious musical parts while I was doing my comedy.”

Firsts Littles Felt Audience Comedy Magic Stage Serious Materials Needed Musical Juggling Banjos

Author:Steve Martin

“When I was in college, I was debating to try my hand at show business, or to become a professor. I just thought of the risk of not going into show business and always wondering if I would've had a chance. Because that's where my real heart was.”

Ifs Trying Heart Real Shows Hands Chance Wonder Risk College Professors Show Business Real Heart

Author:Steve Martin

“I cringe at backstory. Because it never quite explains or gets into some psychological thing that is never quite right and never quite the truth and who knows why someone is someway.”

Knows Way Psychological Cringe

Author:Steve Martin

“I feel good about being able to take bluegrass on to television like 'Letterman' and 'The View,' and I've heard nice things about being able to do that. I really haven't felt any negativity toward me or my music.”

Feels Able Felt Views Nice Heard Havens Television Feel Good Negativity Nice Things I Feel Good Bluegrass Letterman

Author:Steve Martin

“Throughout my whole life, as a performer, I've never played with a band. I've always played alone, so I was never required to stay in rhythm or anything. So it was a real different experience for me to start playing with a band. There were so many basic things for me to learn.”

Different Real Whole Band Whole Life Rhythm Performers Different Experiences Basic Things

Author:Steve Martin

“Tweeting is really only good for one thing - it's just good for tweeting... It is rewarding, because it's just its own reward. It's sort of like heaven.”

Heaven One Thing Rewards

Author:Steve Martin

“'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' is a good one because it not only turned out, I think, to be a really funny movie but it was also a delight to shoot. We were in the South of France, working with Glenne Headly and Michael Caine and Frank Oz the director - who were just fun.”

Thinking Funny Actors Fun Directors South Delight France Dirty Movie Frank Rotten Naughty Scoundrels

Author:Steve Martin

“I knew I could only play Cyrano if he were Americanized. I had no intention of writing the script myself. I was afraid of it. You're playing with fire when you tamper with a classic. So I went looking for a writer. But it was such a personal idea, and anyone I would give it to would make it his own. It's hard to ask Neil Simon to write your idea.”

Ifs Giving Writing Ideas Hard Play Asks Fire Intention Scripts Classic Playing With Fire

Author:Steve Martin

“I like all kinds of music. I listen to Abigail Washburn, the Punch Brothers, and Marc Johnson, the great clawhammer player. I also listen a lot to Sirius Radio, there's a lot of bluegrass there.”

Kind Player Brother Radio All Kinds Johnson Sirius Bluegrass Abigail

Author:Steve Martin

“I loved doing 'Pennies from Heaven.' Because you have to understand that I'd been doing comedy for 15 to 20 years, and suddenly along came the opportunity to do this beautiful film. It was so emotional to me. I loved it. I don't think it was a good career move, but I have no regrets about doing it.”

Thinking Years Beautiful Film Moving Opportunity Heaven Careers Comedy Emotional Regret Pennies No Regrets Have No Regrets

Author:Steve Martin

“I was raised with "Laurel and Hardy" and "I Love Lucy" and Jerry Lewis, and I just loved it. And I had a friend in high school and we would just laugh all day and put on skits. You know, it's the Andy Kaufman thing or the Marty Short thing where you're performing in your bedroom for yourself.”

Knows School Laughing High School Raised Performing Bedroom Jerry Lucy Hardy Laurels Marty Skit Laurel And Hardy

Author:Steve Martin

“I was very interested in vaudeville. It was the only sort of discipline that was a five-minute act on stage, which is what I really enjoyed and saw myself doing. And I bought books on it.”

Book Five Saws Minutes Stage Discipline Enjoyed Five Minutes Vaudeville

Author:Steve Martin

“I would get records by Earl Scruggs... I would tune my banjo down and I'd pick out the songs note by note. Learned how to play that way. I persevered. There was a book written by Pete Seeger, who showed you some basic strumming and some basic picking... And I kind of worked out my own style of playing.”

Way Kind Book Play Song My Own Records Written Style Picks Down And Notes Tunes Banjos My Own Style Strumming

Author:Steve Martin

“I'm enamored with the art world. Anytime you look at anything that's considered artistic, there's a commercial world around it: the ballet, opera, any kind of music. It can't exist without it.”

World Looks Kind Art Artistic Ballet Opera Art World Enamored

Author:Steve Martin

“I've always believed that there are funny people everywhere, but they're just not comedians. In fact, some of my best comedic inspirations were not professional entertainers.”

People Facts Inspiration Funny Comedian Entertainers Comedic Funny People

Author:Steve Martin

“Movies always are open to being remade because times change so much, and the tempo of movies changes. I think of it like a James Bond. They can have different actors play the same role... I've had people come up to me and say, 'We want to remake 'The Jerk' with so and so.' And I say, 'Fine.' It just doesn't bother me. It's an honor actually.”

People Thinking Want Different Play Actors Roles Fine Honor Come Up Bother Jerk Tempo Remakes

Author:Steve Martin

“No matter how many times people say it - 'Oh, I'm just writing this for myself' 'Oh, I'm just doing this for myself' - nobody's doing it for themselves! You're doing it for an audience. So whether I'm performing or writing a book or playing music, it's definitely to be put out there and to be received in some way, definitely.”

People Way Writing Book Matter Audience Performing Writing A Book Playing Music

Author:Steve Martin

“The bluegrass community... can be very strict. I didn't know if I'd be welcomed into the bluegrass community or not, but I think they judge you very fairly... I felt really welcome.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Felt Community Judging Welcome Strict Bluegrass

Author:Steve Martin

“There's a lot of thought in art. People get to talk about important things. There's a lot of sex, you know, in art. There's a lot of naked women and men, and there's intrigue, there's fakery. It's a real microcosm of the larger world.”

People Knows Men World Art Important Real Sex Men And Women Important Things Naked Intrigue Microcosm

Author:Steve Martin

“Well, today the Grammys is much much better than the Oscars. I think the differences in the shows are that the Grammys are much wilder. The Oscars is much more people in the industry. And people dress wilder, I think, at the Grammys.”

People Thinking Wells Shows Today Differences Industry Dresses Oscars Wilder

Author:Steve Martin

“What I mean is that none of my talents had a - what's that great word - rubric. A singer, an actor, a dancer - there was nothing I could really say I was. The writing came much later. And, actually, thank God, because if I had said I'm a singer, I would really have just had one thing to do.”

Ifs Writing Mean Said Actors One Thing Talent Singers Things To Do Dancer Thank God Rubrics

Author:Steve Martin

“I believe Ronald Reagan can make this country what it once was... an Arctic region covered with ice.”

Believe Country Humor Funny Politics I Believe Peace Ice Regions Covered Arctic Ice Hockey

Author:Steve Martin

“She was feeling her bohemian oats.”

Feelings Bohemian Oats

Book:Shopgirl

Source: Shopgirl

“A girl who is willing to give every ounce of herself to someone, who could never betray her lover, who never suspects maliciousness of anyone, and whose sexuality sleeps in her, waiting to be stirred.”

Giving Girl Waiting Sleep Willing Lovers Sexuality Suspects Betray

Book:Shopgirl

Source: Shopgirl

“[her] mind blackens. The blackness is not a thought, but if it could be pressed into a thought, if a chemical from a dropper could be dripped onto it causing its color and essence to become visible, it would take the shape of this sentence: Why does no one want me?”

Ifs Want Mind Doe Color Shapes Essence Sentences Visible Chemicals Want Me Blackness

Book:Shopgirl

Source: Shopgirl

“I would assign every lie a color: yellow when they were innocent, pale blue when they sailed over you like the sky, red because I knew they drew blood. And then there was the black lie. That's the worst of all. A black lie was when I told you the truth.”

Lying Black Blood Sky Worst Color Red Blue Innocent Over You Yellow Pale

Author:Steve Martin

“Anyway, seeking work is a tad difficult given the poor design of the streets with their prohibitive curbs and driveways that don't quite line up.”

Given Difficult Lines Poor Streets Design Seeking Curb Driveway

Book:The pleasure of my company

Source: The pleasure of my company

“It's pain that changes our lives.”

Author:Steve Martin

“I understood that as much as I had resisted the outside, as much as I had constricted my life, as much as I had closed and narrowed the channels into me, there were still many takers for the quiet heart.”

Heart Stills Quiet Understood Quiet Heart

Author:Steve Martin

“Through the years, I have learned there is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration.”

Years Moments Inspiration Oneself Harm Delusion I Have Learned Through The Years Charging

Book:Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Source: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

“Writer's block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol.”

“She has learned that her body is precious and it mustn't be offered carelessly ever again, as it holds a direct connection to her heart.”

Heart Body Direct Connections

Book:Shopgirl

Source: Shopgirl

“Unlike Ray Porter, his love is fearless and without reservation.”

Love Is Fearless Rays His Love Reservations

Book:Shopgirl: A Novella

Source: Shopgirl: A Novella

“The self-prepared dinner is a great time killer for lonely people and as much time should be spent on it as possible.”

People Should Self Lonely Prepared Dinner Killers Great Times Lonely People

Book:Shopgirl

Source: Shopgirl

“I have heard it said that a complicated childhood can lead to a life in the arts. I tell you this story of my father and me to let you know I am qualified to be a comedian.”

Knows Art Said Stories Humor Funny Father Heard Childhood Complicated Comedian Qualified

Book:Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Source: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

“Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way.”

People Way Humor

Author:Steve Martin

“...the divided world of Aspen, where locals with a sense of entitlement were pitted against developers with a sense of condominiums.”

World Locals Divided Entitlement Developers Sense Of Entitlement Aspens

Book:Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Source: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

“My most persistent memory of stand - up is of my mouth being in the present and my mind being in the future: the mouth speaking the line, the body delivering the gesture, while the mind looks back, observing, analyzing, judging, worrying, and then deciding when and what to say next. Enjoyment while performing was rare - enjoyment would have been an indulgent loss of focus that comedy cannot afford.”

Mind Looks Has Beens Body Next Lines Memories Loss Worry Comedy Focus Judging Mouths Performing Enjoyment Gestures Persistent Observing Delivering Analyzing

Book:Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Source: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

“I've heard lots of people lie to themselves but they never fool anyone.”

People Lying Heard Fool People Lie

Author:Steve Martin

“... you're nuts but you're welcome here.”

Welcome Nuts You Re Welcome

Book:Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Source: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

“She tried to get even with him through psychological warfare but couldn't, because he didn't care.”

Care Psychological Warfare Psychological Warfare

Book:Shopgirl

Source: Shopgirl

“It's so hard to believe in anything anymore, you know what I mean? It's like, religion, you really can't take it seriously, 'cause it seems so mythological, and seems so arbitrary; and then on the other hand, science is just pure empiricism, and by virtue of its method, it excludes metaphysics. I guess I wouldn't believe in anything if it weren't for my lucky astrology mood watch.”

Ifs Believe Mean Hard Humor Hands Seems Funny Science Watches Virtue Pure Lucky Method Mood Metaphysics Arbitrary Astrology Hard To Believe Empiricism

Author:Steve Martin

“A celebrity is any well-known TV or movie star who looks like he spends more than two hours working on his hair.”

Wells Looks Two Humor Funny Stars Hours Known Tvs Hair Fame Well Known Movie Star

Author:Steve Martin

“Were they beautiful? We were all beautiful. We were in our twenties.”

Beautiful Twenties

Book:Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Source: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

About the Author

Born: August 14, 1945
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 353

Related Topics

Funny People Ifs Thinking Knows Comedy Humor Writing Firsts Way

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Born Standing Up: A Comic's LifeRelated source material

ShopgirlRelated source material

The pleasure of my companyRelated source material

An Object of BeautyRelated source material

L.A. Story: And, Roxanne : Two ScreenplaysRelated source material

Shopgirl: A NovellaRelated source material

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