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Why I Love Steve Martin
And how a personal letter made me love him more
Steve Martin is my favourite comedy movie actor.
When it comes to movies, my taste has been influenced by my brother. He’s seven years older than me, so growing up, the films I was subjected to were not always age-appropriate. I watched a lot of Steve Martin films because my brother was a fan. It didn’t take me long to join the club.
I love Martin’s silly humour, but I also appreciate how well he plays the straight guy. My favourite Steve Martin films are always a source of comfort and laughter.
In The Man with Two Brains, Martin plays a brain surgeon called Michael Hfuhruhurr (pronounced exactly the way it’s spelt). In All of Me, Lily Tomlin’s rich widow’s soul ends up in the body of Martin’s still-living lawyer by accident. Three Amigos! was where Martin first met co-star and close friend Martin Short. There was also Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Parenthood, and my personal favourites for their rewatchability and funniest scenes are Roxanne and Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
Roxanne is a sweet modern-day adaptation of the Cyrano de Bergerac story and French play. Martin plays fire chief Charlie “C.D.” Bales, the large-nosed romantic lead, opposite Daryl Hannah’s Roxanne who falls for C.D.’s wit but another man’s looks. I…
