Young Steve Martin Photos from Father of the Bride, Leap of Faith

CIRCA 1970: Photo of Steve Martin — A young Steve Martin. Photo:
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

On Friday, Selena Gomez said that it "pains" her "how many people may not know truly about Steve [Martin]’s life.” Her Only Murders in the Building costar is now 78, and though quite famous for that latest role, has a career that goes deep on both stage and screen, all the way back to the 1970s.

His work is now the subject of a two-part AppleTV+ documentary, STEVE!, which looks back on the actor's early career (he got his start at Disneyland!), some incredible celebrity stories and a handful of very personal moments.

As fans new and old start streaming, check out some epic throwback photos of the man Gomez calls "truly an icon."

01 of 15

Steve Martin in High School

Steve Martin Senior Year 1963 — A young Steve Martin.
Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Steve Martin grew up near California's Disneyland and spent his teen years working at the park, selling guidebooks and souvenirs before moving on to the Fantasyland magic shop. According to a Disney profile, he "learned all the tricks, and collected all the jokes, writing down every gag."

02 of 15

Steve Martin on 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'

Steve Martin on Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour — A young Steve Martin on 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'.
TVLand

Always a standout on sketch shows, Steve Martin made several appearances on Cher and Sonny Bono's The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, which ran for four seasons in the early 1970s.

03 of 15

Steve Martin in 'The Muppet Movie,' 1979

Kermit the Frig, Steve Martin, Miss Piggy in 'The Muppet Movie.' — A young Steve Martin in 'The Muppet Movie'.
Henson Associates/courtesy Everett

Steve Martin's history with The Muppets runs deep, and after guesting on The Muppet Show in 1977 (with his trusty banjo), he made a hilarious cameo as a disgruntled waiter in The Muppet Movie in 1979.

04 of 15

Steve Martin in 'The Jerk,' 1979

Steve Martin got into character on the set of his wildly popular 1979 film, the Carl Reiner comedy The Jerk.

05 of 15

Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters, 1981

Bernadette Peters and Steve Martin circa 1981 in New York City. — A young Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters.
Robin Platzer/Images/Getty

Steve Martin dated Broadway icon Bernadette Peters in the early 1980s; according to an InStyle story, they crossed paths in the late 1970s in part through Kenny Rogers' celebrity softball league.

06 of 15

Steve Martin and Mary Tyler Moore, 1982

Actress Mary Tyler Moore, one of the stars of the new film ?Six Weeks? from Universal, smiles as she arrives at the film?s charity premiere with guest Steve Martin, Monday, Dec. 7, 1982 in Los Angeles. — A young Steve Martin and Mary Tyler Moore.
Nick Ut/AP Photo

Mary Tyler Moore and Steve Martin also dated in the 1980s, and he was on hand to support her at the Six Weeks premiere in L.A. in 1982.

07 of 15

Steve Martin and Victoria Tennant

Steve Martin and Victoria Tennant, who were married from 1986 to 1994, walked the red carpet at the AFI Life Achievement Awards Honoring Gene Kelly in Beverly Hills.

08 of 15

Steve Martin in 'Three Amigos,' 1986

Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short in 'Three Amigos.' — A young Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short in 'Three Amigos'.
Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett

Saturday Night Live stars Chevy Chase and Martin Short brought their "Three Amigos" skit to the big screen alongside Steve Martin with a 1986 musical comedy that made almost $40 million at the box office.

09 of 15

Steve Martin in 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles,' 1987

Steve Martin and John Candy in 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles'. — A young Steve Martin and John Candy in 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'.
Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

“John Candy was very sensitive and very complex and we really loved each other,” Steve Martin shared of his late Planes, Trains and Automobiles costar in his documentary. During one particular monologue from Candy's character, Del Griffith, Martin said, "I was opposite him. I was weeping as he was performing it.”

10 of 15

Steve Martin and The Smothers Brothers, 1988

Tom Smothers, Steve Martin, Dick Smothers and Glen Campbell in THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR 20TH REUNION. — A young Steve Martin and The Smothers Brothers.
CBS via Getty

Steve Martin got his start writing for several seasons of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s, making a cameo on an episode himself. In 1988, he reunited with the brothers Tom and Dick themselves, alongside singer Glen Campbell.

11 of 15

Steve Martin in 'Parenthood,' 1989

Playing a stressed-out dad in this Ron Howard classic earned Steve Martin his fourth of eight Golden Globe Award nominations (to date).

12 of 15

Steve Martin in 'Father of the Bride,' 1991

Kimberly Williams, George Newbern, Steve Martin, and Diane Keaton in 'Father of the Bride' — A young Steve Martin in 'Father of the Bride'.
Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock

Steve Martin's hilarious, relatable work as the titular father of the bride earned him another Golden Globe Award nod and an MTV Movie Award nomination, too.

13 of 15

Steve Martin on 'SNL,' 1991

Steve Martin as Sir William Sindren Steven Smythe Cursey, Mike Myers as Kenneth Reese-Evans, Julia Sweeney as Dame Sarah KensingtonDana Carvey as Mickey Rooney during "Theatre Stories" skit on December 14, 1991 — A young Steve Martin on 'SNL'.
Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank

Some might be surprised to hear Steve Martin was never an SNL cast member; however, he has hosted a staggering 16 times since the late '70s and popped up as a guest on dozens of episodes during the show's tenure. Here, he led a 1991 sketch alongside Mike Myers, Julia Sweeney and Dana Carvey.

14 of 15

Steve Martin in 'Leap of Faith,' 1992

LEAP OF FAITH US 1992 STEVE MARTIN FILM RELEASE FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES LEAP OF FAITH US 1992 STEVE MARTIN PICTURE FROM THE RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE FILM RELEASE FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES Date 1992 — A young Steve Martin in 'Leap of Faith'.
Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett

As no-good "faith healer" Jonas Nightengale, Steve Martin was delightfully "a seedy, desperate, bright, greedy man without hope," wrote Roger Ebert in his review.

15 of 15

Steve Martin and Martin Short, 1999

Steve Martin & Martin Short during "Bowfinger" Los Angeles Premiere at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, United States. — A young Steve Martin and Martin Short in 1999.
SGranitz/WireImage

Though they play besties on Only Murders, Steve Martin and Martin Short have been close in real life for years. Here they are at Martin's Bowfinger premiere in Los Angeles in 1999.