Steve Martin and his wife, Anne Stringfield, have been together for almost two decades, but they’ve managed to keep their relationship almost entirely private. While Martin may never retired from the limelight, Stringfield prefers to live a more low-key life. It appears to be a healthy balance for them both.
Here’s everything to know about The Only Murders in the Building star’s relationship with his wife, Anne Stringfield.
Who is Anne Stringfield?
Stringfield grew up in Florida, in the town of Pensacola. She moved to North Carolina for her bachelor’s degree, where she attended Davidson College and became a member of The Phi Beta Kappa Society. She clearly had an aptitude for study and eventually got a job working as a fact-checker at The New Yorker. She’s also a writer, with work appearing in publications like Vogue.
Stringfield also has an interest in art collecting, which she shares with Martin. They lent some of their collection to The Gagosian in 2019, including works by Australian Aboriginal artists and craftspeople.
“I never talk about our art collection, because it’s our private sanctuary, but I am so enthused about the Indigenous art,” Martin said in an interview with ABC in Australia around the same time. “There is no doubt these [desert paintings] hang well with others and that one day they will be in the company of great contemporary art at auction and not culled out as a special field.”
How did Anne Stringfield and Steve Martin meet?
Stringfield’s job at The New Yorker brought her and Martin together. The comedian writes for the magazine’s humor section, Shouts & Murmurs. Stringfield was asked to fact-check one of his comedy pieces, and that’s how they first connected.
In an interview with People, Martin called their meeting “an important episode.”
“She makes it all possible. She has one of the most important qualities a person can have, and that’s kindness,” he added.
He told AARP in 2017, “We talked on the phone for a year before we even met.”
Friends of Stringfield’s told the publication that she was “extremely shy.”
How long have she and Steve Martin been married?
The couple hosted a surprise ceremony at their home in Los Angeles on July 28, 2007. It was officiated by Martin’s friend, former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey. His best man was Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. It was attended by 75 guests, including Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks, and Diane Keaton. They all expected a regular party, and attended a wedding instead. The bride reportedly wore a Vera Wang gown.
Stringfield is Martin’s second marriage. He was married before to Victoria Tennant from 1986 to 1994.
Does Steve Martin have any children?
The couple welcomed their daughter Mary in 2012, when Martin was 66 years old. He told AARP when he was 71 that being an older father was “fantastic.”
He added, “I think if I’d had a child earlier, I would have been a lousy father because I would have misplaced my attention on my career. I am very forthcoming with her, and it’s great. She’s giving me way more than I’m giving her.”
Martin also said that Stringfield and Mary have brought him “real happiness.”
When asked how he’d describe his life, he answered, “Very, very happy. I mean, it’s actually the perfect shape of a life. Except for the hard parts in the beginning—the disharmony, panic, pain, with occasional moments of great affection and comedy success.”
In 2013, he attended the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards and got emotional about being a dad onstage.
“My wife alone would have been enough reward for my life...but now she’s brought me a wonderful child,” he told the audience.
Why haven’t Martin and Stringfield walked any awards show red carpets together?
While Martin joined Only Murders in the Building co-stars Selena Gomez and Martin Short at the 2024 Emmys, Martin’s wife did not join him on the red carpet. She rarely attends events with him and has never posed on a red carpet with him for a reason.
In fact, in 2015, Martin told People that Stringfield had “never walked a red carpet,” as she prefers to stay out of the spotlight. They have periodically attended events together though, including the 2022 American Natural History Museum gala. Stringfield is on the far right:
