Steve Martin

Stephen Glenn Martin was born on August 14, 1945, in Waco, Texas, the son of Mary Lee (née Stewart; 1911–2002) and Glenn Vernon Martin (1914–1997), a real estate salesman and aspiring actor. He has an older sister, Melinda. Martin is of English, Scottish, Welsh, Scots-Irish, German, and French descent. He and his sister grew up in a Baptist family in Inglewood, California, and later in Garden Grove in Orange County; he was a cheerleader at Garden Grove High School. One of Martin's earliest memories is seeing his father as an extra serving drinks onstage at the Callboard Theater on Melrose Place in West Hollywood. During World War II in Britain, his father appeared in a production of Our Town with Raymond Massey. Expressing his affection through gifts like cars and bikes, Steve's father was stern and not emotionally open to his son. He was proud but critical, with Steve later recalling that in his teens his feelings for his father were mostly of hatred. Martin's first job was at newly opened Disneyland, selling guidebooks on weekends and full-time during summer break. The work lasted for three years (1955–1958). During his free time, he frequented the Main Street Magic shop, where tricks were demonstrated to patrons. …

At the beginning of his career in comedy, Martin dated writer and artist Eve Babitz, who suggested he dress in what became his trademark white suit. In the early 1960s he had a romantic relationship with Christian author and recording artist Stormie Omartian when they were both aspiring theater performers at Knott's Berry Farm. He credited her with introducing him to philosophy and other topics that "reconfigured his thinking". From 1977 to 1980, Martin was in a relationship with Bernadette Peters, with whom he co-starred in The Jerk and Pennies from Heaven. In his early 20s, Martin dated Mitzi Trumbo, daughter of novelist and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. He also dated Karen Carpenter, Mary Tyler Moore and Anne Heche, who wrote about their relationship in her memoir. On November 20, 1986, Martin married actress Victoria Tennant, with whom he co-starred in All of Me and L.A. Story. They divorced in 1994. Martin went on a USO Tour to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm from October 14-21, 1990. He met with military service men and women throughout the region, signing thousands of autographs and posing for pictures. "Everybody coming out here, giving up part of their lives for this effort. I had some time off, and I felt kind of bad just sitting there," Martin said, "so I came". On July 28, 2007, Martin married writer and former New Yorker staff member Anne Stringfield. …