Appearing most recently in the TV series Murders in the Building, Steve Martin has had a prolific career as an actor, comedian, producer, and musician. Receiving five Grammys over his career, you might be surprised at some of the films he appears in. Whether you are a fan or not, check out these twelve best Steve Martin movies and get ready to laugh.
12. It’s Complicated (2009)
Romantic relationships get quite messy in our first selection It’s Complicated. After being brought together for a family event, Jane and Jake become attracted to each other again after ten years of divorce. The affair follows them back home and starts to disrupt their personal lives, and even though they still maintain their previous romances, they cannot help but continue the affair as well. Martin appears as Jane’s architect Adam in the film.
–IMDb score: 6.5
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11. Bowfinger (1999)
If you enjoy Eddie Murphy films, Bowfinger might be on your watchlist. Desperate for a big break Bobby Bowfinger (Martin) pulls together a ragtag crew to make his dream movie including a starry-eyed ingenue, a has-been diva, and a film studio gofer. The star of the show is Kit Ramsey (Murphy), only the biggest star in Hollywood who doesn’t know he’s going to be in the film.
–IMDb score: 6.5
10. Roxanne (1987)
Looks aren’t everything in our tenth selection Roxanne. Fire Chief C.D. Bales (Martin) has insecurities due to his large nose, but still falls for Roxanne, a newcomer in town. When Roxanne instead gets a crush on new fireman Chris, C.D. is wedged in the center by helping both Roxanne and Chris to get them together. But when C.D.’s letters are nothing like what Chris would say, what will happen when Roxanne finally meets her “match?”
–IMDb score: 6.6
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9. Father of the Bride (1991)
One of Steve Martin’s most well-known films is Father of the Bride as he plays overprotective father George Banks. George and his wife Nina love their daughter Annie, but their world gets turned around when she announces her engagement after studying abroad. From dealing with meeting in-laws to planning a wedding with an over-the-top consultant, George’s troubles will never seem to end in this hilarious comedy.
–IMDb score: 6.6
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8. L.A. Story (1991)
Steve Martin becomes Harris Telemacher, the wacky weekend weatherman in L.A. Story. Trying to find meaning in his mediocre life as a weatherman, he receives help from a talkative Freeway sign to embark on a journey through Los Angeles. The point of the journey? To find Sarah, an English reporter who has been sent to the city to research an article for the London Times.
–IMDb score: 6.7
7. All of Me (1984)
One lawyer gets way more than he asked for in our seventh selection All of Me. Lawyer Roger Cobb (Martin) works for Edwina Cutwater, a rich woman who’s on her deathbed. One of her final stipulations is that her soul will be inherited by Terry Hoskins. The plan backfires though when Edwina’s soul instead inhabits Roger’s body and only controls the right side. This leads to a hilarious battle of the body until Edwina and Roger realize they need to work together to sort this mess out.
–IMDb score: 6.7
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6. Dead Man Don’t Wear Plaid (1982)
Past merges with present in Dead Man Don’t Wear Plaid. When a famous cheese maker dies in a car crash, his daughter believes there’s something nefarious at play. To prove her theories, she hires detective Roy Reardon (Martin) to find out what happened. This brings him face-to-face with movie legends like Humphrey Bogart, Alan Ladd, and Burt Lancaster from footage of classic film noir and crime films.
–IMDb score: 6.8
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5. Parenthood (1989)
Gil Buckman’s (Martin) perfectionist tendencies get put to the test in Parenthood. Buckman struggles with the deficiencies of his children, thinking their actions reflect poorly on his parenting. His siblings only add more chaos to his life as they cannot control their children either, with some of them being worse than Buckman’s own. This stress only compounds as more of Gil’s family arrives, leaving him close to the tipping point.
–IMDb score: 7.1
4. The Jerk (1979)
In a journey of self-discovery and wonder, Steve Martin plays Navin perfectly in The Jerk. Navin believes he was born a poor black kid in Mississippi, but he’s white. Trying to find himself after the revelation, Navin lands a job at a gas station in St. Louis and sees his name printed in the phone book. This leads to a series of misadventures, including dodging bullets, inventing gadgets, and joining the carnival.
–IMDb score: 7.1
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3. The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
Steve Martin takes on a morally grey character in our third selection The Spanish Prisoner. Rising corporate star Joe Ross meets mysterious Jimmy Dell (Martin) at a resort and shares with him an invention, which Dell offers to protect. Not long after their interaction, Ross is falsely accused of murder. It will take Ross, the FBI, and Ross’s assistant Susan to untangle to web of lies and prove his innocence.
–IMDb score: 7.2
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2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Two con artists battle it out in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The first con artist is Lawrence Jamieson, a longtime resident of a coastal resort who enjoys the fruits of his deceptions. When competitor Freddy Benson (Martin) enters the picture though, Jamieson’s business starts to go astray. In a last-ditch effort to get rid of Benson, Jamieson offers a competition: whoever swindles the latest mark first will stay at the resort while the other must leave town.
–IMDb score: 7.4
1. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
One of the funniest films on our list is Planes, Trains & Automobiles, which is why it sits at number one on our list. Steve Martin plays control freak Neal Page who’s trying to get home to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife and kids. His flight is rerouted due to a snowstorm, and his sanity starts to unravel. When he’s forced to bunk with talkative Del Griffith, the two must bridge their differences to reach their intended destinations.
–IMDb score: 7.6