Steve Martin spent his 80th birthday in the most magical place on Earth — Disneyland — where he experienced a moment of personal magic that brought his life full-circle.
“I shot a little one-day scene at Disneyland on my birthday, Aug. 14, and it was in the magic shop where I worked when I was 15,” Martin revealed during the Only Murders in the Building panel at the Television Academy’s Televerse event on Saturday. “I’m standing at the exact same spot that I stood on when I was 15. I said, ‘It’s like going to work when you are 15 and then coming home from work and you’re 80.'”
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Martin was joined by costars Selena Gomez and Martin Short (remotely via video) and showrunner John Hoffman. During the Hulu panel hosted by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Martin discussed his character’s emotional arc, pointing to the Season 4 finale where he is dealing with the death of character’s close friend Sazz, played by Jane Lynch.
“This goes back to more like Father of the Bride, that are essentially comedies but also have very serious dramatic, emotional elements,” Martin said of his role in the 1991 film. “There’s a scene in the finale where I walk over and start talking extremely emotional and it’s kind of second nature and part of what a comic actor has to do. It’s not just be funny all the time.”
Throughout his career, the actor has consistently balanced humor with heart, he noted that while his first film was the comedy The Jerk, his follow-up was the drama Pennies from Heaven.
The critically acclaimed Hulu series, Murders in the Building, returns on Sept. 9. The show first premiered in 2021 and follows three unlikely neighbors in a New York apartment building who start a true crime podcast and find themselves repeatedly entangled in real murder investigations.
Martin, Short and Gomez have each received multiple Emmy nominations for their work on the show, which has become catnip for high-profile actors.
Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short in Only Murders in the BuildingDisney/Patrick Harbron
During the panel, Hoffman spoke about the trios ability to draw in huge guest stars.
“These three have been magnets for the likes of which I could never have dreamed of working with,” he said adding that he makes sure to check in with them before casting any of the guest stars. “It’s very important that we have people that are in the spirit of being on that set. I love that it’s become a home for great New York character actors but also for the opportunity to work with people we have all dreamed about working with.”
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