Steve Martin’s Net Worth in 2023: The Impact of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ and His Other Comedic Endeavors on His Financial Success

Steve Martin is best known for his iconic roles in films like The Jerk, Roxanne, and The Pink Panther. His career in Hollywood first started in the late 1960s as a writer. And today, he now has over 65 acting credits to his name.

However, his financial success isn’t solely attributed to his acting gigs. Steve Martin’s net worth has also been significantly impacted by his work as a writer, producer, and director, his involvement with his band, and his strategic real estate investments. Read on to discover Martin’s most lucrative projects and follow his career in Hollywood from the beginning until now.

Early Life

Steve Martin was born on August 14, 1945, in Waco, Texas. His father, Glenn Vernon Martin, was an aspiring actor and worked as a real estate salesman. His mother was Mary Lee Stewart. Martin has one older sister named Melinda.

When Martin was ten years old, he sold guidebooks at Disneyland during the summer and also on weekends. He spent a lot of time at the Main Street Magic Shop to watch tricks being performed. After five years at Disneyland, he had learned enough tricks to get an actual job In Fantasyland’s Magic shop.

Martin graduated from Garden Grove High School, where he was a cheerleader. He went on to attend Santa Ana College, where he took drama and English poetry classes. He later enlisted at California State University, where he majored in philosophy. Then transferred again in 1967, this time to major in theater at UCLA.

When he was 21, Martin dropped out. Instead, he chose to focus his attention on establishing a career in the entertainment industry.

Acting Career

Martin had considerable experience with comedy while at university. However, his professional acting career was yet to begin. In 1967, he got a job as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. His work earned him his first Emmy Award, along with the other writers in the show. A year later, he also had his television debut on the show.

This early success paved the way for more writing opportunities for Martin. He wrote comedy scripts for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and also The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. He also did standup comedy in a number of venues. Additionally, he was also a frequent guest comedian on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, as well as on Saturday Night Live.

Saturday Night Live (SNL)

Martin was never part of the regular cast of Saturday Night Live, but he has made several guest appearances, including 15 episodes as host. His first hosting gig on the sketch show was in 1976. 

The Jerk

One of Martin’s earliest blockbusters was the 1979 comedy The Jerk. He was not only the star of the film but also one of the writers. It went on to earn an amazing $73.7 million, which is equivalent to about $302 million today, with inflation.

The project was also a pretty good boost for Steve Martin’s net worth at the time. He reportedly received $600,000 in acting salary, plus 50% of the gross profits of the film.

Roxanne

Martin’s next hit would be the romantic comedy Roxanne, where he co-stars with Darryl Hannah. It earned $4.6 million on opening weekend and went on to raise a total of $40 million globally. Again, Martin was part of the writing team for the film and was also an executive producer.

Martin won his third Golden Globe nomination for his performance. The first two were for his roles in Pennies from Heaven in 1982 and in All of Me in 1985.

Parenthood

Martin would soon become known for his roles as the family patriarch, which began in the 1989 family film Parenthood. Keanu Reeves played one of the supporting roles in the film, which was also one of Reeves’ first movies.

Martin received another Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. The film was also a huge commercial success, earning an impressive $126.3 million from theaters worldwide against a budget of $20 million.

L.A. Story

In 1991, Martin would star in the satirical comedy L.A. Story about a weatherman hoping to find love in the City of Angels. Martin played the lead role and also wrote the script for the film. 

The movie, which made $28.9 million globally, was another hit with film critics and got Martin a win at the People’s Choice Awards.

Father of the Bride Movies

One of the film franchises with the largest impact on Steve Martin’s net worth was the Father of the Bride movies. He co-starred with Diane Keaton and once again gave a spectacular performance as the paternal figure in the family.

The film was a blockbuster, earning $7 million over the first weekend. It drew a total gross of $89.3 million from theaters worldwide against a budget of $20 million.

The success of this first film paved the way for a sequel two years later. The main cast returned to reprise their roles, and the film also became a big hit. With a budget of $30 million, the movie raked in $76.6 million at the box office.

Sgt. Bilko

Another big boost to Steve Martin’s net worth came in the 1990s with Sgt. Bilko, for which he reportedly earned $7 million. Unfortunately, the military comedy, which starred Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman, did not do well at the box office. It only made $38 million from global ticket sales against a $39 million production budget.

Cheaper by the Dozen

Martin landed another paternal role in the 2003 family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen. He played Tom Baker, a father of 12 children, the eldest of whom is played by Hillary Duff, Tom Welling, and Piper Perabo. Bonnie Hunt plays the role of Mrs. Baker.

The film did enormously well at the box office, with gross earnings of $190.5 million against a budget of $40 million. The project was another sizable boost to Steve Martin’s net worth, with a hefty salary of $10.5 million for his work.

Shortly after this film was released, Comedy Central released a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics. Martin was in sixth place.

In 2005, Martin and the original cast reprised their roles in Cheaper by the Dozen 2. The kids had all grown, but the film still had the same appeal to audiences. It made more than $130 million from theaters worldwide against a $60 million production budget.

The Pink Panther

Steve Martin’s net worth had yet another enormous increase after he starred in the 2006 comedy mystery film The Pink Panther. His paycheck was a whopping $28 million, including approximately $3.6 million in writing salary.

The film was a massive commercial success at the box office, generating $164.1 million in gross revenue. It was able to double its pretty sizable budget of $80 million.

Because of the success of this film, the studios released a sequel three years later on a budget of $70 million. Unfortunately, it only earned $76 million, barely covering the film’s expenses.

Home

In 2015, Martin did voice work in the sci-fi animated film Home with Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Parsons. It would be his second film voice role, with the first one back in 1998 for The Prince of Egypt.

In Home, Martin lent his voice to the character of Captain Smek. It made $386 million on a budget of $135 million. As of 2023, this title is Martin’s highest-grossing film.

Only Murders in the Building

These days, Steve Martin can be seen as Charles-Haden Savage in the ongoing Hulu series Only Murders in the Building. Martin joins long-time buddy Martin Short and singer/actress Selena Gomez in the main cast. Martin is also the creator and writer of the show, as well as an executive producer.

IMDB reports that Martin makes $600,000 per episode of the series. And with 3 seasons of the series that have currently been produced, there have been 30 episodes so far.

Recent Work

In 2020, Martin reprised his very popular role as George Banks in Father of the Bride, Part 3(ish). It was a short film that was exclusively available on Netflix.

Other Ventures

Outside of his acting career, Steve Martin’s net worth also greatly benefits from his art collection and music career. In his 20s, Martin started what would become a massive art collection. Some items from his collection have been put on display in various exhibits. In 2006, he sold Hotel Window by Edward Hopper to Sotheby’s for $26.8 million.

Unbeknownst to many, Steve Martin has also had a thriving music career for decades. He is a very talented banjo player, having learned to play when he was 17 years old.

In 2009, Martin released his first music album entitled The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo. It won the 201 Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Album.

Real Estate

A large chunk of Steve Martin’s net worth also comes in the form of his numerous real estate investments. For instance, in 1997, the actor/comedian/writer purchased a Beverly Hills home for almost $1 million. About two decades later, he sold the property for $2.22 million. 

In 2008, Martin invested in a luxury home on the island of St. Barts in the Caribbean. Known as Villa Au Soleil, the four-bedroom home features amazing views all around. It also has several terraces, a sun deck, a private garden, and an infinity pool.

In 2013, Martin listed it with an asking price of $7.78 million, and it was sold two years later at an undisclosed price.

Personal Life

Steve Martin has been in several relationships over the years, and he has been married twice. He was in a relationship with actress Bernadette Peters in the 1970s and 1980s, then later dated Karen Carpenter and Mary Tyler Moore.

Martin’s first wife was actress Victoria Tennant. They were married from 1986 to 1994. Then in 2007, he met writer Anne Stringfield, and they married in July of that year. Five years later, they welcomed a daughter.

Steve Martin’s Net Worth Today

As of 2023, Steve Martin’s net worth is estimated at $140 million. While Martin’s acting career is mainly responsible for that number, it’s also impacted by his work as a producer, writer, and musician. His art collection and real estate investments also affect his net worth.

Fans of Martin can see him now in Only Murders in the Building Season 3. Next up, Object of Beauty, a novel that Martin penned in 2010, is currently in development as well. No word on whether Martin will star in the flick, but Amy Adams has joined the project.

Apple has also signed on as the distributor for A24’s upcoming, currently untitled, Steve Martin documentary. The project was optioned in August 2022.

Posted: December 18, 2022 / Last Updated: October 1, 2023