The hilarious letter Steve Martin wrote to a fan
The iconic stand-up comedian and actor Steve Martin is a man of many talents, quirks and interests. From his early days as a wild personality on Saturday Night Live to his illustrious movie career, highlighted by such classics as Parenthood, All of Me and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Martin’s natural comedic charm has never failed him.
Martin’s prolific work on screen has seen him most notably rewarded with a Primetime Emmy Award and an Honorary Academy Award in 2013, a deserved indicator of his status as a national treasure. In August 2022, Martin stirred a few tears among fans when he revealed that Only Murders in the House would mark his final acting role.
As Martin takes his final bow, he leaves a door open to the next generation of comedy performers with some important advice via the teaching platform MasterClass. “You don’t have to have a special gift. I had no special gift except I loved being on stage, and I loved comedy. And that’s all I had,” Martin said on the platform.
He added: “Remember, you are a thought machine. You have 1,000, a million thoughts a day. Just learn to observe them a little bit, and say, ‘Oh, is that an idea I could use.'”
In another memorable example of Martin’s unrivalled sense of humour and dedication to fans, we head back to 1979, when the actor sent a reply letter to a then-17-year-old fan named Jerry Carlson.
The reply comically notes that Martin had taken time out of his busy schedule to write this personal reply. However, with a printed copy leaving lines for name and several other single words, it’s obvious Martin had used this stock letter for thousands of responses to fan mail.
“Dear Jerry, what a pleasure it was to receive a letter from you. Although my schedule is very busy, I decided to take time out to write to you a personal reply,” Martin wrote.
The letter continued: “Too often performers lose contact with their audience and begin to take them for granted, but I don’t think that will ever happen to me, will it Jerry? I don’t know when I’ll be appearing close to you, but keep that extra bunk made up in case I make it to Flint.”
“Sincerely, Steve Martin,” he signed the stock letter.
Adding: “P.S. I’ll always cherish that afternoon we spent together in Rio walking along the beach, looking at rocks.”
Watch one of Steve Martin’s classic Saturday Night Live sketches below.
