Steve Martin reflects on his career as he receives AFI honor

Great banjo player

had some very funny performances throughout his career

Mito is right. While in high school (a very long time ago) I mailed away for tickets to his show. I wound up with front row seats!

I think many older Americans remember Martin for his many appearances on NBC's Saturday Night Live during its early years. But Martin has proven to be a surprisingly versatile artist, being surprisingly good in a couple of movies, a very good musician, among other things.

Kudos to Steve for his work in the entertainment industry. I have a short story about an encounter with Steve I would like to share. I had the pleasure of sharing a doobie with Steve back in 1975 while he was on a college campus comedy tour. We had a college entertainment office that dealt with all the concerts, musical and theatrical events on campus and I was part of that staff. It was a great gig, met notables like Patti Labelle and the Blue Belles, Todd Rundgren, Neil Young (he was a real pain in the butt) etc.. We had a spaghetti party the night before the Steve Martin event (you know the comedic act with Steve with the fake arrow going through his head routine) and I did not know him from squat, never read about him or anything. I went over to a coworkers house who was hosting the dinner and we all sat around eating pasta, drinking wine and burning doobies when in walks this grey haired guy (Steve had grey hair really early on in his life) and I froze. I said to my coworker "who is that old fart and I don't want to smoke dope in front of him cause he could be a narc". My coworker told me that he was Steve Martin the comedian and I was in shock. The night wore on and on and I ended up next to Steve and we shared a doobie. I have to say he was a gentleman and did not Bogart that joint.

hawkeye. great story from 1975. around same time i.had an.idea for a movie called ‘‘the backwards man‘‘ and i.wrote a snAil.mail letter to steve via his hwood agent and i.asked if steve would play the lead about a man who does everyting backwards in life even spelling his name backwards and a month later i got a handwriitwn cute reply: dear nad moolb, great idea but not for me thanks signed ‘‘Evets Nitram‘‘. i was a fan for life! steve is the real hollywood not the fake hwood of today. bravo afi salute!

An all-round talent, and seems like a lovely person too.