In this edited interview for KVUE-TV, Roy Faires travels to the set of The Three Amigos (1986) to talk with its stars: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. Martin, who was born in Waco, also co-wrote the film's screenplay. The comedians discuss the making of the film, emphasizing how they brought humor from the page to the screen. Faires worked as a special project director and entertainment critic/reporter at KVUE-TV, Austin's ABC affiliate, from 1976-1989.
Actor, writer, and comedian Steve Martin was born in Waco, Texas on August 14, 1945. His father, an aspiring actor, moved the family to California, where Martin grew up. Martin began his career as a comedian doing stand-up, performing at local clubs and writing for television shows. He won an Emmy Award in 1969, aged 23, for his work with The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Eventually Martin moved from behind the camera to in front of it, making his first television appearance on The Steve Allen Show in 1969. By the mid-1970s, Martin made frequent television spots as a stand-up comedian, including appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Gong Show, The Muppet Show, and Saturday Night Live. He also released two comedy albums, Let's Get Small (1977) and A Wild and Crazy Guy (1978), both of which went platinum and won Grammy awards for Best Comedy Recording. With the following Martin developed through comedy, he made the move to film. He eventually starred in several pictures, many of which he also co-wrote, including The Jerk (1979), Cyrano de Bergerac (1987), L.A. Story (1991), Bowfinger (1999), and Shopgirl (2005). In addition to his film, television, and comedy work, Martin also writes plays and novellas as well as performs music. In 2013, Martin won the Academy Honorary Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to commemorate his achievements as a comedian, musician, and producer.