Martin collects lifetime achievement honour
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Too much praise can turn Steve Martin into a wild and insincere guy.
The star of The Jerk and Bringing Down the House accepted the American Cinematheque career achievement honour Friday with mock cynicism.
The frequent Saturday Night Live guest host played aloof with friends in the audience, including Robin Williams, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, Martin Short, Dana Delany, Eugene Levy, Carl Reiner and Ron Howard.
“There are so many familiar faces tonight, people I’ve worked with, people I haven’t seen in years and I just thought, ‘Why can’t we wear name tags? What would be so wrong?’ ” Martin joked.
“But this evening is especially meaningful to me,” Martin added, “because when I was a kid my friends and I used to meet after school and get all dressed up and play ‘American Cinematheque awards show.’ ”
Friends cheered him and movie clips showcased his joking, dancing, dramatic acting and singing.
Rick Nicita, chairman of the organization’s board, said they chose to honour Martin because he is a “Renaissance man” who has excelled not only as an actor and comedian but as a playwright, novelist, art collector — even banjo player.
A telecast of the evening is to air Jan. 23 on the cable channel AMC.
Nicole Kidman was last year’s honouree, and previous recipients include Eddie Murphy, Mel Gibson, Sean Connery and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
American Cinematheque, a non-profit arts organization, operates the landmark Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and uses proceeds from its annual awards ceremony to host screenings and other events.
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