# Steve Martin is Spanish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288 "2006-01-23T19:34:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/1 "2006-01-23T19:34:16Z")
I once had a friend tell me that he doesn’t respect Steve Martin because Steve Martin is Spanish (aka Latino) and doesn’t “admit” it. Of course he was thinking of this as “passing”; I don’t feel strongly about that but it did pique my curiosity about Martin. I can’t find any evidence one way or another. Any clues? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/2 "2006-01-23T19:42:59Z")
Never heard anything like that. FWIW, his [IMDB Bio](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000188/bio) suggests nothing of the sort. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/3 "2006-01-23T19:45:14Z")
Wikipedia, and I don’t know where I’d go for more reliable info, says his family is entirely Anglo (English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry). He goes by his real name; he hasn’t shortened it from Martinez or anything. I’m pretty sure your friend is completely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/4 "2006-01-23T19:45:55Z")
Maybe he’s Spanish now but he was born a poor black child. (His hometown is Waco, Texas.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/5 "2006-01-23T19:47:54Z")
… or maybe the person meant Ricky Martin? ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/6 "2006-01-23T19:56:21Z")
Well, he _was_ in [The Spanish Prisoner](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0120176/). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/7 "2006-01-23T19:57:24Z")
… or Cheech Marin? Yeah, I think he _is_ Spanish! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/8 "2006-01-23T20:29:32Z")
I remember there was some question as to wether Steve Martin was [Esteban](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=234751), the Spanish Guitar Hocking Informercial Dude. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/9 "2006-01-23T21:17:11Z")
Nope, Esteban Martinez isn’t the slightest bit Hispanic. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/10 "2006-01-23T21:25:30Z")
Maybe your friend was thinking of Martin Sheen, one of whose actor sons (Emilio Estevez) reclaimed their original Latino surname. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/11 "2006-01-23T21:27:36Z")
The friend may be thinking of “Jorge Martín”, played by Andrew Rubin in the first _Police Academy_ movie. About midway through, he confesses to Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg) that his real name is George Martin and he fakes being Latin to get women. It’s a stretch, I know. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/12 "2006-01-23T21:36:24Z")
> [@The Scrivener](#): > > Maybe your friend was thinking of Martin Sheen, one of whose actor sons (Emilio Estevez) reclaimed their original Latino surname. Seriously?! Had no idea those two were related. Martin and Charle and Emilio. Wow. Of course, they really don’t look it. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/13 "2006-01-23T21:44:59Z")
Gee, he seemed pretty authentic in the **¡Three Amigos!** … 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/14 "2006-01-23T21:47:20Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Seriously?! Had no idea those two were related. Martin and Charle and Emilio. > > Wow. > > Of course, they really don’t look it. You must [be](http://www.timemachinego.com/linkmachinego/images2/sheen.jpg) [kidding](http://members.tripod.com/vonne920/martin_sheen/brothers.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/15 "2006-01-23T21:50:25Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Seriously?! Had no idea those two were related. Martin and Charle and Emilio. > > Wow. > > Of course, they really don’t look it. Didn’t you always wonder why Martin and Emilio did all those movies together? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/16 "2006-01-23T22:59:49Z")
Martin and Charlie as father and son: _Wall Street, No Code of Contact_ Martin and Emilio as father and son: _In the Custody of Strangers_ Martin and Emilio as the same character at different ages: _Nightbreaker_ Charlie and Emilio as brothers: _Rated X_ And cameos in each other’s movies are common. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/17 "2006-01-23T23:40:28Z")
The only Emilio Estevex movie I saw was the _Mighty Ducks_. And maybe some movie about them being hunted by some guys in L.A. Or something. He mostly retired by the time I was old enough to watch his flicks. ---
**Author:** ![JDeMobray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@JDeMobray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDeMobray)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/18 "2006-01-24T00:23:44Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Charlie and Emilio as brothers: _Rated X_ Don’t forget _Men at Work_, possibly the best comedy ever about Peeping-Tom-Garbagemen-Entangled-With-Mob-Hitmen-In-A-Toxic-Wast-Dumping-Scheme. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/19 "2006-01-24T00:28:35Z")
> [@JDeMobray](#): > > Don’t forget _Men at Work_ I omitted it because the [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) age says their characters have different surnames and I was going for a list in whch Martin, Charlie and Emilio played related characters. [sub]I loved you in _Wall Street_![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288/20 "2006-01-24T00:33:34Z")
Don’t forget [Uncle Joe](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0261724/) (who has an amazingly long list of straight-to-videos in his filmography). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martin-is-spanish/341288.md?page=2)