New revelations expose Steve Martin’s quiet feuds with stars like Jim Carrey, Bill Murray, and Adam Sandler, rooted not in ego—but in a deep devotion to the craft of comedy.

In a career that spans over five decades, Steve Martin has long been considered a paragon of comedic brilliance—an intellectual performer whose sharp wit, absurdist charm, and elegant stagecraft have elevated American humor to an art form.

From The Jerk to Father of the Bride, and more recently Only Murders in the Building, Martin has carefully curated his public persona: kind, gracious, and always professional.

But behind the silver hair and serene smile lies a different story—a more complicated picture of a man fiercely protective of his art.

A perfectionist with a deep commitment to structure and control, Steve Martin is said to have quietly maintained a list of actors he strongly disliked working with—so much so that he avoided them for decades. That list has remained a tightly guarded secret… until now.

Recent interviews with directors, co-stars, and production insiders have revealed details of long-standing feuds and philosophical clashes between Martin and some of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Here’s a detailed look at the seven actors Steve Martin reportedly hated working with—and why.

1. Chevy Chase – “If Ego Were Money…”

In 1986, Steve Martin starred in the now-iconic Three Amigos alongside Chevy Chase and Martin Short. On-screen, the chemistry between the trio seemed effortless.

But behind the scenes, tensions between Martin and Chase reached boiling point. While Martin approached each scene with meticulous timing and scripted discipline, Chase’s improvisational, freewheeling style clashed sharply.

“It was like watching fire meet ice,” said director John Landis, who witnessed the behind-the-scenes friction firsthand. “Steve would have a scene blocked and timed down to the millisecond. Then Chevy would waltz in and go completely off-script.”

The breaking point came during a choreographed scene when Chase improvised through seven consecutive takes. Martin reportedly pulled Landis aside and warned, “Either he follows the script, or I walk.”

While production continued, their relationship never recovered. Years later, Martin quipped at a comedy awards show: “If ego were money, Chevy could buy Wall Street.”

2. Jim Carrey – “I’d Rather Act Opposite a Tornado”

Though Steve Martin and Jim Carrey never worked on a major film together, their off-screen interactions revealed a deep creative disconnect.

Carrey, whose manic energy and improvisational chaos became his trademark in the 1990s, embodied everything Martin had moved beyond.

At the 1995 American Comedy Awards, Carrey went off-script in a rambling acceptance speech. Cameras captured Martin yawning theatrically and checking his watch. Later, when Martin took the stage, he carried a large “Wrap It Up” sign—an unmistakable jab at Carrey.

A producer close to both comedians noted: “Steve sees comedy like mathematics—precise, elegant. Jim sees it like jazz—wild and unpredictable. They’re both geniuses, but they speak different comedic languages.”

Casting rumors from 1998 reveal that when Carrey was suggested as a co-star for a big studio comedy, Martin’s response was biting: “I’d rather act opposite a tornado. At least with a natural disaster, you know which way it’s going to spin.”

3. Bill Murray – The Sketch That Started a Cold War

In 1978, Bill Murray and Steve Martin were paired for a live SNL sketch. Martin, known for his thorough preparation, was furious when Murray arrived late to rehearsal and seemed uninterested in sticking to the script.

During the live performance, Murray allegedly mocked Martin’s delivery and began improvising, derailing the carefully structured sketch.

Backstage, Martin confronted Murray: “Comedy is a partnership, not a hijacking.” Murray laughed it off, reportedly telling Martin to “lighten up.” The encounter resulted in a silent feud that lasted more than a decade.

Though they would occasionally appear together at events, the two comedy legends never collaborated meaningfully again.

As SNL creator Lorne Michaels later put it: “Steve values structure. Bill thrives on chaos. Sometimes, two brilliant minds just don’t mesh.”

4. Steve Carell – The On-Set Divide on The Big Year

During the 2011 filming of The Big Year, a comedy about competitive bird-watching, Martin and Steve Carell were expected to form a natural comedic duo.

But insiders say tensions flared due to their differing creative processes. Carell, shaped by his improvisational work on The Office, often suggested alternate lines and improvised during scenes.

Martin, in contrast, arrived on set with every moment planned. A crew member recalls Martin pulling the director aside during a rehearsal and asking, “Is this a script reading or a writing session? Because I prepared for the former.”

Despite the absence of outright conflict, Martin and Carell never worked together again after the film. Their creative incompatibility became apparent to everyone on set.

5. Adam Sandler – “Noise in a Wig”

Though Steve Martin and Adam Sandler have never appeared in a film together, their ideological divide is no secret. In a 2003 New Yorker interview, Martin was asked about modern comedy.

He replied: “I love wit. Slapstick is fine, but some things are just noise in a wig.” Industry insiders believe this was a veiled jab at Sandler’s brand of juvenile, crude humor.

Martin reportedly rejected a film pitch in the early 2000s after Sandler’s name was floated. His only comment: “I think we’re making different kinds of movies.”

One of Martin’s longtime collaborators put it bluntly: “For Steve, comedy is art. For Adam, it’s entertainment. They’re not in the same universe.”

6. Joe Piscopo – The SNL Host Who Walked Away

Martin’s loyalty to Saturday Night Live runs deep. But when he returned to host during the show’s rocky early 1980s era—post-Lorne Michaels and pre-Phil Hartman—he found the new cast uninspiring. His main issue? Joe Piscopo.

After watching a rehearsal sketch featuring Piscopo’s signature Frank Sinatra impression, Martin turned to a head writer and asked: “Is this what the show is now?” He reportedly asked for several sketches to be rewritten or cut entirely.

Martin didn’t return to host SNL again until Piscopo left the cast in 1984. For Martin, it wasn’t personal—it was a matter of comedic principle. “Bad comedy isn’t just unfunny,” said a friend of Martin’s. “It’s an offense to what comedy can be.”

7. Eddie Murphy – The Comedy Dream Team That Never Happened

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy emerged as a revolutionary comedic force just as Martin was becoming a household name. Despite multiple opportunities, the two never collaborated. Industry insiders say Martin viewed Murphy’s early work as “too vulgar, too Hollywood.”

In a 1984 interview, Murphy addressed older comics who looked down on his style: “Some of these guys think they’re too good for street comedy. But I speak the language of real people.”

The tension between them culminated in a failed casting attempt for a buddy comedy in the early 1990s. A studio exec later said: “Steve thought Eddie was too raw. Eddie thought Steve was out of touch.”

As these stories emerge, a deeper truth comes into focus. Steve Martin’s issues with his peers weren’t rooted in ego, jealousy, or personal animosity. They stemmed from a fiercely held belief in the craft of comedy—its rules, its rhythm, and its role as a serious art form.

For Martin, laughter was never accidental. It was built, measured, tested, and delivered with the precision of a symphony. And if others didn’t respect that process, he simply didn’t have time for them.