Steve Martin Wasn't Recognized After His First Time On “The Tonight Show” | Conan Needs A Friend

I feel like I was lucky in the people. that I got to meet but then I'll look at. you two and I think you've got to meet. so many more people you know you're. younger yeah yes you're going to meet. everybody I mean I uh I remember sitting. when I was 21 years old and uh I was. hired to write for the Smothers Brothers. I was very naive and now we're all at. dinner and Tom and Dick are having. telling stories about people and I'm. sitting there going. I have no stories I can't believe I. don't have a story right and I was 21 so.

you've got to be this age 180 to have a. story you met General Grant oh my God. what a fun guy he was uh but I I do. think there was that whole you said Mary. Lincoln could be pushy. but no even uh you know just just in the. I mean there's that clip that I've seen. a million times I think it's uh you on. The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Marty and uh I think it's Betty Davis. sitting next to you yeah she was she had.

already killed with her three episodes. or three segments yeah three seconds. yeah yeah everything yeah she did. that thing but you mean it she did Kill. she was she was great oh yeah she was. great yeah but I just think oh. Johnny Carson is the host of The Tonight. Show and sitting next to you is Betty. Davis that's an era of of Show Business. and I'd never met Johnny Carson so it.

was particularly. because I loved Johnny Carson yeah yeah. as we all did yeah so much so that I. didn't even do his show for 10 years or. eight years or something when I could. have because I thought oh I'm too hip I. just do Letterman but the really I was. scared to well and people don't even. understand the era then because it's all. changed so much. but both of you have this experience. where you go on. you'd go on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. and you do your your set and the next. day everybody had seen it yeah right and.

um you know you could walk through a. hotel lobby and. um Steve would just drive from town from. hotel to hotel just to walk through the. lobby. wearing a shirt that said to just see me. on Carson and but people people uh I I. have so many stories that I've heard. from comedians where they were not. famous they did well on Carson and the. next day. everybody in the United States is saying. great job whereas today it's just my.

observation of that is a little. different but it's too long and boring. but I'll tell you one no I'd love to. hear that okay well I've that's what I. believed you went on Carson and you then. the next day you were famous right but I. found with myself you went on Carson. next day nothing. then you go on Carson again. and the next day that somebody looks at. you like. did I meet you at a party in a long time. and then finally it slowly starts to.

break through and finally on my fifth. appearance where I finally got it. together I did a good good shot and I. went into a store. on La Cienega Boulevard and the woman. said were you that boy that was on these. Tonight Show last night and I said yes I. am and she said uh. there's always that and I remember. seeing a clip Marty I could tell you're.

just slightly different you killed but. you were just I could tell that you're. you're not the Marty that's going on my. show and you're just gonna kick the. out of me it's gonna be so much fun you. are you did a very funny thing about. spit take but it was I could tell like. his voice is a little different and. you're being you're you're being well. behaved you know what I mean with Carson. with Carson yeah yeah with you I don't. care. there's a difference between being.

excited to be on Johnny Carson and then. to be slumming it you know. uh-huh there's certain people I've never. overcome my awe and Johnny Carson was. one of them that I always felt a little. you know I hope I'm pleasing him yeah. you know but they knew they had card. games yeah we played cards together we. had dinners that's a famous card game. people talk about that card game. it was really fun yeah you know and the. lesson of that card game is Everything.

Changes I mean you're having what do you. mean well you're having poker games with. Neil Simon and Carl Reiner and Dan. milnick and you know Chevy and then. people die you know everything changes. I'm trying to bring up the party here no. no but it's and we're all gonna die too. no no yeah never all right well anyway. great scene so we're gonna roll on. credits. we just prayed right now.

we just don't do a group prayer yeah I. think I'd be very nice and hold hands. yeah well I often think about. um that was it's it's almost my. the fact that I get to know you guys and. talk to you guys at all is always feels. like I'm linking to this very important. I don't know what I would say is I think. everybody has kind of a disdain for. their own era of Show Business and and. and. reveres you know well what we observe.

and I I probably applies to you that. younger comedians like you know SNL guys. that we kind of know or if you know them. better than I because you're a warm. person. and but we see that camaraderie among. them yeah that we assume the you know. like Don Rickles had you know with Frank. and yeah but I see that we have. camaraderie with people of Our. Generation and I see we see the younger. people helping each other you know it's.

a oh absolutely no I mean people like. Fred Armisen yeah and John Mulaney and. Bill Hader are all close close friends. you know. and you know them. no they they also have caller ID. I was talking to Fred Armisen once I. mean it's probably 10 years ago and he's. just hanging around SNL and he said the. latest thing that we this is probably. old now but right so the latest thing is. when you text someone uh and then the.

misspellings come up and the different. words you just don't change them. and you just send it off like that but. you do that to other comedians Fred is. an interesting guy because I remember uh. I think we had it we were at dinner once. and might have been at my house and Fred. was there and didn't say he's. hilariously funny guy. but that night he didn't say anything he. didn't say a word and I remember him. looking up and down the table and. everybody's laughing and joking and he. was just observing it all and he has.

that almost like you know I always heard. Peter Sellers at a party was not a was. very quiet and kind of just observing. and not I think we were all there we. were yes you were there it was a funny. guy's dinner it was a funny guy's dinner. there Steve I was yep yeah sure you said. funny guys you were a last minute. Edition I was the control group. Pauly Shore fell out.