Before becoming a famous comedian, actor, and writer, Steve Martin spent his teenage years working at Disneyland in the late 1950s and early 1960s. From age 10 to 18, he worked there after school, on weekends, and during summer breaks. He started by selling guidebooks at the entrance, just a few months after Disneyland opened in 1955, and later sold souvenir spinning lassos in Frontierland. “The ropes were hard to sell,” Martin recalled. “I had to wear a Western costume—cowboy shirt, hat. I even did a little of that in Three Amigos!”
Soon after, Martin landed a more exciting role at Merlin’s Magic Shop in Fantasyland, where his love for magic truly found a home. Performing sleight-of-hand tricks for guests helped him hone both his magical skills and comedic timing. Daily interaction with visitors allowed him to develop the showmanship and sense of humor that would later become essential to his entertainment career.
Martin also expanded his talents by learning to juggle and make balloon animals, refining his abilities as a performer. Disneyland provided him with a constant audience to practice in front of, shaping the entertainer he would become. He credited his time there as critical to developing the performance skills and comic timing that defined his career.
He learned juggling from Disneyland’s court jester, Christopher Fair, and was heavily influenced by Wally Boag, the headliner at the Golden Horseshoe. “Wally was the first live performer I ever saw. His style—fresh, sassy, and very clean—had a huge influence on my own comic timing,” Martin said.
Steve also worked with a woman from the South whose favorite saying was “Well, excuse me for living.” Martin later shortened it to the famous, “Well, excuuuuuuse me!” which became a cultural catchphrase.
