How an Iconic Steve Martin Role Influenced Only Murders

Steve Martin is tapping into his sweet side.

The July 12 episode of Only Murders in the Building saw the introduction of a person Charles (Martin) cares deeply about: Lucy (Zoe Colletti), his ex-girlfriend’s teenage daughter. It’s one of the first times viewers saw how sentimental and caring Charles really is, evoking the same feelings that Steve’s Father of the Bride character did in 1991. 

“There’s no way around it,” creator John Hoffman told E! News. “We have such an illustrious cast involved and they have these huge careers and it’s very easy to bump up against certain things about their careers.”

While Hoffman and the writers wanted to create a distinct comedy, he said they don’t “shy away” from these aspects of familiarity. So for Steve, they couldn’t help but call back to his days in the beloved Nancy Meyers movie. “In those scenes when he’s a father, he’s the most comforting lovely person and he is genuinely like that off-screen as well,” Hoffman said. “It’s a pleasure to watch him engage that and bring that for an audience.”