In a recent memoir titled “Oh Miriam: Stories From An Extraordinary Life,” veteran actress Miriam Margolyes made allegations against her former co-star Steve Martin. Margolyes claimed that during the filming of the 1986 movie “Little Shop of Horrors,” Martin was “horrid” to her during a particular scene.
According to Margolyes, she played a dental assistant to Martin’s character, Orin Scrivello D.D.S. In a specific sequence, Martin’s character slams a door in Margolyes’ character’s face and punches her. Margolyes stated that she was repeatedly hit by doors and punched, slapped, and knocked down by Martin. She expressed frustration and said that she came home grumpy with a splitting headache.
Margolyes acknowledged that Martin was “undeniably brilliant” as an actor but described him as “horrid” to her. Her accusations caught the attention of the media, prompting Martin to respond.
In a statement to Deadline, Martin refuted Margolyes’ allegations. He expressed surprise at her account and stated that he remembers their communication as professional actors being good. However, he took issue with the implication that he harmed Margolyes or was careless about the stunts involved. Martin emphasized that he took extreme caution during the scene, just as he would with any similar scene. He claimed that Margolyes assured him she felt fine, and they successfully completed a few takes before stopping. Martin emphasized that there was never any physical contact between them, accidental or otherwise, during this scene or any other they shot.
Martin also mentioned that several individuals were present on set, including the director Frank Oz, a stunt coordinator, a camera crew, a script supervisor, and extras who witnessed the entire scene. He emphasized the competence and professionalism of everyone involved.
In support of his account, Martin shared a recollection from Oz. Oz stated that he always rehearses physical actions in slow motion and found Margolyes’ claims puzzling. Oz mentioned that the scene was supposed to include a fake punch, further highlighting the discrepancy between Margolyes’ account and the reality of the scene.
It is worth noting that Martin and Oz have collaborated on multiple projects, including “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Bowfinger,” and “Housesitter.”
The accusations made by Margolyes and Martin’s response offer contrasting perspectives on their working relationship during the filming of “Little Shop of Horrors.” While Margolyes claims to have endured mistreatment, Martin denies any wrongdoing and asserts that he maintained professionalism on set. Only those present during the filming can provide a definitive account of what transpired, and as of now, the evidence seems to support Martin’s version of events.
