Andrea Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrea Martin
Martin in 2025
Born	Andrea Louise Martin (1947-01-15) January 15, 1947 (age 78) Portland, Maine, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Canada
Alma mater	Emerson College
Occupation	Actress comedian singer
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	Bob Dolman ​ (divorced)​
Children	2; including Jack Dolman

Andrea Louise Martin, born on January 15, 1947, is a talented actress from both the United States and Canada. She is widely recognized for her roles in popular TV shows like SCTV and Great News.

You might also know her from movies such as Black Christmas (1974), Wag the Dog (1997), and the very popular My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). She also appeared in its sequels, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023).

Andrea Martin has also lent her voice to animated films. These include Anastasia (1997), The Rugrats Movie (1998), and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001). From 2021 to 2024, she was a co-star in the TV series Evil. She also has a recurring role on the show Only Murders in the Building, which started in 2021.

Besides her work in TV and movies, Martin is a successful theater actress. She has won two Tony Awards, which are very prestigious awards for Broadway shows. She won for her performances in My Favorite Year and the 2013 revival of Pippin. She has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical five times, which is more than any other actress.

Early Life and Education

Andrea Martin was born in Portland, Maine, on January 15, 1947. She was the oldest of three children. Her parents, Sybil and John Martin, were Armenian-American. Her grandparents had escaped the Armenian Genocide from what is now Turkey.

Andrea's father owned a chain of grocery stores called Martin's Foods. Her parents worked hard to fit into American culture. Because of this, Andrea didn't connect with her Armenian heritage until she was older.

When Andrea was two years old, her mother read to her often. They would take turns reading Shakespeare and poems like The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Andrea started piano lessons at age eight. She even recited a poem and played piano at the Portland Museum of Art.

She attended St. Joseph’s Academy before high school. Andrea graduated from Deering High School in 1965. While there, she was part of the Dramatic Club and was even crowned Miss Deering High.

Acting Career Highlights

After finishing college at Emerson College, Andrea Martin quickly got a role. She joined a touring production of the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. In 1970, she moved to Toronto, Canada. There, she found steady work in television, movies, and theater.

In 1972, Martin played Robin in a Toronto production of Godspell. Many future stars were in this show, including Gilda Radner and Martin Short. Her early movie roles included horror films. She won an award for Best Actress at the Sitges Film Festival. She also appeared in the 1974 Canadian slasher film Black Christmas.

Becoming a Star on SCTV

In 1976, Andrea Martin joined the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV. She worked alongside other talented actors like John Candy and Catherine O'Hara. The show was set at a fictional TV station called SCTV in Melonville.

Martin was famous for playing Edith Prickley, the station manager. Edith wore leopard print and often dealt with the funny staff. Andrea also played other memorable characters like Pirini Scleroso and Mrs. Falbo. She was also great at impersonating famous people like Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli. In 1981, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on SCTV.

Broadway Successes

Andrea Martin made her Broadway debut in 1992. She starred in the musical My Favorite Year. For this role, she won a Tony Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Drama Desk Award. These are all major awards in theater.

She continued to perform on Broadway in shows like Candide (1997) and Oklahoma! (2002). She also appeared in the Broadway premiere of Young Frankenstein (2007). All these roles earned her more Tony Award nominations.

In 2012-2013, she played Berthe, Pippin's grandmother, in the musical Pippin. The show moved to Broadway in 2013. For her performance in Pippin, Martin won another Tony Award. She also won a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

Voice Acting and Other TV Roles

Andrea Martin has done a lot of voice work for animated shows and movies. She was Wanda the Word Fairy on Sesame Street, a character based on one of her SCTV roles. She also voiced characters in Anastasia, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

She appeared in the 1993 TV movie Gypsy with Bette Midler. In 1997, she starred in the TV series Life... and Stuff. She also played Aunt Voula in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its TV spin-off, My Big Fat Greek Life.

More recently, she has appeared in shows like Nurse Jackie and 30 Rock. From 2015 to 2017, she was in the Hulu series Difficult People. In 2016, she played Prudy Pingleton in Hairspray Live!. She also had a main role in the NBC sitcom Working the Engels.

In 2018, Andrea Martin was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for Canadians who have achieved great things. In 2024, she appeared on Broadway in the play McNeal with Robert Downey Jr..

Personal Life

Andrea Martin splits her time between Los Angeles and Toronto. On December 8, 2017, she announced that she had become a Canadian citizen. She had lived in Canada for 47 years.

She was married to Bob Dolman and they have two sons, Joe and Jack. She also has a grandchild. Through her marriage to Bob, she is the sister-in-law of actor Martin Short.

Selected Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Recognitions

Film and TV Awards

Theatre Awards

See also

In Spanish: Andrea Martin para niños