The 1984 movie Steve Martin will always regret never making: “I just couldn’t do it”
Steve Martin is said to regret not taking part in the 1984 television sequel *The Jerk, Too*, which revisited the character he made famous in the 1979 comedy *The Jerk*. The article presents the decision as significant because Martin’s absence meant the follow-up lacked the original film’s star and creative voice.
Martin was credited as an executive producer but neither wrote nor appeared in the film, with Mark Blankfield playing a reworked version of Navin Johnson. The article frames his explanation, “I just couldn’t do it”, as reflecting his reluctance to repeat a role that had become closely associated with his earlier comic persona.
- Martin did not return for *The Jerk, Too*.
- He remained an executive producer.
- His absence changed the sequel’s identity.