Anne Stringfield spent years working as a fact-checker and writer at The New Yorker before becoming known as Steve Martin’s wife. Born in 1972 in Pensacola, Florida, she built a career in journalism that brought her into contact with one of Hollywood’s most celebrated comedians. Their 2007 surprise wedding and subsequent private family life have kept her largely out of public view.
Stringfield’s commitment to privacy stands in sharp contrast to her husband’s decades in the spotlight. She has never walked a red carpet, rarely appears at public events, and has maintained strict boundaries around her daughter’s exposure to media.
Her story reveals how someone can maintain their own identity while married to a celebrity, choosing a quiet life over fame.
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From Pensacola to The New Yorker
Anne Powell Stringfield grew up in Pensacola, Florida, where her father, Dr. James Stringfield, worked as a pulmonologist and her mother, Margo Stringfield, served as an archaeologist at the University of West Florida. She attended Pensacola High School before moving to North Carolina for college.
She graduated from Davidson College in 1994 and became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, an honor reserved for top academic performers. This educational foundation prepared her for work at one of America’s most prestigious publications.
The New Yorker hired her as a fact-checker, a role that requires meticulous attention to detail and extensive research skills. The magazine’s reputation for accuracy depends heavily on fact-checkers who verify every claim, quote, and statistic before publication. She also contributed articles to the magazine and wrote freelance pieces for Vogue, covering art reviews and theater.
Her most notable published work includes a 2011 tribute to Sue Mengers, the legendary Hollywood talent agent. She continued working at The New Yorker until around 2012, when her last pieces appeared in the magazine.
How Anne Stringfield Met Steve Martin
Their relationship began with a phone call in the mid-2000s. Stringfield was assigned to fact-check one of Martin’s comedy pieces for The New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs section, where the actor had been a regular contributor.
What started as a professional conversation turned into something more. Martin told AARP Magazine in 2017 that they talked on the phone for an entire year before meeting in person. Friends described Stringfield as extremely shy, which may have contributed to the extended phone courtship.
When they finally met face to face, Martin was struck by her intelligence and kindness. He later told People magazine that their meeting was “an important episode” in his life and praised her as having “one of the most important qualities a person can have, and that’s kindness.”
The couple dated for approximately three years before deciding to marry. Their age difference of 27 years attracted media attention, but both seemed unfazed by public scrutiny.
A Surprise Wedding That Shocked Hollywood
On July 28, 2007, Stringfield and Martin invited 75 guests to their Los Angeles home for what attendees believed was a party. Instead, they witnessed a surprise wedding ceremony.
Former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey officiated the ceremony. Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels served as Martin’s best man. The guest list included Tom Hanks, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, and Carl Reiner.
Stringfield wore a Vera Wang gown, while Martin famously sported the mustache from his Inspector Clouseau character in the Pink Panther films. The surprise element fits with their preference for privacy and their desire to avoid the media circus surrounding celebrity weddings.
This was Martin’s second marriage. He had previously been married to British actress Victoria Tennant from 1986 to 1994. For Stringfield, it was her first marriage.
Building a Private Family Life
The couple settled into a quiet life together in Los Angeles, far removed from typical Hollywood social scenes. They share interests in art collecting and have built a significant collection together, particularly focusing on Aboriginal Australian art.
Becoming Parents at 67 and 40
In December 2012, Stringfield gave birth to their daughter, Mary. Martin was 67 years old, becoming a first-time father at an age when many people are thinking about retirement. Stringfield was 40.
The birth made headlines partly because of Martin’s age and his candid discussions about fatherhood. He told David Letterman in 2013 that he joked about naming his daughter “Conquistador,” though they ultimately chose the more traditional name Mary.
Martin has spoken openly about how fatherhood changed him. He told AARP Magazine that he would have been “a lousy father” earlier in life because his career would have taken priority. At 71, he described being an older parent as “fantastic” and said his daughter was “giving me way more than I’m giving her.”
During his 2024 documentary, STEVE! (Martin) In a documentary in 2 pieces, he shared a touching moment about witnessing Stringfield with their newborn daughter. “The first time I saw true love in my life was after the baby was born,” he said. “I looked over at Anne, and she’s holding the baby. And she’s looking into her face, and there’s no one else on the planet.”
Her Career as a Writer and Fact Checker
Working at The New Yorker represents a significant achievement in journalism. The magazine maintains some of the highest editorial standards in American media, and its fact-checking department is particularly rigorous.
Fact-checkers at The New Yorker do more than verify information. They challenge assumptions, track down obscure sources, and ensure that every detail in a story can be defended. This work requires patience, intelligence, and a commitment to accuracy that goes beyond what most publications demand.
Stringfield also wrote her own pieces, though she kept a relatively low profile even before her marriage. Her writing appeared in both The New Yorker and Vogue, showcasing versatility across different types of publications and audiences.
After 2012, her public writing career appears to have ended. Whether this was a choice related to motherhood, a desire for more privacy, or simply a career shift remains unclear. She has not given interviews or made statements about her professional life.
The Art Collection They Built Together
Stringfield and Martin share a passion for art collecting that has become a significant part of their life together. They serve as trustees of the Los Angeles Museum of Art and have loaned pieces from their collection to major institutions.
In 2019, they loaned works to The Gagosian gallery in New York, focusing on Aboriginal Australian artists and craftspeople. Martin told ABC Australia that he was “so enthused about the Indigenous art” and believed these desert paintings would eventually be recognized alongside great contemporary art at major auctions.
The couple treats their collection as a private sanctuary, rarely discussing it publicly. Martin has said he never talks about their art collection because of its personal significance to them both.
In 2017, they donated a landscape painting by Lawren Harris to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, honoring Canada’s 150th anniversary. These actions suggest they view art collecting not just as acquisition but as cultural stewardship.
Why She Avoids the Spotlight
Stringfield has never walked a red carpet with her husband, despite his numerous public appearances and awards ceremonies. Martin confirmed to People in 2015 that she had “never walked a red carpet” and preferred to stay out of the spotlight entirely.
She has made rare exceptions. In 2015, she attended the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award ceremony, where Martin received honors. It was at this event that Tina Fey jokingly described Stringfield as “a younger, thinner, smarter version of me,” highlighting their physical resemblance. Martin later playfully admitted to People that his wife did indeed look like Fey.
Stringfield made a cameo appearance in Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building, playing one of Cinda Canning’s lookalike assistants as a joke about her resemblance to Fey. She also appeared briefly in Martin’s 2024 documentary about his life and career.
These rare public moments aside, she has maintained strict privacy boundaries. Martin has spoken about protecting their daughter from media exposure, saying he hates the idea of compromising family joy in any way. “There’s too much joy in the family life to compromise it,” he told interviewers.
Her approach to privacy seems deliberate and principled rather than accidental. In an age where social media encourages constant sharing and celebrity couples often build brands around their relationships, Stringfield has chosen a different path entirely.
As of 2025, she continues to live privately in Los Angeles with her family. Martin has indicated he may retire from acting once Only Murders in the Building ends, partly because he no longer wants to disappear for months to film projects. “I have a family life that’s really fun,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in 2022.
Stringfield’s life illustrates that it’s possible to be connected to a celebrity without becoming one yourself. She built her own career, maintains her own interests, and has created boundaries that protect what matters most to her. Her story offers a counterpoint to the typical celebrity spouse narrative, showing that fame by association doesn’t have to be fame by choice.
