How Steve Martin's Iconic Past Roles Influenced Only Murders Season 2

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."

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Plus, the series built Lucy up so much in the first season that it felt like they had to write her into the show for season two. "Once we realized the themes of the seasons had to do with fathers in many ways," he explained. "Then it became clear we needed a real moment and a revisit from Lucy after many years, for him to confront her and ask himself some tough questions."

But Only Murders isn't strictly for parents, there's a touch of Disney nostalgia thanks to Selena Gomez.

Hoffman said that he knew she'd be the perfect actress to play Mabel because he'd seen her as Alex in the Disney Channel series The Wizards of Waverly Place. "She had her own pocket of comedy and her delivery, it was very specific and funny and sharp and shrewd and dry," he gushed. "I loved her."

So when it came time to write for Mabel, Hoffman wanted to infuse the character with Alex's sense of humor. "Mabel is a touch kindred spirit in sensibility and in approach," he explained. "She's not too shy to say something that might make people go, 'Excuse me!' And I love that about her and there's no one who can do that like Selena."

Only Murders in the Building streams Tuesdays on Hulu.

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