Steve Guttenberg

Steve Guttenberg Bio

Steven Robert Guttenberg was born August 24, 1958, in New York City and is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as a leading comic performer and has maintained a steady presence in film, television and on stage across a career that began in 1977.

Early Life and Background

Steven Robert Guttenberg grew up in New York City; he was raised in a Jewish household in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens and later moved with his family to North Massapequa. He is the only son of Ann Iris Newman, a surgical assistant, and Jerome Stanley Guttenberg, an electrical engineer and Army veteran; he also has two sisters and counts actor Michael Bell as a godfather.

While in high school Guttenberg attended Plainedge High School and took a Juilliard School summer program where he studied under John Houseman and won a role in an off-Broadway production of The Lion in Winter. He attended the University at Albany, SUNY for a year before moving to California to pursue acting professionally, beginning screen work in 1977.

Path to Celebrity

Guttenberg’s early exposure combined stage training, television guest work and small film parts that built toward wider recognition. He appeared in television movies and series in the late 1970s and early 1980s and began accruing supporting film credits that positioned him for larger leading roles.

By the early 1980s Guttenberg had supporting parts in higher-profile projects and a growing list of lead roles that put him on track to become a mainstream comedic lead, culminating in a string of commercially successful films in the mid-1980s.

Steve Guttenberg Career

Early Career (1977–1983)

Guttenberg’s first credited screen appearance dates to 1977 and included television movies and small film roles. He worked steadily in television and film, appearing in titles such as Something for Joey, The Boys from Brazil and Barry Levinson’s Diner, while also taking lead roles in short-lived television series including Billy and No Soap, Radio.

During this period he developed a reputation for versatility, moving between television movies, commercials, stage parts and supporting film roles. Those early credits established the practical experience and industry familiarity that preceded his breakout film work.

Breakthrough (1984–1987)

Guttenberg’s breakthrough came with the 1984 comedy Police Academy, in which he played the central role of Carey Mahoney. Police Academy was a commercial success and launched a franchise in which Guttenberg continued to appear as one of its principal comedic leads through the mid-1980s.

Following Police Academy he starred in a series of prominent studio films that defined his profile as a leading comic actor. His role in Barry Levinson’s Diner and the ensemble science-fiction drama Cocoon expanded his range, while the family comedy Three Men and a Baby in 1987 became one of his biggest box-office hits and further established his mainstream appeal.

Notable Works and Milestones

Across the mid-to-late 1980s Guttenberg headlined commercially popular films including Short Circuit and the Police Academy sequels, and he balanced studio features with work on stage and in television. He later broadened his career to include directing, producing and writing, with his first film as director, producer, co-screenwriter and star being P.S. Your Cat Is Dead in 2002.

He has also returned to stage work, appearing on Broadway in the Woody Allen one-act Honeymoon Hotel as part of Relatively Speaking from late 2011 into early 2012, and he formed a production company, Mr. Kirby Productions, named after his high-school drama teacher Gerald J. Kirby.

Later Career and Television (1990s–present)

Through the 1990s and 2000s Guttenberg continued to work in feature films, television movies and recurring television roles. He appeared in family and genre films such as The Big Green and had recurring parts on series including Veronica Mars and Ballers. He also embraced television movies and genre television in the 2010s and continued to act in projects for cable and streaming platforms.

Guttenberg has taken on a variety of screen roles while also engaging in charitable work and periodic public appearances; he remained active in screen work into the 2020s and appeared in television and Lifetime films in recent years.

Steve Guttenberg Awards Won

Guttenberg’s career has been recognized with several civic and industry honors. His awards include the Tony Randall Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fire Island Golden Wagon Film Festival in 2008, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011, and a key to the City of Miami Beach in 2014 for his advocacy and community work.

Steve Guttenberg Family

Guttenberg is the son of Ann Iris Newman and Jerome Stanley Guttenberg. He has two sisters and was raised in Queens after his family moved within New York City; his godfather is actor Michael Bell.

Personal Life

Guttenberg married model Denise Bixler in 1988; the couple separated in 1991 and their divorce was finalized in 1992. He later lived with and became engaged to Emily Smith in 2016; they married on January 19, 2019, and their marriage is recorded as ending in 2025. He has no publicly verified children.

Outside of acting, Guttenberg has been active in philanthropy, supporting charities focused on homelessness and children. In 2016 a trust was established in his honor to support homeless services in Los Angeles, and he was named an Ambassador for Children’s Issues by the Entertainment Industry Foundation for his work on behalf of children and the homeless.