Martin began his theatre career in hollywood at the tender age of three in the 1969 production of Orson wells play "Controversial " where he played a three year old child.One critic in the La Herald said " Rarely had he seen such insightful acting it was like watching a child act" Fame was not to last for young Martin and by the age of seven he was reduced to doing commercials for cat food, this lead to a chain of events that would take Martin to the brink of oscar nomination for his 1978 role as Martin in the Scorcese film Being Martin and then on to run for governor of Sacremento.