Martin Mull was one of the first actors I remember recognizing without knowing his name. I knew the face. I knew the dry delivery. I knew that whenever he showed up, chances where he was going to make me laugh. So when the opportunity to review “Who Is Martin Mull?” presented itself, I jumped at it.
Co-directed by the late Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley, “Who Is Martin Mull?” is less interested in simply listing Mull’s credits than explaining what made him such a fascinating creative force. For viewers who primarily remember him from television and movies, the documentary quickly establishes that acting was only one piece of the puzzle. Mull was also a musician, comedian and accomplished painter, spending his life moving between artistic lanes without ever appearing too concerned with fitting neatly into one.
That restless creativity gives the film its strongest through line. Mull could share a stage with a young Brad Pitt, trade verbal blows with Roseanne Barr and then retreat to a canvas with the seriousness of someone who never viewed painting as a celebrity side hustle. The documentary makes the case that reinvention was not something Mull did to stay relevant. It was simply how he was.
Berkeley and Saget surround Mull’s story with an impressive collection of voices, including Steve Martin, Tom Waits and David Alan Grier. Thankfully, famous faces never overwhelm the subject. Their memories help explain Mull’s appeal: he could be absurd without begging for the laugh, intelligent without becoming pretentious and unpredictable without ever seeming desperate for attention.
There is also something bittersweet about Saget’s involvement. Knowing that both men are gone adds an emotional layer the filmmakers never need to force. The movie works best when Mull is allowed to speak for himself, reflecting on a career that rarely followed the obvious route and seemingly never needed to.
If I have one criticism, it is that certain chapters could have gone deeper. Mull had enough careers for several documentaries, and at times the film moves on just when a particular story becomes especially interesting.
Still, “Who Is Martin Mull?” accomplishes something more important than providing a résumé recap. It answers the title by revealing an artist who refused to be defined by one thing. For viewers like me who spent years knowing Martin Mull’s face before knowing his name, the documentary finally connects all the pieces—and confirms just how much talent was hiding in plain sight.
“Who Is Martin Mull?” is streaming on Netflix now.
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