Los Angeles, March 31 (IANS): Hollywood star and comedian Steve Martin has talked about his relationship with his father Glenn Martin and said that he thought his dad was a "little embarrassed" by him.

Steve was seen talking about his father in his new two-part documentary film on Apple TV+ STEVE! (Martin).

"I always thought my father was a little embarrassed by me. He couldn’t quite be proud of an unconventional showbiz act that he didn’t quite understand," Steve said.

The actor said that by the middle of his career, he learned to use his father's criticism as motivation.

"By that time, I had been so sort of alienated by my father that negative comments were actually my encouragement," he said, reports people.com.

Talking about his early childhood at the start of the film, Steve's sister Melinda Dobbs shared that her brother received "no affection" from their father, and instead endured most of his anger and criticism.

Steve’s only memory of a happy childhood is of being “outside the house."

Toward the end of the film, the actor shared that most of his career was driven by the need to have his father's approval.

He said that later in his life he took the advice of a friend to tell his parents everything he needed to tell them before they died and he no longer had the chance.

He understood his father better and recognised that he was under tremendous "stress" to provide for his family.

"You realise what he went through -- it’s a life of hopes and dreams," he said.

"I have great sympathy for my father."

Now he has a different opinion of his father, as Steve said: "I like him", of Glenn, who died in 1997.