 Peters starred opposite Steve Martin in The Jerk ( 1979 ) , in a role that he wrote for her , and Pennies From Heaven ( 1981 ) , for which she won the Golden Globe Award as Best Motion Picture Actress in a Comedy or Musical . In Pennies from Heaven , she played Eileen Everson , a schoolteacher turned prostitute . Of her performance in Pennies From Heaven , John DiLeo wrote that she " is not only poignant as you 'd expect but has a surprising inner strength . " Pauline Kael wrote in The New Yorker : " Peters is mysteriously right in every nuance . " Kael further noted that " The dance numbers are funny , amazing , and beautiful all at once ; several of them are just about perfection . " A review of the DVD reissue noted , " Peters brought a cocky attitude and a sexy exuberance to the musical numbers . " 
