Martin Short on His Crazy Career, His “Friend” Meryl Streep and Whether His Comic Tug of War With Steve Martin Has Ever Gone Too Far

🌈 Abstract

The article is a profile of comedian Martin Short, discussing his long and successful career, his creative partnership with Steve Martin, and his personal life experiences.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Martin Short's Career and Success

1. How does Martin Short view his current level of success and fame compared to earlier in his career?

• Short believes he has never been hotter commercially, with the success of the show "Only Murders in the Building", but says his day-to-day life doesn't feel much different.
• He agrees with the view that in show business, a "hit is a fluke" and that sustained success is very rare.

2. What projects does Short consider the pinnacle of his artistry and appeal?

• Short cites his work on the sketch comedy show "SCTV" as his "platonic ideal" of his artistry, as it allowed for creative freedom and collaboration with other brilliant comedians.
• He also has a fondness for the cult film "Clifford", which was panned upon release but has since been reevaluated as "dementedly genius".

3. How does Short reflect on the ups and downs of his career over the decades?

• Short acknowledges that he went through a period in the 1990s where some of his films and TV projects did not perform well commercially.
• However, he does not view these as "failures", but rather as the natural ebbs and flows of an entertainment career, where success is difficult to sustain.
• He believes his early life experiences with tragedy and loss may have made him more resilient as a performer, willing to take risks without caring about the admiration of strangers.

[02] Creative Partnership with Steve Martin

1. What is the dynamic like between Martin Short and Steve Martin in their comedy collaborations?

• The two comedians write their brutal jokes about each other together with the help of a writer, but Short says they have never gone too far or truly hurt each other.
• Short believes their ability to joke harshly about each other works because they have a deep mutual respect and trust, and Martin would never believe Short had any mean-spirited agenda.

2. How do they approach the financial aspects of their collaborations?

• Short says financial issues have never been a source of conflict between them, as they have an understanding about sharing profits.
• He notes that Steve Martin used to joke that Short "understands the concept of 60-40", implying Short is reasonable about dividing earnings.

3. How do they feel about the actors portraying them in a scripted adaptation within "Only Murders in the Building"?

• The show includes a storyline where actors play fictionalized versions of Short, Martin, and Selena Gomez's character.
• Short was involved in ensuring the depiction of the older male characters interacting with the younger female character was not creepy or inappropriate.

[03] Personal Life and Relationships

1. How did the tragedies Short experienced in his youth impact his approach to his career and life?

• Short lost his older brother, mother, and father at a young age, making him an orphan at 20.
• He believes these early life stresses either "empower you or defeat you", and for him, it made him braver as a performer, willing to take risks without caring about the opinions of strangers.

2. How does Short remember his late wife Nancy, who passed away from cancer in 2010?

• Short speaks very fondly of his 36-year marriage to Nancy, saying he did not want to forget her after her death.
• He told his children that he believes Nancy has "zoomed into our souls", referencing a quote from George Eliot about the dead never truly leaving us.

3. How does Short envision his future if his longtime collaborator Steve Martin were to pass away?

• When asked what he would do if Martin died, Short quipped that he would "phone Billy Crystal", implying he has already given thought to how he would move forward without his close friend and creative partner.