Tom Hanks once praised his friend Martin Short, saying, “Marty operates at the speed of joy.” When asked how he felt about this depiction, Short responded, “I don’t analyze myself. If that’s his review for me, I’ll accept it. But I think I do have the happy gene. And I think my orientation is to be happy.” For more than five decades, Short has brought joy and laughter to audiences with his infectious energy and warm smile.
Despite the challenges he has faced in his personal life, Short’s optimistic demeanor stands out. A new documentary, “Marty: Life Is Short,” directed by Lawrence Kasdan, explores his journey. Kasdan, a family friend and Hollywood legend, convinced Short to participate in the film. “It was not a natural instinct of his to want it,” Kasdan explained. “I had to sell him on it.” The documentary includes home movie footage and appearances by Short’s friends such as Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell, and Steven Spielberg.
Martin Short’s life has not been without hardship. The youngest of five children, he lost his brother in a car accident at age 12. By his late teens, both of his parents had passed away. Reflecting on these losses, Short shared, “What it developed in me was this muscle of survival and handling grief and a perspective on it.” He believes these experiences made him fearless on stage. “If you’ve gone through that, an audience not liking you is really not that important anymore,” he said.
His fearless attitude led him to Toronto’s Second City in 1977, where he joined peers like Eugene Levy, John Candy, and Catherine O’Hara. Short fondly remembered O’Hara, who died in January, stating, “There was no one more brilliant…and she, more than anyone on ‘SCTV,’ would sit behind the camera and give you suggestions.”
The documentary delves into both the joyous and painful moments of Short’s life. He lost his wife, Nancy Dolman, to ovarian cancer in 2010 after 30 years of marriage. He described her as funny, with plenty of edge. They had an ‘equal ping pong match’ in their relationship. Short also dedicated part of the film to their daughter Katherine, who struggled with mental health issues and died by suicide in February at age 42. “It’s been a nightmare for the family,” Short admitted, recognizing mental health as a severe illness.
Short has lived in Pacific Palisades, California, since the late 1980s. “I bought this in November of ’87,” he shared, recalling a time when he and Nancy faced uncertainty after a movie deal fell through. Yet, she encouraged resilience with a simple solution: “Then we’d move?”
Recently, fires spared Short’s home, but his son’s home was destroyed. “My son Oliver and his wife are temporarily living in Newport Beach, because their house burned down,” Short said. Despite such overwhelming events, moments with his grandsons remind him of life’s purpose. “I got to Newport, and these two grandsons, five and four, just jump, ‘Papa! Let’s play giant!’ And suddenly you go, ‘Oh, that’s why. That’s why. Okay.'”
There’s more in store for Short, including a new season of “Only Murders In the Building” and a potential Broadway project with Meryl Streep. “We are trying to figure out something,” he joked about Streep’s box office appeal.
In the documentary, Ron Howard asked Short why he continues pushing himself. Short replied, “I just think it’s important, if you’re ‘gifted,’ to share that gift, of course, with people!” His ability to find humor in life’s toughest moments remains a true gift that brings laughter to so many.
When his wife fell ill, she wanted him to continue working, so he did. “I didn’t work as much,” he admitted, recounting working on “Damages” during her last months. He understands the necessity of moving forward even during difficult times. “You have to do things in difficult times. And the mark of the man is: Can you do it?”
Short’s mantra: “You head for the light.”
For assistance: If you or someone you know is in distress or a suicidal crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for phone or text support. The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine is available Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI or email [email protected].