Canadian comedian and actor Martin Short.JORDAN STRAUSS/The Associated Press
The man who created some of comedy’s best-loved characters, from Ed Grimley to Jiminy Glick, was forged 75 years ago this month in Hamilton, Ont. He stars in Only Murders in the Building and is reportedly dating his smokin’ co-star, Meryl Streep, proving that totally decent guys do win.
Life goes on
When Short was 12, his eldest brother, Dave, died in a car crash. By the time he was 20, both his parents were gone, too. In 2010, his wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, died from cancer. But as he wrote in his delightful 2014 memoir, I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, “Something terrible can happen to you, and yet, the day after this something terrible, the sun still rises, and life goes on. And therefore, so must you.”
Chase your dreams
Though young Marty spent all his time singing, dancing and making a one-man variety show in his room, he never considered a career in show biz. He went to McMaster for social work—safe, practical. But with both parents gone, he decided to give acting a chance before getting on with real life. He got his first gig almost immediately, playing a Chargex credit card. Pretty soon he landed a run in Godspell, and the rest is comedy history.
ABC (Always Be Co-starring)
Short has been an ensemble man for most of his career. In Godspell, he met Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin, who would form the nucleus of his SCTV family a few years later, along with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. In Three Amigos!, he teamed up with Steve Martin, who would become a lifelong comedy partner (including in OMITB). The point: Finding the right team elevates everyone’s game.
Don’t let fear stop you
When Second City announced it was setting up a Toronto outpost, Short’s Godspell cronies clamoured for auditions. But Short refused. He told everyone—even himself—that he preferred the stage. The truth was, he was afraid of not making it, a fact he only admitted after ditching a dinner with Bill Murray because he was ashamed of where he was at career-wise. Once he finally admitted how miserable he was, he asked for an audition and went on to become a comedy legend.
Be as happy as you can
Short is a deeply pragmatic person. He maintains a list broken down by health, family, friends, money, career, lifestyle and so on, and regularly gives himself a report card on each one. “Health: Have I had my annual physical? Friends: Do I need to phone so-and-so? To me, life is a practical experience each day, with a coating of ‘Be as happy as you can be’ on top.”
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