Martin Short Bio
Martin Hayter Short OC, born on March 26, 1950, is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer celebrated for his high-energy performances and beloved comedic characters. Across more than five decades in entertainment, he has become a defining figure in sketch comedy through his work on SCTV and Saturday Night Live, while also building a respected résumé in feature films, voice acting, and Broadway musicals. His career honors include two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and in 2019 he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Short is widely recognized for creating memorable characters such as the wildly enthusiastic Ed Grimley and the oversized personality Jiminy Glick, both of which have become staples of his live shows and television appearances. In recent years, he has reached a new generation of viewers through the Hulu crime comedy series Only Murders in the Building, where he stars alongside Steve Martin and Selena Gomez.
Early Life and Background
Martin Hayter Short was born on March 26, 1950, in Hamilton, Ontario, the youngest of five children. His mother, Olive Grace Hayter, was a Canadian-born concertmistress with the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, while his father, Charles Patrick Short, was a corporate executive at the Canadian steel company Stelco who had emigrated from Crossmaglen in Northern Ireland as a stowaway during the Irish War of Independence. Short has spoken publicly about his father’s struggles with alcoholism during his childhood.
Short and his siblings, three older brothers named David, Michael, and Brian, and an older sister named Nora, were raised as Catholics. The family experienced significant loss when Short was only twelve, as his eldest brother David was killed in a car accident in Montréal in 1962. Encouraged by his mother in his early creative endeavors, Short attended Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton and went on to graduate from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work in 1971. His mother died of cancer in 1968, and his father passed away two years later from complications related to a stroke.
Path to Comedy
Just as Short was preparing to graduate from McMaster University, he moved to Toronto with the intention of trying acting briefly before settling into a career in social work. In March 1972, he landed his first paid acting job, appearing as a plastic credit card inside a woman’s purse in a Chargex television commercial. Shortly afterward, he was cast by composer Stephen Schwartz in the new 1972 Toronto production of the Broadway hit Godspell at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, where his castmates included Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, and Andrea Martin.
Encouraged by his McMaster classmates Eugene Levy and Dave Thomas, Short eventually overcame his early reluctance about improv comedy and joined the Toronto troupe of The Second City in March 1977. He took over the role previously held by John Candy in The Wizard of Ossington, the group’s ninth revue. He then secured his feature film debut in 1978 with a supporting role in the British romantic comedy Lost and Found, starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson.
Martin Short Career
Early Career (1972–1976)
After moving to Toronto, Short built his stage profile through a long run in the Toronto production of Godspell at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and later at the Bayview Playhouse, where the show ran for 488 performances. He also appeared on the government-funded CBC TV program Right On and played the role of Smokey the Hare on the TVOntario children’s series Cucumber. His growing reputation in Canadian theater led to early television guest spots and supporting stage roles, including a 1972 staging of John Herbert’s drama Fortune and Men’s Eyes.
In 1974, Short was hired as a writer on Everything Goes, a nightly variety show on the newly launched Global Television Network. Although the program lasted less than six months, the work helped him transition from stage performer to a fuller comedy writer and television contributor, setting the stage for his eventual breakthrough on SCTV.
Breakthrough (1977–1985)
Short achieved wider public recognition when the Toronto Second City troupe launched Second City Television (SCTV), which aired in both Canada and the United States. Appearing on SCTV during the 1982–83 season, he developed a series of popular characters before moving on to Saturday Night Live for the 1984–85 season. His SCTV appearance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1983.
Joining Saturday Night Live helped revive the show’s fanbase following the departure of Eddie Murphy, and Short’s many characters became highlights of season ten. Among his most memorable creations was the geeky Ed Grimley, an enthusiastic everyman obsessed with Wheel of Fortune and prone to unusual situations, along with sharp impressions of celebrities such as Jerry Lewis and Katharine Hepburn.
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond sketch comedy, Short built a notable film résumé during the 1980s and 1990s, starring in movies including Three Amigos (1986), Innerspace (1987), Three Fugitives (1989), and the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride, where his scene-stealing wedding planner Franck Eggelhoffer became a fan favorite. He later reprised the role in Father of the Bride Part II (1995) and returned to the character for the short film Father of the Bride Part 3(ish) (2020). His voice acting work includes The Prince of Egypt (1998), Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), Treasure Planet (2002), Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012), and Frankenweenie (2012). On Broadway, he earned a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for the 1999 revival of Little Me, following an earlier Tony nomination for the 1993 musical The Goodbye Girl.
Martin Short Award Nominations
Across his career, Martin Short has accumulated a remarkable number of high-profile nominations. His work on the sketch series SCTV earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1983, while his performance as the title character in the 1998 Broadway musical Little Me brought him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1999. He has also received Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice nominations for his acting work, including a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Morning Show and further nominations for Only Murders in the Building.
Martin Short Awards Won
Short’s award history reflects his standing across comedy, theater, and television. In 1983, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for SCTV, and in 1999 he earned a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Little Me. His later honors include a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in Only Murders in the Building, and in 2019 he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to Canadian arts and entertainment.
Martin Short Family
Martin Short was raised in a close-knit Catholic family in Hamilton, Ontario. His mother, Olive Grace Hayter, was a concertmistress with the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, and his father, Charles Patrick Short, was a corporate executive at the Canadian steel company Stelco. He had three older brothers, David, Michael, and Brian, and an older sister, Nora. His brother Michael became a celebrated comedy writer who worked at SCTV and won multiple Emmy Awards for sketch writing.
Short is a first cousin of Clare Short, a former member of the British Parliament and cabinet minister. His late wife Nancy Dolman’s brother, screenwriter Bob Dolman, married their close friend and colleague Andrea Martin in 1980, making Short an uncle to their two sons, Jack and Joe.
Personal Life
Short met Canadian comic actress Nancy Dolman in 1972 during the run of Godspell, and the couple married in 1980. Dolman retired from show business in 1985 to focus on raising their family, and the couple adopted three children: Katherine, Oliver, and Henry. The family lived in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, and also maintained a home on Lake Rosseau in Ontario.
Dolman died of ovarian cancer on August 21, 2010. Short has continued to honor her memory publicly, including accepting a Courage Award on her behalf at a 2011 gala for the Women’s Research Cancer Fund. He is a naturalized United States citizen while retaining his Canadian citizenship, as well as Irish and British citizenship.