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Martin Short

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For the author of the same name, see Martin Short (author).
Martin Short
Short at PaleyFest 2014
Born
Martin Hayter Short

(1950-03-26) March 26, 1950 (age 74)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian American
EducationWestdale Secondary School
Alma materMcMaster University
Occupation(s)Comedian, actor, singer, screenwriter, producer, author
Years active1972–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1980⁠–⁠2010)​
; her death
Children3

Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is an Emmy and Tony Award-winning Canadian actor,[1] comedian, writer, singer, author, and producer. He is best known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live. He starred in such comedic films as Three Amigos (1986), Innerspace (1987), Father of the Bride (1991), Pure Luck (1991), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997) and created the characters of Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley. He also has appeared on stage and won the Tony Award for Leading Actor in a Musical for the 1999 Broadway revival of Little Me.

Early life

Short was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the youngest of five children of Olive Grace (née Hayter; 1913–70), a concertmistress of the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra,[2] and Charles Patrick Short (1909–72), a corporate executive with Stelco, a Canadian steel company. He and his siblings were raised as Catholics.[3] He had three older brothers, David (now deceased), Michael, and Brian, and one older sister, Nora.[4][5] Short's father was a Catholic immigrant from Crossmaglen, South Armagh (present-day Northern Ireland), who came to North America as a stowaway during the Irish War of Independence.[6][7] Short's mother was of English and Irish descent.[8] She encouraged Martin's early creative endeavours.[3] His eldest brother, David, was killed in a car accident in 1962 when Short was 12. His mother died of cancer in 1968, his father two years later of complications from a stroke.[9]

Short attended Westdale Secondary School and graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work in 1971.[10]

Career

Early career

When Short graduated from McMaster University, he intended to pursue a career in social work; however, he became interested in acting once he was cast in a Toronto production of Godspell that same year.[11] Among other members of that production's cast were Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, and Andrea Martin; Paul Shaffer was the musical director.[12] He was subsequently cast in several television shows and plays, including the drama Fortune and Men's Eyes (1972).[12] He worked solely in Canada through 1979. In 1979, Short starred in the U.S. sitcom The Associates about a group of young novice lawyers working at a Wall Street law firm. In 1980, he joined the cast of I'm a Big Girl Now, a sitcom starring Diana Canova and Danny Thomas.[13] Canova was offered the sitcom because of her success playing Corinne Tate Flotsky on ABC's Soap and left Soap shortly before Short's newlywed wife Nancy Dolman joined it.

SCTV

Short was encouraged to pursue comedy by McMaster classmates Eugene Levy and Dave Thomas, whom he joined in the improvisation group The Second City in Edmonton, Alberta in 1977.[11] He came to public notice when the group produced a show for television, Second City Television or SCTV, which ran for several years in Canada, then the United States. Short appeared on SCTV in 1982–1983.[11] At SCTV Short developed several characters before moving on to Saturday Night Live for the 1984–1985 season:

Saturday Night Live

Short joined Saturday Night Live in 1984–1985.[14] He helped revive the show with his many characters for the show's tenth season (the last one produced by Dick Ebersol). "Short's appearance on SNL helped to revive the show's fanbase, which had flagged after the departure of Eddie Murphy, and in turn, would launch his successful career in films and television."[13] His SNL characters included manic man-child and Wheel of Fortune fan Ed Grimley, a holdover from his SCTV days. He also did impressions of such celebrities as Jerry Lewis and Katharine Hepburn.[14]

Television

In addition to his work on SCTV and SNL, Short has starred in several television specials and series of his own. In 1985, Short starred in the one-hour Showtime special, Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas.[15] This was Short's first live concert, interspersed with studio sketches and a wraparound featuring Jackie Rogers Jr. Co-produced by the CBC, this aired as The Martin Short Comedy Special in Canada in March 1986. In 1989, Short headlined another one-hour comedy special, this time for HBO, I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood, Short's classic send-up of all things Hollywood. It featured many of his characters including: Ed Grimley, Jackie Rogers Jr.[16]

Short has had three television shows called The Martin Short Show, including a sitcom, The Martin Short Show, 1994; a sketch comedy show, The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show, 1995; and a syndicated talk show The Martin Short Show, which ran from 1999 to 2000.[17]

Short starred as Jiminy Glick on Comedy Central's Primetime Glick (2001–03). He interviewed performers and celebrties as the character Jiminy Glick.[18] The character was called "the most unpredictable and hilariously uninhibited comic creation to hit TV since Bart Simpson was in diapers."[19]

In addition to his own series, Short has guest starred on several shows including Arrested Development (episode titled "Ready, Aim, Marry Me", 2005), Muppets Tonight (1996),[20] Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Weeds. He joined the FX drama Damages as lawyer Leonard Winstone in 2010.[21]

Short voices the Cat in the Hat in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! on the Public Broadcasting Service in 2010.[22]

He shot a new comedy special for television in Toronto in September 2011.[23] The special, I, Martin Short, Goes Home follows Martin's return to his native Hamilton, Ontario and has a cast that includes Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty and Fred Willard. The special aired on CBC Television on April 3, 2012, and garnered Short a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Program or Series at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards. In 2011, Short joined the cast of How I Met Your Mother for its seventh season, playing Marshall Eriksen's manic boss[24] and was a judge on the first and only season of Canada's Got Talent (2012).[25]

He, along with Steve Martin and Chevy Chase appeared on an episode of Saturday Night Live as part of the "Five-Timers Club", on March 9, 2013, which is all of the those who have hosted the show for five or more times. However, Short appeared as a waiter, as he has only hosted twice.[26][27]

Beginning October, 2014,[28] Short stars in the Fox sitcom, Mulaney, playing the boss of the show's central character, creator/writer/producer John Mulaney.

Film

After doing sketch comedy for several years, Short focused on film—appearing in ¡Three Amigos!, Innerspace, The Big Picture, Captain Ron, Clifford, Three Fugitives (1989), directed by Francis Veber, with Nick Nolte and James Earl Jones, the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride, and its sequel, and in Pure Luck (1991), directed by Nadia Tass, with Danny Glover and Sheila Kelley.[29]

Hosting Broadway on Broadway, 2006

In 1996, he appeared in Tim Burton's sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks![29] as image-obsessed, hormonally driven Press Secretary Jerry Ross. In 1997, he appeared as Wall Street broker Richard Kempster in Jungle 2 Jungle alongside Tim Allen.[30]

In 2004, he wrote and starred in Jiminy Glick in Lalawood with Jan Hooks as his wife, Dixie Glick.[31] In 2006, he starred in another movie with Tim Allen, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.[32]

Short also provided the voices of several animated film characters, such as Stubbs in We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Hubie in The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), Huy in The Prince of Egypt (1998) (alongside Steve Martin as Hotep), Ooblar in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), B.E.N. in Treasure Planet (2002),Thimbletack the Brownie in The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), Stefano the sea lion in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)[29][33] and The Jester in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014).

Martin Short is the host of a Disney World attraction, O Canada!, a Circle-Vision 360° film at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park.[34]

Stage

Short resumed work in the theater, playing a lead role in the 1993 musical version of the Neil Simon film The Goodbye Girl, on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award.[35][36][37]

He had the lead role in the 1999 Broadway revival of the musical Little Me, for which he received a Tony Award and another Outer Critics Circle Award.[38][39][40]

In 2003, Short took to the stage once again in the critically acclaimed Los Angeles run of The Producers. Short played the role of the accountant, Leo Bloom, opposite Jason Alexander's Max Bialystock.[41][42] Although the role of Leo Bloom was originated on Broadway by Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks first approached Short about doing the part opposite Nathan Lane.[43] On the subject, Short has stated in numerous interviews that, while he was thrilled by the opportunity, the idea of having to move his family from their Los Angeles home to New York for a year was less than ideal and ultimately proved a deal-breaker.

Short performed in his satirical one-man show, with a cast of six, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. The show toured several cities in the spring of 2006, prior to opening on Broadway in August 2006; the show closed in January 2007. In it, he performed his classic characters Grimley, Cohen, and Glick.[44][45][46][47]

As Glick, Short brought a member of the audience (usually a celebrity) on stage and interviewed him or her. Jerry Seinfeld was the guest on opening night. The show also featured parodies of many celebrities including Celine Dion, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Tommy Tune, Joan Rivers, Britney Spears, Ellen DeGeneres, Renée Zellweger, Jodie Foster, Rachael Ray, and Short's wife, actress Nancy Dolman. The cast album was released on April 10, 2007, and is available from Ghostlight Records, an imprint of Sh-K-Boom Records.[48]

Short has continued to tour in his one-man show, which features many of his best-loved characters and sketches.[49] In addition to Fame Becomes Me, some titles that Short has used for his one-man show include Stroke Me Lady Fame, If I'd Saved, I Wouldn't Be Here, and Sunday in the Park with George Michael.[50] Short's memoir, covering his forty-year career in show business,[23] "I Must Say: My Life as Humble Comedy Legend", will be released on November 4, 2014.[51]

Personal life

Short dated Gilda Radner in the 1970s.[52]

Family

Short met Canadian comic actress Nancy Dolman in 1972 during the run of Godspell. The couple married in 1980. Dolman retired from show business in 1985 to be a stay-at-home mom[53] and raise her family. Nancy Short died on August 21, 2010, from ovarian cancer. Short and Dolman adopted[54] three children: Katherine Elizabeth (1983), Oliver Patrick (1986), and Henry Hayter (1989).[55]

Short and his family make their home in Pacific Palisades, California. He also has a home on Lake Rosseau in Ontario.[56] He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Short has two stars on Canada's Walk of Fame.[57] His brother Michael Short is a comedy writer and twice winner of the Emmy Award for comedy sketch writing.

Extended family

Dolman's brother, screenwriter/director Bob Dolman (who served as a part of SCTV's Emmy-winning writing team alongside Short), married their close friend and colleague Andrea Martin, also in 1980. Dolman and Short are aunt and uncle to the couple's two sons, Jack and Joe. Bob Dolman and Martin have since divorced.[58] Short is a first cousin of Clare Short, a former member of the British Parliament and former British cabinet minister.[59]

Philanthropy

Short has actively campaigned for the Women's Research Cancer Fund, and he accepted a "Courage Award" on behalf of his late wife, who succumbed to the disease in 2010, at a 2011 gala by the group.[60]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1979 Lost and Found Engel Film debut
1986 Three Amigos Ned Nederlander
1987 Innerspace Jack Putter
1987 Cross My Heart David Morgan
1989 Three Fugitives Ned Perry
1989 The Big Picture Neil Sussman Uncredited
1991 Pure Luck Eugene Proctor
1991 Father of the Bride Franck Eggelhoffer
1992 Captain Ron Martin Harvey
1993 We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story Stubbs The Clown Voice
1994 Clifford Clifford Daniels
1995 The Pebble and the Penguin Hubie Voice
1995 Father of the Bride Part II Franck Eggelhoffer
1996 Mars Attacks! Press Secretary Jerry Ross
1997 Jungle 2 Jungle Richard Kempster
1997 A Simple Wish Murray
1998 The Prince of Egypt Huy Voice
1999 Mumford Lionel Dillard
1999 Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter / Chinless Idiot
2001 Get Over It Dr. Desmond Forrest-Oates
2001 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Ooblar Voice
2002 Treasure Planet B.E.N. Voice
2002 CinéMagique George
2003 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure Lars Voice
2004 Jiminy Glick in Lalawood Jiminy Glick / David Lynch
2004 Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper Preminger Voice
2006 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Jack Frost
2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles Thimbletack Voice
2008 The Blue Elephant Jai (English) Voice
2008 America the Beautiful Himself
2011 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil The Woodsman Voice
2012 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Stefano Voice
2012 Frankenweenie Edward Frankenstein / Mr. Bergermesiter / Nassor Voice
2013 The Wind Rises Kurokawa Voice
2014 Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Jester Voice
2014 Inherent Vice Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Cucumber Smokey The Hare Episode: "Ecology ... Smokey the Hare"
1978 For the Record Weepy Episode: "Cementhead"
1979 The Associates Tucker Kerwin 13 episodes
1979 The Family Man Louie Movie
1980 The Love Boat Melvin 1 episode
1980–1981 I'm a Big Girl Now Neal Stryker 14 episodes
1981 Taxi Mitch Harris Episode: "Jim Joins the Network"
1981–1984 Second City Television Various Cast member
1984–1985 Saturday Night Live Various Cast member (season 10)
1986 Tall Tales & Legends Johnny Appleseed Episode: "Johnny Appleseed"
1986
2012		 Saturday Night Live Co-host
Host		 "Chevy Chase/Steve Martin/Martin Short/Randy Newman"
"Martin Short/Paul McCartney"
1989 Dink, The Little Dinosaur Narrator
1989
1990		 The Tracey Ullman Show Doc, The Elvis Freak
Lou, Football Fan		 "Needle in a Haystack"
"Dawg Day Afternoon"
1990 The Dave Thomas Comedy Show Himself Episode 4
1990 The Earth Day Special Nathan Thurm Special
1991 Maniac Mansion Eddie O'Donnell Episode: "Down & Out in Cedar Springs"
1992 Favorite Songs Mozart Episode: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"; voice
1996 Muppets Tonight Himself Episode: "Martin Short"
1998 Merlin Frik Miniseries
1999–2000 The Martin Short Show Himself/host 63 episodes
2001–2003 Primetime Glick Jiminy Glick 30 episodes
2002 Curb Your Enthusiasm Himself Episode: "The Terrorist Attack"
2005 Arrested Development Uncle Jack Episode: "Ready, Aim, Marry Me"
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sebastian Ballentine / Henry Palaver Episode: "Pure"
2007 Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary Himself Special
2010–
present		 The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! The Cat in the Hat Voice
2010 Damages Leonard Winstone / Lester Wiggins Main role (season 3)
2011 Weeds Steward Havens 3 episodes
2011–2012 How I Met Your Mother Garrison Cootes 3 episodes
2012 Canada's Got Talent Himself/judge Season 1; 22 episodes
2013, 2014 Hollywood Game Night Himself 2 episodes
2014 Working the Engels Chuck Pastry Episode: "Jenna vs. Big Pastry" (unaired)
2014– Mulaney Lou Cannon

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1993 The Goodbye Girl Elliot Broadway
Nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
1998-1999 Little Me Various Broadway
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
2006-2007 Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me Himself Broadway
2015 It's Only a Play James Wicker Broadway

Books

  • I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend (2014, autobiography)
Short's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

Awards and honours

Footnotes

  1. ^ Celebrity Immigrants omninfo.com, September 16, 2010. Though in 2013 he was still identifying himself as Canadian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w9tFmZm_3M
  2. ^ McLaughlin, Katie (November 4, 2014). "Martin Short stays sunny-side up". CNN. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Amy Lennard Goehner (August 6, 2006). "10 Questions For Martin Short". Time. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  4. ^ "Profile at FilmReference.com". filmreference. 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  5. ^ Stren, Olivia (June 2006). "Laugh Track". torontolife. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  6. ^ "Martin Short Biography" Hello Magazine, accessed August 26, 2013
  7. ^ "Profile", The Toronto Star
  8. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001737/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
  9. ^ "Fame Becomes Martin Short". CBS News The Showbuzz. September 17, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  10. ^ Carmela Fragomeni (February 24, 2006). "Westdale grads found stardom". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c d "Martin Short Biography at New York Times" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 26, 2013
  12. ^ a b "Martin Short Milestones at TCM" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013
  13. ^ a b "Martin Short Biography at TCM" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013
  14. ^ a b "Martin Short Characters, Impressions and Guest Appearances" snl.jt.org, accessed August 25, 2013
  15. ^ "Martin Short Concert For the North Americas" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013
  16. ^ "I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013
  17. ^ "Martin Short Biography" movies.yahoo.com (googleusercontent.com), accessed August 26, 2013
  18. ^ Hernandez, Ernio. "Brooks, Alexander, Mullally Among Stars to Appear on Martin Short's 'Primetime Glick' " playbill.com, April 15, 2003
  19. ^ Hinson, Hal. TELEVISION/RADIO; A Tempest in a Talk Show: Jiminy Glick's Wild Ride" The New York Times, (webcache.googleusercontent.com), April 14, 2002
  20. ^ " 'Muppets Tonight' Martin Short" tv.com, accessed August 26, 2013
  21. ^ Clark, Cindy. "Something new for Short: A regular TV role on 'Damages'" USA Today, January 24, 2010
  22. ^ Valiquette, Mike. "Press release: Daytime Emmy noms for Canadian-produced 'Cat in the Hat'" May 11, 2011
  23. ^ a b Shields, Mel (March 27, 2011). "Martin Short promises a Reno appearance by Mr. Glick – Sacramento Entertainment – Sacramento Movie Theaters, Music | Sacramento Bee". Sacbee.com. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  24. ^ "Martin Short Joins How I Met Your Mother". nymag.com. June 28, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  25. ^ Harris, Bill. "More 'Talent' judges announced" Toronto Sun, October 17, 2011
  26. ^ "Cast, March 9, 2013 Saturday Night Live" imdb, accessed August 26, 2013
  27. ^ Johnson, Zach. "Justin Timberlake" US Magazine, March 10, 2013
  28. ^ http://www.fox.com/mulaney/
  29. ^ a b c "Martin Short Filmography" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 25, 2013
  30. ^ Deming, Mark. " 'Jungle 2 Jungle' Overview" movies.nytimes.com (Rovi), accessed August 25, 2013
  31. ^ Holden, Steven." 'Jiminy Glick in Lalawood' Overview" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 25, 2013
  32. ^ Dargis, Manola. " 'The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause' Review" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 25, 2013
  33. ^ Kennedy, Lisa. "Movie review: "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" delights as furry friends and a frenzied foes return" Denver Post, June 4, 2012
  34. ^ https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/o-canada/
  35. ^ "Internet Broadway Database listing, 'The Goodbye Girl'" Internet Broadway Database, retrieved May 21, 2010
  36. ^ Rich, Frank."Review/Theater; How Far Two Good Sports Will Go", The New York Times, March 5, 1993
  37. ^ "Martin Short Broadway Credits and Awards" playbillvault.com (webcache.googleusercontent.com), accessed August 26, 2013
  38. ^ Haun, Harry."Little Me Gives Martin Short His 3rd Neil Simon Role" playbill.com, September 14, 1998
  39. ^ McGrath, Sean."1999 Tony Winner: Martin Short (Leading Actor, Musical, Little Me)" playbill.com, June 6, 1999
  40. ^ "Internet Broadway database listing, 'Little Me'" Internet Broadway Database, retrieved May 21, 2010
  41. ^ Jones, Kenneth."Alexander and Short Join Producers Tour in San Fran, April 21–26 Before L.A. Sitdown" March 25, 2003
  42. ^ Perlmutter, Sharon."Review: The Producers" in Los Angeles talkinbroadway.com, retrieved May 21, 2010
  43. ^ "Break a Leg: The Producers Opens at Bway's St. James, April 19", playbill.com, April 19, 2001
  44. ^ Simonson, Robert."Ensemble for Martin Short's New Broadway Show Announced" playbill.com, March 24, 2006
  45. ^ Brantley, Ben."Review:'Fame Becomes Me' " The New York Times, August 18, 2006
  46. ^ Haun, Harry (August 16, 2006). "Playbill on Opening Night: Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me: Grist for the Glick Mill". Playbill.com.
  47. ^ "Photo Coverage: Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me' Opens " BroadwayWorld.com
  48. ^ Gans, Andrew."Fame Undone: Martin Short Show Closes on Broadway Jan. 7" playbill.com, January 7, 2007
  49. ^ "STG Presents Martin Short, October 3, 2013" Seattle Theatre Group, accessed August 26, 2013
  50. ^ Leggett, Page. " 'An Evening with Martin Short' ", Weekend Top Picks for March 30-April 1" Charlotte Magazine, March 28, 2012
  51. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062309525/i-must-say
  52. ^ McClurg, Jocelyn (November 6, 2014). "Comedian Martin Short has his 'say' in memoir". USA Today. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  53. ^ "Martin Short's wife dies suddenly". August 23, 2010.
  54. ^ Short, Martin (November 4, 2014). I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend. New York: HarperCollins. p. 166. ISBN 978-0062309525. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  55. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001737/bio
  56. ^ Denny Lee (September 16, 2005). "Muskoka: The Malibu of the North". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  57. ^ "Martin Short: 2000 Inductee". Canada's Walk of Fame. 2000. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  58. ^ "Andrea Martin Biography". IMDb. 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  59. ^ Street, Andrew P. "Martin Short". Time Out Sydney. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  60. ^ "Martin Short to Accept Award" huffingtonpost.com, February 4, 2011

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin Short.

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