Martin Short Admits He Was ‘Nervous’ to Work With Meryl Streep

Despite acting for more than 40 years, Martin Short said he still gets anxious working with Hollywood royalty like Meryl Streep.

“It was one of the great thrills of my life,” Short, 73, said of working alongside Streep, 74, on Only Murders in the Building at a For Your Consideration event captured by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, March 1. “In fact, the first day of shooting – which was rare because I’m not brand new – I was driving to work and I thought, ‘I’m nervous today. I’m working with Meryl Streep.’”

Before joining the show in season 3, Streep said she was a huge fan of the show that also includes Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. 

After having a “really fun” time working with Martin on the 2009 film It’s Complicated, Streep said she decided to call him directly in hopes of securing a spot on the show.

“I actually did call them up and ask. Doesn’t everyone want to be on this show? Clearly they do because next season, they all are,” she said while referencing Eugene Levy, Molly Shannon and Eva Longoria’s upcoming appearances for season 4. “They have to erect barriers to keep these actors out. I was a huge fan of the show, but I also just wanted to have some fun because the world is pretty sh–ty right now.”

In the middle of the discussion, Gomez, 31, couldn’t hide her excitement that Streep was a fan of the show before becoming a part of the ensemble cast.

“Can you believe that Meryl Streep wanted to be on this show?” she asked. “I could die.”

Streep – who plays an actress who finally gets her big break after decades of trying to land a job – quickly won over viewers and critics alike with her performance of Loretta Durkin in season 3. Her character also finds herself in a romantic relationship with Oliver Putman (Short), which is expected to carry on into season 4.

At the 2024 Golden Globes in January, Streep was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and sat at the same table as Short, who earned his third consecutive nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy.

Related: Meryl Streep: The Oscar Winner Through the Years

A timeless beauty! Meryl Streep has been in the business for more than forty years and shows no signs of stopping, continuing to stun on the red carpet and earn 18 Oscar nominations for her acting abilities — see photos of the celebrated actress!

The pair’s onscreen chemistry and closeness at the award show led to speculation that the longtime friends could be dating in real life. Us Weekly confirmed in October 2023 that Streep and her husband of 45 years, Don Gummer, have been separated for more than six years. Short, for his part, previously lost his wife, Nancy Dolman, to ovarian cancer in 2010.

Despite their chemistry and relationship status, a rep for Short denied romance rumors between the actor and Streep telling The Messenger in a statement, “They are just very good friends, nothing more.”