Martin Short discusses his longtime friendship with Steve Martin, his lack of nervousness while performing, and the empowerment that he felt after losing his parents and brother at a young age.
I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend,
Nathan’s good in it. [His part] had long speeches. He wouldn’t bring his script. He wouldn’t blow one word. It was intimidating, but I’ve known him for a long while.Backstage at “The Goodbye Girl.” 1993. Broadway. I think he was doing, not “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” but he was doing something. He wasDid he feel very New York to you when you met him?
Well, what I’ve always noticed with character is, you go and pick up your shirt at the cleaners and the guy says [affects a dopey, stoner-y voice], “I couldn’t get the stain out, I really tried” and he’s wearing madras shorts and he’s got a ponytail. And you look at him and you say, “He’s not trying to be a character on ‘S.N.L.,’ but he.” But the difference is, he’s being sincere in his weirdness.
I remember when I first did Ed Grimley. I was doing this piece where he’s hypnotized by a snake. Dave Thomas came down and went, “I have no idea what you’re doing, but it’s hilarious.” That was the strength of the show. Everyone was trusted.We’d also known each other for a long time. I remember I met Catherine when she was seventeen. I was going out with Gilda [Radner] and Catherine came with her friend Robin Duke to see “Godspell,” and then we went out for dinner afterwards.
Comedy is a field full of insecurities. But you were able to somehow transcend it or float above it, it seems? When you were writing back in the day with Christopher Guest or Harry Shearer, did you feel like they could just key into your humor? I have this story in my memory. I know all the dates. It’s 2002, I’m at Spago. And I was having dinner with Rob Marshall, the director, and Victor Garber. And Victor says, “Oh, jeez, look who’s over there.” It’s Joni Mitchell. And I love Joni Mitchell, so I went over and introduced myself, and she said, “Sit down,” so I sat down. And we just discussed careers. She was a fan of “SCTV,” and I knew all about her stuff. And we’re having some white wines, I’m bumming her Spirit cigarettes.
That was something. It was 1988, January. I’d never done “Johnny Carson,” so I was supposed to be the first guest up. And then they phoned me and said, “Oh, is it possible you could switch? Because Bette Davis can only do that night now.” I said, “I am honored and thrilled to be the second guest out.” And then I told Rob Reiner I was going to do “The Tonight Show” with Bette Davis. He said, “I’ll give you a hundred dollars if you do Bette DavisBette Davis.
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