This article mentions suicide and bereavement.
I think it can be agreed that Martin Short has endured more than his fair share of loss over the years, with the 76-year-old star first experiencing profound grief when he was just 12 years old.
Martin was at a summer camp when he learned that his older brother had been killed in a car accident. By the time that he was 20, both of the beloved actor’s parents had also died; his mom, Olive, from cancer, and his dad, Charles, from ill health.
In 1989, Martin’s incredibly close friend Gilda Radner died from ovarian cancer at age 42 — and the same illness took the life of his wife, Nancy, in 2010. Nancy was diagnosed three years earlier, with Martin saying in his 2014 memoir: "Nancy's death was awful, by far the most awful thing I've ever been through."
He also said in his memoir that family friend Nora Ephron was instrumental in helping the family through Nancy’s death, and just two years after Nancy’s death, he was left devastated when Nora died after the rare blood disorder she was diagnosed with in 2006 developed into leukemia.
More recently, Martin has lost other close friends, including Diane Keaton from bacterial pneumonia, Catherine O’Hara from a pulmonary embolism, and Rob Reiner, who was murdered.
And then, in February, it was announced that Martin’s daughter, Katherine Short, had died by suicide at age 42. Confirming their tragic loss in a statement, Katherine’s family said: “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
Martin broke his silence on his most recent bereavement in May, where he won praise for his thoughtful comments on Katherine’s suicide. Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning, he said: “You know, it’s been a nightmare for the family. But the understanding that mental health and cancer, like my wife, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases, they are terminal.”
"And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn’t,” he went on. Referencing his wife, Martin added: “Nan’s last words to me were: ‘Mart, let me go,’ and [Katherine] was just saying: ‘Dad, let me go.’”
Now, in a new interview with IndieWire, Martin has opened up some more about how he copes with grief, revealing that despite everything he has been through, he has “never been in therapy.”
“When loss and grief suddenly or subtly encompasses your life, it’s your friends and family that help you through and remind you of the journey. So you find the light,” he told the publication.
He also reflected on his recent Netflix documentary, Marty, Life Is Short, which delighted fans with intimate home videos that showed his private life with his wife, Nancy, and their famous friends. The archival footage was spliced with recent interviews with Martin’s inner circle, including Catherine O’Hara, who died in January.
Martin confessed that he found watching the rough cut of the personal footage “difficult,” and “not healing.” He added: “It’s just as Mike Nichols always said: ‘Just keep the conversation going.’ And that’s what you do. When your dear friend suddenly dies, you keep talking to that friend. You know what he’s going to say or she’s going to say. You’re used to the answers, you know.”
IndieWire also reports that Martin’s relationship with Meryl Streep and the rest of his Only Murders in the Building costars has been a huge support for him, with Martin agreeing: “All those things, absolutely. That work is always good for grief because if you take it seriously and it still matters to you, then it’s the ultimate distraction, and distraction can be a relief from grief.”
“I’ve never been in therapy,” he added. “Never. Never. When my brother and parents died, and I was now in this big house with the housekeeper at 19 and 20, it was Hamilton, Ontario, 1970. So it wasn’t about therapy; it was about no one. I didn’t know anyone. In Hamilton, it’s just you. I biked all over the city. I’d bike up the hills and paint and write. I was the youngest of five, so now there’s four. But the [others] took over aggressively, nurtured and worried, and that’s how I continued. You learn to do it.”
“Listen, ideally, if no one needed a crutch for anything, wouldn’t they be stronger?” Martin concluded. “So, believe me, if I was suddenly depressed or in despair, but didn’t know why, then I’d run to a therapist. But I’ve never been that way. I’m sad now, but you know what? I should be sad now. It’s OK to be sad.”
As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
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