Steve Martin and Martin Short's Friendship Timeline (original) (raw)
Steve Martin and Martin Short are one iconic duo, on and off screen.
The comedic actors first worked together in the comedy film Three Amigos! in 1986 and have been making us laugh over their friendship ever since.
In addition to starring in numerous projects together, including the Father of the Bride films and Hulu's Only Murders in the Building alongside Selena Gomez, the two have hit the road together on various comedy tours.
They've also been by each other's side for big career milestones. Short notably gave a hilarious speech as Martin was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015.
"Steve's best quality is who he is as a man," Short previously told PEOPLE of Martin. "He's very moral, he's very loyal, very, very ethical. And this is beyond all that talent."
Martin echoed those same sentiments calling his longtime friend "the perfect person." "He's smart, he's funny," he continued. "He has many friends. He's the most popular guy at your dinner party. If he's coming to a dinner party, it's a better dinner party. If Marty can't come, you cancel the party."
Look back at their decades-long friendship timeline.
1984: Steve Martin and Martin Short meet
While Three Amigos! marked Martin and Short's first project together, they actually met a few years prior. "I met Steve, the first time, backstage at The New Show, an hour-long version of Saturday Night Live in prime time that Lorne Michaels was producing for NBC," Short told InStyle.
"Steve was the guest host that week — this is in '84 — and Catherine O'Hara, my old friend, was doing the show with Steve." He explained that they met quickly backstage but didn't really connect until they met again at Martin's house, when Short picked up his script for Three Amigos!.
Dec. 6, 1986: Steve Martin and Martin Short appear on Saturday Nigh Live
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A few days before the release of Three Amigos!, Martin, Short, and Chevy Chase co-hosted Saturday Night Live together in promotion of the film.
Dec. 12, 1986: Steve Martin and Martin Short star in Three Amigos!
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On Dec. 12, 1986, Martin and Short's film Three Amigos! was released in theaters. Speaking with InStyle, the duo said they developed a friendship "pretty fast" while working together on the film.
"In the movie we were supposed to be very close friends who live in the same house. So we consciously did that — we'd play Scrabble between takes in someone's trailer," Short told the publication.
"And laughter is a great bonding mechanism. If you make someone laugh or they make you laugh, you want more of that," he continued. "When the film wrapped, we started having dinners, the three of us and our wives. And it just continued on. There was never a phase where I didn't see Steve for a couple of years."
Dec. 20, 1991: Steve Martin and Martin Short star in Father of the Bride
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A few years later, the comedic duo reunited onscreen for the romantic comedy Father of the Bride, in which Martin stars as the father of the title and Short plays his daughter's eccentric wedding coordinator.
Dec. 8, 1995: Steve Martin and Martin Short star in Father of the Bride Part II
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Following the success of Father of the Bride, Martin and Short joined forces again for the film's sequel Father of the Bride Part II, reprising their original roles from the first film.
Feb. 29, 2004: Steve Martin and Martin Short attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party together
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Following their friend Billy Crystal's hosting gig at the 2004 Oscars, Martin and Short attended the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty together, goofing off for the cameras on the red carpet.
Oct. 23, 2005: Martin Short supports Steve Martin as he receives the Mark Twain Prize
Short showed his support for Martin as he was honored with the Mark Twain Prize at Kennedy Center.
Nov. 11, 2006: Steve Martin and Martin Short appear on SNL together
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During Alec Baldwin's SNL hosting gig in November 2006, Martin and Short made a quick appearance on the show during the skit "Platinum Lounge," which also featured Paul McCartney.
April 9, 2007: Steve Martin and Martin Short honor Diane Keaton
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Martin and Short were by their Father of the Bride costar's side as Diane Keaton was honored during the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Annual Gala Tribute in 2007.
Dec. 13, 2007: Steve Martin and Martin Short have a Three Amigos! reunion on SNL
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More than 21 years after the release of Three Amigos!, Martin, Short, and Chase reunited on stage for the 25th anniversary special of SNL.
Oct. 5, 2009: Steve Martin and Martin Short appear on The Late Show with David Letterman
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In 2009, Martin and Short marked their first of many late-night show appearances together as they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.
March 10, 2013: Steve Martin and Martin Short appear on SNL
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In March 2013, Martin and Short returned to SNL again as they appeared in a skit titled "Five Timers Monologue," which celebrated host Justin Timberlake's fifth time hosting the show.
May 16, 2013: Steve Martin and Martin Short perform at Toys "R" Us Children's Fund Gala
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During the Toys "R" Us Children's Fund Gala in N.Y.C., the friends shared the stage as Martin played the banjo and Short sang.
2015: Steve Martin and Martin Short tour together
In 2015, Martin and Short embarked on their stage show A Very Stupid Conversation, which showed the two friends conversing with one another about their careers and lives.
June 4, 2015: Martin Short honors Steve Martin with Lifetime Achievement Award
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Short supported Martin as he was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015. He even gave a hilarious speech about his friend as fellow comedians Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph laughed from the audience.
Nov. 5, 2015: Steve Martin and Martin Short appear on The Tonight Show
The two showed off their comedic chops as they appeared in a sketch during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
June 2, 2016: Steve Martin appears on Martin Short's show Maya and Marty
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In 2016, Martin made a special appearance on Short's show with Maya Rudolph as they sang on stage.
June 8, 2017: Steve Martin and Martin Short honor Diane Keaton with a Lifetime Achievement Award
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In 2017, Martin and Short reunited with Keaton yet again as they honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award by performing on stage together.
May 4, 2018: Steve Martin and Martin Short do the Best Friends Challenge on The Tonight Show
The duo returned to The Tonight Show in 2018 to partake in the Best Friends Challenge where they tried to correctly guess questions about each other.
May 25, 2018: Steve Martin and Martin Short release a Netflix special
After touring together, Martin and Short released a stand-up comedy special on Netflix titled An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life.
December 2019: Steve Martin and Martin Short open up to PEOPLE about their friendship
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As the duo set to hit the road together again, they opened up to PEOPLE about their friendship and what they admire most about each other.
"Steve's best quality is who he is as a man," Short told PEOPLE of Martin. "He's very moral, he's very loyal, very, very ethical. And this is beyond all that talent."
Martin echoed those same sentiments, calling his longtime friend "the perfect person."
"He's smart, he's funny," he told PEOPLE. "He has many friends. He's the most popular guy at your dinner party. If he's coming to a dinner party, it's a better dinner party. If Marty can't come, you cancel the party."
2021: Steve Martin and Martin Short go on tour together
In 2021, the friends toured together for their comedy show titled The Funniest Show in Town at the Moment.
"It's really fun," Martin told InStyle of performing with Short. "And we don't have quarrels. We're both in the same boat when we're onstage. These tickets are expensive, and I always feel a little bit guilty, so we just want to give the best show possible."
Short added, "What Steve and I still share at this stage of our lives is this unbelievable satisfaction when you do a good show. We have fun. We have dinner and drink wine after, and laugh. It's a great hang."
Aug. 31, 2021: Steve Martin and Martin Short star on Only Murders in the Building
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After their tour, the two joined forces with Selena Gomez as they released their Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, which Martin co-created with John Hoffman. In addition to starring, Martin, Short, and Gomez all serve as executive producers as well.
While Martin came up with the idea for the show, he only agreed to star on the show if Short joined him. "It was three different people, and then it was suggested to me, 'Would you like to do it?' I said, "Well, I mean, if Marty did it, maybe I'd do it,'" Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. "Then Selena came in as the cherry on top, and it started to seem like a better idea than it originally was."
March 25, 2022: Steve Martin and Martin Short kick off their You Won't Believe What They Look Like Today! tour
The two comedians embarked on another nationwide tour that built on their previous times on the road together. "We are constantly working on our show, and so it's always… I'd say after every show, there's at least an incremental change," Martin explained. "And then occasionally [Short] will come up with a whole new five minute routine that we put in."
April 27, 2022: Martin Short and Steve Martin attend Mr. Saturday Night opening
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In April 2022, Short and Martin supported their friend Billy Crystal at the Broadway opening of his show Mr. Saturday Night, based on the 1992 film of the same name.
May 17, 2022: Martin Short and Steve Martin promote Only Murders in the Building season 2
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In May 2022, Short and Martin attended the ABC Disney Upfront alongside Selena Gomez as they promoted the new season of their hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.
July 12, 2022: Steve Martin and Martin Short both get nominated for Emmys
The costars got matching Emmy nominations as they were both nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy series for their work on Only Murders in the Building.
"We're thrilled. We're thrilled at the nominations, not only for us but for the show," Martin told the New York Times about their Emmy nods, adding that they were "dismayed" that their costar Gomez wasn't nominated for outstanding actress in a comedy series. "She's so crucial to our performances, really," he added.
July 13, 2022: Steve Martin and Martin Short appear on the cover of PEOPLE together
CAITLIN CRONENBERG
In PEOPLE's cover story, Martin and Short reflected on their decades-long friendship with each other.
"Often, you make a film and you never see the other actors again," Short said of first working with Martin on Three Amigos!. "We were having dinners and vacationing together right away, and then [Steve and I] made three other films together."
"There's just an ease between us," Martin added. "Sometimes, I'll hang out with Marty and I'll realize I haven't laughed that hard in two months. And that just feels great."
Sept. 12, 2022: Steve Martin and Martin Short attend the 2022 Emmys together
Steve Martin and Martin Short. Getty
The friends supported each other at the 2022 Emmys, where they were both nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy series for their roles in Only Murders in the Building.
Speaking with E!'s Laverne Cox on the 2022 Emmy Awards red carpet Monday night, the Only Murders in the Building costars opened up about whether Martin was planning to retire following the actor's recent comments in The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn't planning "to seek" out other shows and movies after the Hulu series ended.
While Martin noted it's "a little overstated," Short quipped, "I can't imagine him ever retiring. I hope not, because then you know what happens to me," concluding with a hilarious finger-across-the-neck gesture.
Nov. 29, 2022: Steve Martin and Martin Short are announced as cohosts of SNL
In November, it was announced that the costars would be co-hosting SNL together for the Dec. 10, 2022 episode. Over the years, the two have appeared on the show many times, including their first appearance together on Dec. 6, 1986.
December 10, 2022: Steve Martin and Martin Short host SNL
The comedic duo's opening monologue — which included a surprise appearance from their Only Murders in the Building costar Selena Gomez — lasted roughly seven minutes. Martin and Short tossed jokes back and forth about what they'd say at each other's funerals.
As "really really sad" music played in the background, Martin said: "Wow, not much of a turnout. I'll always be haunted by Marty's last words, 'Tesla autopilot engage.' "
Short interrupted Martin's eulogy and quipped: "There are so many great things that I could say about Steve Martin but this hardly seems the time nor the place. I know Steve is looking down on us right now because he always looked down on everybody."
April 29, 2024: Martin Short says his friendship with Steve Martin is "tied around a concept of ongoing laughter"
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Short hopes to keep laughing with Martin for many years to come.
"Steve and my friendship is tied around a concept of ongoing laughter — and respect for each other and love for each other — but laughter,” he told PEOPLE. “[I'd] like to just keep laughing."