Martin Short

Older brother David was killed in a car accident in 1962. His mother, Olive Short, was a child prodigy of the violin, and the first female concert-mistress in North America. She was concert-mistress for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She married Short's father, Charles Patrick Short, in 1935 - an Irish VP of Canada's largest steel company who came to North America as a stowaway. Olive Short died in 1970 after a five-year battle with cancer. Charles Patrick Short died in 1972 as a result of complications from a stroke.

Met future Second City collaborator Dave Thomas in college in 1970, where they began acting together. Short appeared with Thomas in a production of "MacBeth" with Short as Lennox and Thomas as Banquo. A legendary production of "Godspell" in 1972 would include Thomas, plus other Canadian funsters Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Paul Shaffer and Andrea Martin. His future wife Nancy Dolman was Radner's understudy. Short first dated Radner and then began dating Dolman in 1974. They married in 1980.

Went dramatic and appeared in a 1974 production of "Fortune and Men's Eyes" which dealt with prison rape.

Was supposed to host the 1994 season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" (1975), but he had to back out at the last minute. He was replaced by Steve Martin.

Is one of very few former "Saturday Night Live" (1975) cast members to make guest appearances on the rival Saturday night sketch comedy show "MADtv" (1995) .

Husband of Canadian comic actress Nancy Dolman, most notable for her recurring role on the ABC cult sitcom "Soap" (1977) and "Custard Pie" (1977). She also appeared in his critically acclaimed 1985 television special, Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas (1985) (TV).

In the fall of 1980, Short joined the cast of "I'm a Big Girl Now" (1980), a sitcom vehicle for Diana Canova that also starred Danny Thomas. Canova was offered the sitcom after her huge success playing Corinne Tate Flotsky on ABC's "Soap" (1977). She left the cast of the latter show in order to accept the offer - shortly before Short's newlywed wife, Nancy Dolman, joined the cast. "I'm a Big Girl Now" (1980) was an instant flop, and ratings declined for "Soap" (1977), causing both shows to be canceled that season.

Uncle to Bob Dolman's and Andrea Martin's two sons, Jack Dolman (born 1981) and Joe Dolman (born 1983).

Has three children: Katherine Elizabeth (born December 3rd, 1983), Oliver Patrick (born 1986) and Henry (born 1990)

In Pure Luck (1991) Proctor's (Short) violent, allergic reaction to bee stings influenced the make-up idea behind "Primetime Glick" (2001).

On "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994), said his favorite curse word is "poo".

He was awarded the C.M. (Member of the Order of Canada) on April 13, 1994 for his services to entertainment.

Received the Earl Grey Award for his work in "Second City TV" (1976) at the Gemini Theatre in Toronto. [1995]

Won a Tony Award for best actor in a musical for his performance in the Broadway revival of Little Me. [1999]

Won Broadway's 1999 Tony Award as best actor (musical) for a revival of Little Me. He was also nominated in the same category in 1993 for The Goodbye Girl.

He was Mel Brooks' first choice to star opposite Nathan Lane as Leo Bloom in his Broadway version of "The Producers". In 2000 Short was hosting his short-lived talk show, "The Martin Short Show" (1999), and Brooks and Lane appeared as guests on the same episode--during which, sitting between Lane and Short, Brooks pulled out the contract for "The Producers", wanting them both to sign it right there. This was met with gales of surprised and flattered laughter from the two actors. Having professional obligations on the West Coast due to the talk show, as well as family obligations (he had three children enrolled in school in the Los Angeles area at the time) Short had to decline, and was visibly guilty as he told Brooks he couldn't sign at that moment and would consider the offer later. Lane helped the situation by doing the same. While Lane later accepted, Short declined and Matthew Broderick took his place (earning a Tony Award nomination). Short wound up enjoying a successful run opposite Jason Alexander in the Los Angeles production of "The Producers" in 2003.

Daughter Katherine Elizabeth Short currently attends New York University. She was chosen in 2003 to serve as Queen Shenandoah LXXVI for the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia. She is an aspiring actress.

Was nominated for the 2007 Tony Award for supporting or featured actor in a musical for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.

His wife, actress Nancy Dolman, passed away from cancer on August 21st, 2010. She had been battling the disease since 2007.

In May 2012, while appearing on the "Today" Show, host Kathie Gifford asked Martin Short several questions about his marriage to his wife, Nancy, in the present tense, indicating that she had no idea that Nancy had died two years earlier. After Short's segment was over, Gifford reappeared to apologize for not knowing about the death and the whole line of questioning.