Martin Short’s net worth is estimated at $30 million as of 2026. The Canadian-American comedy legend has built his fortune across five decades — from SCTV and Saturday Night Live to a string of beloved film comedies, multiple Tony Award nominations, and his current role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, which has earned him Emmy recognition and introduced him to a new generation of fans. In 2026, Lawrence Kasdan’s documentary Marty: Life Is Short offers the most intimate portrait of his life, work, and the losses that have shaped him.
| Full Name | Martin Hayter Short |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 26, 1950 |
| Age | 76 years old (2026) |
| Birthplace | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian-American |
| Profession | Actor, Comedian, Writer, Producer |
| Net Worth (2026) | $30 million |
| Known For | SCTV, SNL, Three Amigos, Father of the Bride, Only Murders in the Building, Marty: Life Is Short (2026) |
| Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Musical — Little Me (1999), Fame Becomes Me (nominated 2006) |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Martin Short
What is Martin Short’s net worth in 2026?
Martin Short’s net worth is estimated at $30 million in 2026. His wealth comes from five decades across television (SCTV, Saturday Night Live, Only Murders in the Building), film (Three Amigos, Father of the Bride, Innerspace), Broadway (Little Me, Fame Becomes Me), and voice work. He is one of the longest-continuously-working comedians in North American entertainment history.
What is Marty: Life Is Short?
Marty: Life Is Short is a 2026 documentary about Martin Short directed by Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill, Raiders of the Lost Ark). The film is described as an intimate portrait of Short’s five-decade career, his long marriage to actress Nancy Dolman (who passed away in 2010 from ovarian cancer), his friendships with Steve Martin and other long-term collaborators, and his philosophy of finding joy amid loss. It premiered at a film festival in early 2026 to strong critical response.
Is Martin Short still on Only Murders in the Building?
Yes. Martin Short plays Oliver Putnam — a struggling theatrical producer — in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, alongside Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. The show has received widespread critical acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations across its seasons. Short’s performance has earned him personal Emmy recognition and has introduced his comedy to an entirely new generation of viewers who may not have grown up with SCTV or SNL.
Did Martin Short win a Tony Award?
Yes. Martin Short won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Little Me on Broadway in 1999. He was also nominated for the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for Fame Becomes Me in 2006 — a show he both starred in and co-wrote. His Broadway career represents a third major artistic dimension alongside his television and film work.
What characters did Martin Short play on Saturday Night Live?
Martin Short was a cast member on Saturday Night Live during Season 10 (1984–1985), the same season as Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest. He is best known on SNL for his character Ed Grimley — an earnest, hair-pointing everyman he had developed on SCTV — as well as lawyer Nathan Thurm, a slippery corporate spokesman constantly on the defensive, and Jackie Rogers Jr., a lounge singer of aggressive mediocrity. He appeared only one season on SNL but created characters that have remained culturally referenced for decades.
What is Martin Short known for in film?
Martin Short’s film career includes Three Amigos (1986, alongside Steve Martin and Chevy Chase), Innerspace (1987), Three Fugitives (1989), Father of the Bride (1991) and Father of the Bride Part II (1995, with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton), Mars Attacks! (1996), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), and the animated Treasure Island sequels. His recent film work has been eclipsed by his television profile, but his 1990s output — particularly the two Father of the Bride films — remain among his most commercially successful projects.
Where is Martin Short from?
Martin Short was born on March 26, 1950, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He studied social work at McMaster University in Hamilton before pivoting to performance and joining the Toronto cast of Godspell — where he first encountered actors including Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas, and Andrea Martin. He became a core member of SCTV’s ensemble before crossing into American television and film.
How old is Martin Short?
Martin Short was born on March 26, 1950, making him 76 years old in 2026. He has been performing professionally for over 50 years and remains one of the most active veteran comedians in American entertainment, currently starring in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building while simultaneously being the subject of a major 2026 documentary film.
How Does Martin Short Make Money?
| Income Source | Estimated Amount | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) | $300K–$600K/episode | One-time (personal) | Lead ensemble member across 4+ seasons; fees estimated to have grown with the show’s Emmy success and cultural profile |
| Film & Television Residuals | $1M–$2M/year | Annual (personal) | Father of the Bride, Three Amigos, SNL back catalog, Innerspace ongoing streaming and TV licensing worldwide |
| Broadway & Live Performance | $500K–$2M/year | Annual (personal) | Tony-winning Broadway work; touring comedy and concert productions with Steve Martin |
| Voice Work & Animation | $200K–$500K/year | Annual (personal) | Animated film and series voice roles across multiple decades of work |
| Endorsements & Appearances | $200K–$400K/year | Annual (personal) | Corporate appearances and selective endorsements consistent with his comedic brand |
| Estimated Total Net Worth | $30 Million (2026) | ||
Career Overview
Martin Short’s career is one of the most durable in North American comedy — a 50-year run across every medium that comedy has inhabited. He studied social work at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, before joining the Toronto cast of Godspell in the early 1970s alongside actors who would become foundational figures in Canadian and American comedy: Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas, and Andrea Martin among them.
He joined the Second City Television (SCTV) ensemble in the late 1970s and early 1980s, developing characters that would define his comedic voice: the innocently earnest Ed Grimley, the slippery corporate lawyer Nathan Thurm, and a range of celebrity impressions executed with uncommonly specific physical intelligence. SCTV was a rare incubator of sustained ensemble comedy, and Short’s work there established him as one of the most technically precise physical comedians of his generation.
His single season on Saturday Night Live (Season 10, 1984–1985) — alongside Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest — remains among the show’s most celebrated casts. He transitioned to film immediately after, with Three Amigos (1986) and Innerspace (1987) establishing him as a bankable comedy lead. The two Father of the Bride films (1991, 1995) — in which he played the scenery-devouring wedding coordinator Franck Eggelhoffer — remain among his most commercially and culturally persistent work.
Broadway came next: his Tony-winning performance in Little Me (1999) and subsequent Tony nomination for Fame Becomes Me (2006, a show he co-wrote) demonstrated a theatrical range not always visible from his film output. His friendship and artistic partnership with Steve Martin has produced multiple tours, television appearances, and eventually their co-starring roles in Only Murders in the Building.
The Hulu series — which premiered in 2021 and has run for four seasons — pairs Short and Martin with Selena Gomez in a darkly comic murder mystery set in a New York City apartment building. The show has been one of Hulu’s most critically acclaimed and most-watched originals, earning multiple Emmy nominations and winning a cultural following that has significantly expanded the audiences familiar with Short’s work. The 2026 documentary Marty: Life Is Short, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, offers the most personal account of his life, his career, and his long marriage to actress Nancy Dolman — who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2010 — that he has publicly shared.
Personal Life
Martin Short was married to actress and singer Nancy Dolman from 1980 until her death from ovarian cancer in August 2010. The couple had three children: Katherine, Oliver, and Henry. Short has spoken extensively about the impact of Nancy’s death on his life, describing her as his creative anchor and the person who made his career possible by managing the practical dimensions of their family life while he performed. He has channelled grief into work — a response he has described as both necessary and therapeutic — and has credited his friendships, particularly with Steve Martin, as sustaining forces in the years after her passing.
Little-Known Facts About Martin Short
- He attended McMaster University to study social work before pivoting to performance — his academic background informs the psychological precision with which he inhabits even the broadest comedic characters.
- His first major comedy ensemble included Gilda Radner and Dave Thomas — he was present at the creation of the Canadian comedy ecosystem that eventually produced much of North American television comedy’s most distinctive voices.
- He won his Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Little Me (1999) — over 15 years into a career already famous primarily for television and film, demonstrating a theatrical range that surprised critics who had primarily categorised him as a screen comedian.
- His character Franck Eggelhoffer in the Father of the Bride films speaks an invented accent — a mixture of German, Swedish, and several other European languages — that Short developed entirely without direction and that has remained one of film comedy’s most quoted minor character voices.
- The 2026 documentary Marty: Life Is Short is directed by Lawrence Kasdan — director of The Big Chill and co-writer of Raiders of the Lost Ark — a pairing that signals the seriousness with which Short’s life and career are being treated as a cultural document worth preserving.
