Martin Short details his tragedy-plagued life in his upcoming Netflix documentary, “Marty, Life is Short.”
In the trailer for the documentary — which premieres on May 12 — the “Only Murders in the Building” star jokes to his brother Michael that he “had a speed dial to the funeral parlor.”
“There were laughs during those years.… that’s the point,” he adds. “In life, sometimes you hit a green light. And sometimes, for no reason, it’s red.”
Short has suffered profound losses over the years. Most recently, he lost his daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, in February. Katherine died by suicide. She was 42.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” a rep for the star confirmed to Page Six on Feb. 24.
“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.”
The social worker was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Hollywood Hills, California, home.
The trailer also includes adorable old footage of Martin dancing with Katherine and her two siblings when they were young.
“Being a dad, it’s as genuine as his breath,” comedian Andrea Martin says of the actor.
Martin is the youngest of his five siblings. His eldest brother died in a car accident when the comedian was just 12 years old.
In his 2012 Guardian interview, Martin recalled being surrounded by “tremendous humor in the house growing up. A lot of laughing.”
He also explained how the loss of his brother helped shape his perspective on comedy.
“I think the reason all that didn’t throw me sideways was because I had such a solid foundation. Those kinds of situations are horrible but I think that you are either empowered by them or you become a victim of them.”
Martin’s mother, Olive Hayter, died from cancer when he was just 17 years old. His dad, Charles Patrick Short, died from a stroke just two years later.
The “Father of the Bride” star went on to marry his longtime wife Nancy Dolman.
Dolman lost her years-long battle with ovarian cancer in 2010. She was 58 years old.
In 2012, Martin reflected on the profound loss for him and their three adopted children — Katherine, Oliver and Henry — remembering Dolman as “the right person” for him.
“We were together for 36 years, but I would have been divorced five times if I hadn’t found the right person,” Martin told The Guardian.
In another emotional moment in the trailer, Short’s close friend Catherine O’Hara makes a posthumous appearance.
A previously recorded interview with O’Hara — conducted before her death in January — appears alongside never-before-seen footage of the beloved actress.
O’Hara — who first met Martin in the early ’70s in Toronto’s improv scene — reflects on her longtime friend, saying, “I feel like he could improvise to eternity. Couldn’t he?”
Another scene features archival footage of Martin and O’Hara dancing together in a home. In another clip, he playfully films O’Hara, grabbing her face and exclaiming, “I loved you in ‘Home Alone!’ You were wonderful!” as she laughs.
