Martin Short on the Future of ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ and Why He Didn’t Host ‘Match Game’ as Jiminy Glick

Caitlin Cronenberg

Martin Short was the only one of the three “Only Murders in the Building” stars to receive an Emmy acting nomination this year — and he’s still laughing at how co-star Steve Martin took the news. “Steve phoned me about mid afternoon,” Short tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. Martin proceeded to play dumb about the news: “‘Hi, it’s Steve. So I’ve been out all day, and I’ve been hiking and biking and, oh my God, I’ve been so busy. Hey, have you heard anything about the Emmys?’”

“Only Murders in the Building” has been quite the triumph for Short, who earlier this year won his first-ever SAG Award, for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series. That same night, he and his co-stars also won the SAG Award for comedy series ensemble.

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“It’s a great show, it’s well written, it’s well directed, it’s well crafted, and it’s a hit,” Short says, marveling at the success he’s experiencing at this stage of his career. “Those things are very rare… it’s not only obviously great to be nominated for things, but to be so personally pleased with the outcome of the show is amazing.”

As Oliver Putnam, Short is in many ways the emotional core of “Only Murders.” Over four seasons — and soon five — audiences have seen his character struggle to maintain a bond with his son, lament over what his career could have been and then come close to a second chance, and then even fall in love with Loretta (Meryl Streep).

Season 4 ended with the wedding of Oliver and Loretta — but this being “Only Murders in the Building,” there is, of course, a murder in the building at the very end: Arconia doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca). That brings us to Season 5, which returns Sept. 9. So how much murders can take place in the building? In other words, how long might the show continue?

“I think that the reality is, you know when it feels like it’s past its time,” Short says. “I think everyone’s amazed that it’s gone this long. This is a long time in streaming to go five years. ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ ended after five years, because one of the reasons was that they were afraid of losing the quality of it. But then, ‘Friends’ went how long, and they were always brilliant.”

On this week’s episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we talk to Short about “Only Murders in the Building,” about his new gig hosting the latest iteration of the game show “Match Game,” and we even get a cameo from one of Short’s house guests, Tina Fey. But first, on the Roundtable, we look at some of the week’s news — including the latest on Disney negotiations to keep the Oscars — and where things stand as Phase 2 voting kicks off this Monday. Listen below!

Short says he’s having a blast on “Only Murders in the Building,” but he’s also deeply proud of “the reputation it has as a workplace in New York. It is a very loose set, and one of the reasons is because Steve and Selena and I all work the exact same way, screwing around, getting the crew to laugh. Everyone is laughing, and… action! Oh a, screw up, laughing. That kind of joie de vivre is what permeates the set, and I think that is translates a little bit to the camera as well.”

Although he’s known mostly for his comedic roles, Short also has made waves by taking dramatic parts in series like “The Morning Show” and “Damages.” “If someone writes you a great role that’s dramatic, you don’t say, ‘no, I only do comedy,’” he says. “I kind of do something that seems exciting and intriguing and risky.”

Most recently, that meant taking on the job of game show host on ABC’s “Match Game” this summer. He says he was drawn to the challenge: “You don’t know what you’re doing, but you know it’s always intriguing to try something new, and know that you could potentially massively fail,” he says. “It’s kind of exciting about that at this stage. Maybe not when I was 25.”

Was there ever an idea of Short hosting the show in character as his overly excited but often misinformed Hollywood entertainment reporter character Jiminy Glick? After all, “Match Game” is about saucy interactions with a panel of celebrities, and Glick is known for his irreverent interactions with stars.

“Actually, that was something floated,” Short reveals. “‘What if you did it as Jiminy Glick?’ The reality is, Mike Myers did a game show a few years ago in character [as ‘Tommy Maitland’ on ‘The Gong Show’]. So, I don’t know. That’s three hours of makeup. It seems like a good idea on paper.”

Short still enjoys popping up from time to time as Jiminy Glick — last year, he guest hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in character. But he’s moved on from some of his other signature characters — including Ed Grimley.

“I think that someone like Ed Grimley was interesting because he was a grown man who still had the openness of a child, but at a certain point it looks like he’s a grown man with an illness,” Short says. “So, you don’t look at it in the present that way. But Glick can constantly be in the current, like a male Barbara Walters, or someone who just lasted decades.”

Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.