Veteran actor Martin Short recently shared his experiences regarding the death of his daughter, along with other personal tragedies he has encountered throughout his life. Despite the emotional challenges, Short continues to bring laughter to audiences. A new documentary, Marty: Life Is Short, offers a closer look at his life and career.
Martin Short says daughter Katherine fought for a long time before death
Martin Short is renowned for his vibrant comedic style. He is now the focus of a new documentary by Lawrence Kasdan, Marty: Life Is Short.
Short reflected on the significant losses in his life and publicly addressed the death of his daughter for the first time.
At the age of 12, Martin experienced the tragic loss of his older brother in a car accident. He faced further grief as both of his parents passed away during his teenage years. Short remarked that he became acquainted with grief early on, stating, “What it developed in me was this muscle of survival and handling grief and a perspective on it,” referencing his experiences (via CBS).
He noted that these experiences also aided him in managing performances on stage. “I think if you’ve gone through that, an audience not liking you is really not that important anymore,” Short explained.
In 2010, Short lost his wife, Nancy Dolman, to ovarian cancer after 30 years of marriage. “It was an equal ping pong match… although Tom Hanks would go up to Nancy, ‘Aren’t you tired of laughing at his jokes?’” he reminisced about his late wife.
The most recent tragedy struck this past February when Short’s daughter, Katherine, a social worker, died by suicide at the age of 42.
“It’s been a nightmare for the family,” Short expressed. “But the understanding that mental health and cancer, like my wife’s, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal. And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health issues, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn’t.”
He added, “So, Nan’s last words to me were, ‘Martin, let me go.’ And what she was just saying was ‘Dad, let me go.’”
Marty: Life Is Short premieres on Netflix on May 12.
