Martin Short

Summary

Good Hang with Amy Poehler: Martin Short Episode Summary

Release Date: March 18, 2025

Introduction

In this lively episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, host Amy Poehler welcomes the renowned comedian and actor Martin Short. Amy describes Martin as "the hilarious and kind and generous and just deeply talented person" (00:00). The conversation navigates through Martin's illustrious career, personal anecdotes, and his infectious sense of humor, all while maintaining a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere.

Celebrity Friends Share Their Love for Martin Short

Before diving into the main interview, Amy brings in comedy legends Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Colin Jost, and Fred Armisen to share their admiration for Martin Short.

• Maya Rudolph highlights Martin’s timeless humor, stating, "There is an unbridled joy in him in the pursuit of being funny" (03:17). She emphasizes his ability to thrive among other funny people, making his comedy even more endearing.

• Colin Jost reminisces about his early interactions with Martin, recalling being "starstruck" during a Broadway production of Godspell (04:58). He praises Martin's consistency and warmth, adding, "I love Marty" (04:25).

• Fred Armisen shares funny behind-the-scenes stories, including Martin's humorous mishaps and his first impressions of iconic characters like Jiminy Glick (07:02).

These testimonials set a warm and appreciative tone, underscoring Martin's beloved status in the comedy world.

Main Interview with Martin Short

The core of the episode is an engaging conversation between Amy and Martin, covering various facets of his life and career.

1. SCTV and Early Career: Martin delves into his beginnings with SCTV in 1982, sharing memorable moments and the camaraderie with fellow cast members like Paul Giamatti and Andrea Martin. He recounts the excitement of being cast and the competitive yet supportive environment, stating, "It was unbelievable" (38:56).

2. Jiminy Glick and Improvisation: A significant portion of their discussion revolves around Martin’s iconic character, Jiminy Glick. Amy expresses her admiration, saying, "There is no better laugh for me than Jiminy Glick" (57:37). Martin explains the improvisational nature of the character, highlighting interactions with celebrities who were often caught off guard, such as Bill Hader and Edie Falco.

   • Notable Quote: Martin reflects on his interactions with Edie Falco: "I went, 'shh. Just because I asked you a question does not mean that I need an answer. Thank you.'" (45:15).

3. Awards and COVID-19 Impact: The conversation shifts to Martin's experience with the SAG Awards during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to attend in person due to illness, Martin shares his disappointment but also his gratitude for winning, remarking, "I guess I'm beloved" (15:09). They discuss the challenges of accepting awards virtually and the evolving nature of award ceremonies post-pandemic.

4. Personal Life and Relationships: Martin opens up about his past relationship with Gilda Radner, offering heartfelt insights into their bond and the impact of personal losses on his life. He shares, "I've never become a victim of that, why I became oddly empowered by it" (41:55), shedding light on his resilience and how comedy has been a coping mechanism.

5. Touring and Live Performances: Drawing parallels between his experiences and Amy’s touring setup, Martin offers advice on maintaining energy and connection with the audience. He emphasizes the importance of enjoying the process: "If you are enjoying yourself, people will enjoy themselves" (29:35).

6. Behind the Scenes and Personal Anecdotes: The duo exchanges amusing stories about set interactions, fake props, and the quirks of podcast setups. Martin showcases his playful side, engaging in lighthearted banter about fake food props and Amy’s creative studio decorations (52:53).

7. Philosophy on Comedy and Life: Martin shares his philosophy, intertwining comedy with life's absurdities. He states, "Comedy has saved my life endlessly" (49:56), highlighting the therapeutic role of humor in navigating personal and global crises.

Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Amy encourages listeners to explore Martin’s work, particularly his unforgettable character Jiminy Glick, recommending, "If you have never watched that character, please binge it now" (57:37). The heartfelt and humorous exchange leaves listeners with a deeper appreciation for Martin Short's contributions to comedy and his enduring friendship with Amy Poehler.

Notable Quotes:

• Maya Rudolph (03:17): "There is an unbridled joy in him in the pursuit of being funny."
• Martin Short (15:09): "I guess I'm beloved."
• Amy Poehler (57:37): "If you have never watched that character, please binge it now."
• Martin Short (29:35): "If you are enjoying yourself, people will enjoy themselves."

Closing Thoughts

This episode of Good Hang effortlessly blends humor with heartfelt conversation, offering fans and newcomers alike a comprehensive look into Martin Short's vibrant career and personal life. Through engaging discussions and memorable quotes, Amy Poehler and Martin Short create a truly enjoyable and insightful listening experience.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

Hi everyone. Welcome to Good Hang. I'm Amy Poehler and we have a great guest today. It is Martin Short, the hilarious and kind and generous and just deeply talented person who I grew up loving and love even more now as a grown adult. We're gonna talk to Marty, as his friends call him, about Canada and the SNL 50th and only murders in the building and how it felt to have Covid and not be able to accept an award that he won. But what's really exciting is we're also gonna talk to some other comedy legends who love Marty and who want to talk nicely behind his back and tell me questions that they think I should ask him. So joining me before we get to our interview are Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph and Colin Jost.

[Martin Short]

Woo hoo hoo.

[Amy Poehler]

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[Tina Fey]

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[Amy Poehler]

Maya and Colin, I'm being asked, would you mind flipping your phones to the side? Yeah. And I know this seems weird, but can you hold your credit cards up to the screen too? Oh, yes. You want the C. We just need to see cvc. Yeah, we need the cv. The cvv.

[Maya Rudolph]

We need dvd.

[Amy Poehler]

Jost, I don't know if you know, but I already did a podcast with Tina who nicely came in to be interviewed. I look forward to doing one with you. Maya, I look forward to doing one with you. Yes. And Jost, you were name dropped in. In. In the interview that Tina and I did, we were talking about how much.

[Colin Jost]

We love going to the Lampoon.

[Amy Poehler]

So we're doing this thing where we're asking people to kind of talk behind people's back in a good way. So I've got the great Martin Short on today.

[Maya Rudolph]

Never heard of.

[Amy Poehler]

You've all worked. Yeah, never.

[Maya Rudolph]

But I bet he's good if you like him.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I like him. I think you should check him out. I think he's funny. I found him on TikTok. Oh. So I guess my question is what? Yeah, you know, how much do you love Martin Short? What do you love about him? What do you think I should ask him?

[Maya Rudolph]

When I think about him, I think he's evergreen. He's. He's the. He's always funny. Annie's always up for being funny, and he will always make you laugh. And he's. There is a. There is a just an unbridled joy in him in the. In the pursuit of being funny. I mean, don't get me wrong, he works hard at it, and. But he. But you can see that he loves it. And you can also see that he loves to be among funny people. There are some funny people who love to be solo acts, and he's not one of them. I think he's one of those people that thrives among the funnies and he's just like a. Like a great guy. So inherently that comes through somehow through the comedy, which makes you love him more. When I found out that he had a stamp in Canada, I was like, oh, that. That. That checks out. That makes sense. You're perfect.

[Colin Jost]

That's awesome.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow. I get a look at the image of that. Is it just him or one of his characters? I wonder.

[Maya Rudolph]

My memory is. It might have been one of his characters.

[Colin Jost]

Character from Half Wits.

[Fred Armisen]

It's a. It's a regular stamp. But he owns it.

[Colin Jost]

Yeah, he bought it.

[Maya Rudolph]

Canada is a much cooler place because I think Catherine O'Hara has a stamp, too.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm just saying I don't think any.

[Colin Jost]

Of us are getting stamps in the next four.

[Amy Poehler]

Four to four years. So I'm going to ask him about a stamp. Tina Jost. Anything you feel like I should ask him or anything you want to say about Marty.

[Colin Jost]

I love Marty. I want to. I want to claim my love for Marty early. Like, I know I love him. I've also had a crush on Marty from, like, decades before everyone else. I remember I came New York City when I was maybe in college, and you used to be able to go see Broadway shows for free by being an usher. And so I. I was ushering at a. A production of Godspell in, like, the early 90s, late 80s with, like, Trini Alvarado, as in whatever. And I remember I was ushering and I turned around and I saw the two people that I handed their programs to were Paul Schaefer and Martin Schwartz. And I was like, whoa. Because, of course, Marty had been in the original Toronto production, but also I was like. I was starstruck. And also I was like, also, Marty's cute. Anyway, I'm on record.

[Maya Rudolph]

You're not alone, buddy. You're not alone, Mike.

[Colin Jost]

So I do. I would love to hear him talk about that Toronto production of Godspell, because I think that cast was incredible. And it was like, Gilda Radner and I want to say Andrea Martin. Like, it was an insane cast. And Paul Schaefer.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Colin Jost]

And then the other kind of question I was thinking about was, you know, everything that we. Everything that we know Marty from, that we grew up with, it's all canon, right? Like, everything from Father of the Bride and Three Amigos and. And Clifford, all these things, an sctv to us, it's all just, like, comedy Bible. I wonder for him during that time if he ever felt, like, frustrated with being, like, the funny person. Like, was. Was he happy with his career in that time, or did he. Did he want more? And. And does he. Does he feel differently now? But just because I feel like we also all look at our own things going like, oh, I should. I should be doing this or I should be doing that. But does. Does he know that he has this tremendous body?

[Maya Rudolph]

Good question.

[Colin Jost]

Was he. Was he ever grouchy about it at the time?

[Amy Poehler]

Ooh, good question. And Josti.

[Fred Armisen]

I'm doing a counterpoint, right?

[Maya Rudolph]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Colin Jost]

You're doing what actually sucks about Mark.

[Fred Armisen]

Yeah. Not nice person has made me laugh. I didn't. I was just thinking, realizing this, he was actually, weirdly, my first SNL character I ever saw, because I went on a studio tour when I was young, and I saw Ed Grimley, like, in stuff backstage or, like, promotionally around. And I didn't even understand what it was at the time, but I always remembered it being funny. And that was, like, my first kind of character I saw there before I watched the show.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Fred Armisen]

And I loved. I mean, Three Amigos. I just loved those. And my grandpa so couldn't understand Three Amigos. And my brother and I watched it all the time, and my grandpa was just like, what is this? I don't understand it. We love that. I guess my questions are like, I was wondering, did he have any. Did he have any, like, rivals in comedy at different times in his life?

[Martin Short]

But do you think.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, this is either. This is a good question. Do you think I should be asking these kinds of questions on this podcast.

[Colin Jost]

Because I think Marty's a great person to try it out on because he'll see. He's so kind of graceful.

[Maya Rudolph]

I also think I just watched that. That Weird Year documentary, and I also would be curious to hear a little bit of that one. One year in that cast on SNL.

[Fred Armisen]

And was, like, there. I don't know if you talk about this either, but, like, for the SCTV cast, were people, like, hooking up in that cast too, the way there was, like, early snl. You know what I mean?

[Maya Rudolph]

I don't know if that's fun to talk about.

[Amy Poehler]

So, Jost, your questions are who was your biggest enemy and who did you hook up with? Okay, those are great. I'll start with those. Maya, thanks for taking a break in the middle of your show.

[Maya Rudolph]

Amy. This was a really good hang.

[Amy Poehler]

Thanks, Maya.

[Colin Jost]

Whoa.

[Amy Poehler]

Great hang.

[Maya Rudolph]

Great hang.

[Amy Poehler]

Good hang.

[Maya Rudolph]

That's my show. My show is great hang.

[Amy Poehler]

Damn, that's gonna be better.

[Maya Rudolph]

Nope, I just. I disagree.

[Fred Armisen]

It does sound better.

[Amy Poehler]

It does sound better. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. I love to watch TV on my couch and then never get back up. And so once I'm down, it's hard to stand. And I definitely don't want to drive and get food. So Uber Eats delivers my food to me and then I shuffle over to my door in my pajamas and I grab the food. So whatever you're craving, Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites. You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites, Only on Uber Eats. Order now. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. I love to watch TV on my couch and then never get back up. And so once I'm down, it's hard to stand. And I definitely don't want to drive and get food. So Uber Eats delivers my food to me and then I shuffle over to my door in my pajamas and I grab the food. So whatever you're craving, Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites. Never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites. Only on Uber Eats. Order now. I want you to know you're one of the first three.

[Martin Short]

Well, you know, that makes me feel good. Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't feel like I got any time with you at the SNL 50th. No.

[Martin Short]

Well, the only thing we got was Covid. You know, everyone got it.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Not only do I know that everyone got it, but so we're doing this thing on this podcast where we're asking. I'm ask. Reaching out to people who know you or like friends of yours or ours to ask them what I should ask you. So I just did a zoom with Tina, Maya and Jost, and all three of them have or had snl. Covid. Yeah, they all got it.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, so did. So did Amy Schumer.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep.

[Martin Short]

Meryl Dang. Mike Myers.

[Amy Poehler]

Now I've done scenes with all of those people. And I shared a dressing room with Meryl. I did a scene with Mike Myers and Maya.

[Martin Short]

You got nothing.

[Amy Poehler]

I know, but did you have a good time at the. Like, how was the experience?

[Martin Short]

Oh, it was great. The whole thing was great.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

I mean, on the Thursday, Steve and I went down to the Comedy Cellar with Simon Rich and John Mulaney. I mean, to try out material, which is an insane idea because as we were going down there, I said to Steve, when was the last time you went to a club like this? You went 1966. So when they saw him, they went insane.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

They were suddenly not gonna laugh at his jokes.

[Amy Poehler]

Of course.

[Martin Short]

Everything.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

Right.

[Amy Poehler]

But do you guys do your. Cause I wanna talk about your tour that you do. Cause Tina and I are basically copying what you're doing. But do you go on the road and try out your stuff before the tour? Yeah.

[Martin Short]

Never. Never.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I feel like it's not a genuine. You just can't.

[Martin Short]

No, no, no, no. That's what, you know, Ali Wong, the great stand ups will do that. And. And then they burn their material.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

You know, I don't.

[Amy Poehler]

And I kind of. I think it's hard to get like an honest laugh from, like, to your point, the audience is too hot.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, There's. They're really excited to see you. In Steve's case, they're saying, okay, they're both alive. That's so weird. So, so much for newspaper articles. And so already you have them.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Martin Short]

There's a famous story. Jack Benny, I think in his last concert in England, he was like 80 or something, and he came out and got a 12 minute standing ovation. And then his first line was, I'm not that good. You know.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

So there's an element of that.

[Amy Poehler]

I wanted to talk to you about the. Congratulations on winning the SAG Award.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, two of them. I know what you mean.

[Amy Poehler]

You are nominated all the time and you don't win, and the time I never win, and then the time that you win, you're not there. Covid, was that a. Was that a bummer?

[Martin Short]

I wasn't even watching. I was watching the Brutalist.

[Amy Poehler]

Uh huh, sure. You watch it every night.

[Martin Short]

Well, you know what it is?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

It's like Elon Musk. You need a positive sense of like a big warm blanket around you before bedtime.

[Amy Poehler]

So you always put on the Brutalist.

[Martin Short]

I do that and then prescriptions. Yeah, but yeah, I start with the Brutalist. No. So then someone said, turn it on. And I was stunned. I mean, it was like, that's what Selena Gomez said. We always lose.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I related not to front door brag, but I have been nominated often and never win. Never.

[Martin Short]

How many Emmys do you have?

[Amy Poehler]

Only one, but I think I've been nominated. Let me pretend to not know the number. No, but it is something in the 20s.

[Martin Short]

Steve says in our show, I say, how many Emmys do you have? He says, I want to say five. I want to say five. But I have one.

[Amy Poehler]

But I was thinking about you. Because I know for me, every single time, no matter how much I've tricked my brain into knowing, who cares, doesn't matter. Like, there's this weird physiological moment that happens when you're just the split second where you're thinking, maybe I'll have to go up there, maybe I'll have to give a speech. Does that happen to you?

[Martin Short]

You know, it has happened to me, certainly. But I will tell you, in this experience of only murders in the building, we're starting our fifth season. Absolutely never had a consideration, in fact.

[Amy Poehler]

That you were gonna win.

[Martin Short]

No, not remotely. In fact, I think that some, you know, the publicist sends you things and they were SAG predictions and there were.

[Amy Poehler]

Like three other derby races or whatever.

[Martin Short]

And there was always like, well, if it isn't Jeremy Allen White. I'll tell you, it will be Jason Siegel. I mean, it was like you were never even close.

[Amy Poehler]

So how did you win the sag? Who did you sleep with?

[Martin Short]

I guess I'm beloved. I guess.

[Amy Poehler]

I guess the actors.

[Martin Short]

Stupid icon.

[Amy Poehler]

Give it to the actors and they'll vote for anything.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, leave it to actors. They'll vote for anybody.

[Amy Poehler]

No, but I mean, I was bummed to see you not be up there, but I was wondering if you cared.

[Martin Short]

I certainly. It would have been thrilling to be there. But I do find that stuff of you have to get up and. Did you forget a name?

[Amy Poehler]

I agree.

[Martin Short]

And then if you pull out a piece of paper, you're a wimp and you don't have any soul. You know, I saw Timothee Chalamet just speak.

[Amy Poehler]

Totally.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

He killed it. He was so good.

[Martin Short]

And what I'm gonna do next time if I ever win again.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Martin Short]

I'm gonna get up there and lower the mic so that I can lean down to it like he did.

[Amy Poehler]

That's a power move.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, that's a power move. To talk like this when you're. When you're this length, when you're this lanky.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. You know, and I agree, you either have to kind of freeball it and just be, you know, off the top of your head and just talk about how you're feeling, or you have to have really good jokes. The in between is stressful.

[Martin Short]

Right?

[Amy Poehler]

The in between is stressful.

[Martin Short]

And then also leaving out that name.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

Like, oh, I forgot to thank Selena.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, right. That would be. Would that. Would that be the kind of thing that would keep you up?

[Martin Short]

I would feel badly, and she would say, it's cool. There's no one cooler than Selena.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. You know, she is so cool.

[Martin Short]

She is so cool.

[Amy Poehler]

How did you guys. I mean, I'm sure you've told this story many times in other places, but never to me when.

[Martin Short]

Well, because you just started a podcast.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, that's right. Exactly. And usually when I see you at parties, you're a little bit removed. Yeah, yeah. It's like looking over the shoulder.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I just want to see who. Another, more famous person.

[Martin Short]

Mike Myers here.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, Yeah. I don't like to. I like to not settle in until I find the alpha in the room and then.

[Martin Short]

Oh, I know. Oh, I know. And I've talked to people who know.

[Amy Poehler]

And I won't elaborate on that, but the only murders. How did Selena get, like. How did you guys get her? Was she attached with you at the same time?

[Martin Short]

No, no, no, no. It started off Steve was at a party at Sandy Gallon, I don't know, 13 years ago, and sitting on the couch was Ron Rifkin, Joel Gray, and someone else. And Sandy said that those three, you should do a show for them. That's all he said. And Steve's driving home, and he's obsessed with true crime and watches it all the time and thought, well, gee, that's an interesting idea. Three older people who solve crimes in a building, but they'll only solve a murder in the building because they don't want to travel and see. Had the title. He had everything. And then he put it on the back shelf for a few years and then had a meeting with Dan Fogelman. Dan said, any ideas you have? And he said, well, I have this one idea. And it was suddenly into production. How it got to be Selena, I don't. I don't actually know. I know that Steve phoned me and said, would you like to do it? And I thought it sounded great. And, you know, it was work.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

You know, if he had said, you want to do the Chrysler Industrial, mainly for. We're bringing up the Duster, we're bringing that car back, I'd say, sure. And you say, you say that there's a check. Is that what you're referring, Steve? No. Anyway, so I was excited to say yes, and then, then brilliantly, they went to Selena. You know, if they'd gone with someone, another older person, it would be Murder She Wrote.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. It's so smart.

[Martin Short]

It's so smart.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, it's so smart. And I'm just curious and maybe, maybe I can have her on here and ask, like, what is the Bob Balaban?

[Martin Short]

That was the third guy.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah, Bob Balaban. I think Balaban.

[Martin Short]

They were.

[Amy Poehler]

He's such a good actor. I'd be so curious about, like, what made Selena sign on for another TV show. It must have been you and Steve. She must have known she was signing onto something. Premiere and funny.

[Martin Short]

She has that taste, you know, I'm sure, I mean, I've told this before, but certainly the first day of shooting, it was. We were in the height of COVID.

[Amy Poehler]

First day of shooting.

[Martin Short]

Yeah. So we had to wear shields and masks and. And so I had never met her. We had zoomed in, read throughs and stuff. And I'm driving to work thinking, well, she could be a nightmare.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, she.

[Martin Short]

I mean, she's a pop princess. She's. Since she's 14, what if she's. I thought, oh, she's late. Forget it. Steve will quit because that's his Achillesa. Or what if she doesn't know her lines? Or what if she's. What if she's mean to people and all those things Go through it and literally, I met her in the makeup room and she smiled and I thought, okay, she's just adorable. And she has never been a second late. She is such a pro. It's a joke. And then all these endless guest stars we've had year after year have all been, again, impeccable. Maybe they're afraid of Steve, I think interesting.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, maybe we have that in common. Because I feel like people are afraid of Tina and not afraid of me. And I want them to be more afraid of me.

[Martin Short]

No, no, they're never going to be more afraid of you.

[Amy Poehler]

But do you want people to be more afraid of you or do you like that they're afraid of Steve?

[Martin Short]

No, I like Steve is like the Pope, you know, I mean, some of these famous comic types, they like me, it's fine. But when Dave Letterman or Howard Stern is around Steve or Jerry Seinfeld, it's like, hi, Steve.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, yeah.

[Martin Short]

And I don't know why, because I know why.

[Amy Poehler]

I think it's because Steve just doesn't talk as I think the power move is to not talk as much. That's what I like. The quieter you are.

[Martin Short]

So that's my big problem is what you're saying.

[Amy Poehler]

That's your problem and this is my problem.

[Martin Short]

Yaka yak, yak, yak heads.

[Amy Poehler]

And we're like, hey, this is me. This is, this is me. This is me. And you just have to stay quiet and everybody projects everything on you.

[Martin Short]

So you're saying like a line in the movie. Jiminy Glick and lalawood. Hold for applause.

[Amy Poehler]

Best character ever.

[Martin Short]

We improvised it a great deal. And Jan Hooks, Elizabeth Perkins was complaining that her husband needed sex three times a day. And she said, oh honey, I'll tell you, you gotta get a blow up thing. Because listen, I've had four kids. Fucking me is like fucking a purse. And you'd saw Elizabeth Perkins shake her hand cause she was supposed to be drinking, bringing up to her mouth so she doesn't spoil the take. And I said, Dixie, remember when we discussed the word mystique?

[Amy Poehler]

Jiminy Glick, Marty.

[Martin Short]

Well, let's just, let's focus a second on Jan Hooks.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay? You're right.

[Martin Short]

Is there anyone talk about you funnier than Jen Hooks?

[Amy Poehler]

There were a few women at that SNL 50th that I was really missing that I really wish I could meet because I have never met. One of them was Gilda and the other was Jan. Never met either one. Never met Jan. And she was, she was the like the, you know, Kristen wiig or Kate McKinnon of the cast when I was growing up. Jan was so talented, so, such a good actress. So funny and moving.

[Martin Short]

We did a Special together in 95 where she played everyone, everyone from David Letterman's Mother. She played Brett Butler. That was so, so good. So vicious.

[Amy Poehler]

She's so good. Yeah, yeah, I missed her. And I loved Lorraine and Jane holding up Gilda's picture.

[Martin Short]

Oh, I love that. Love that.

[Amy Poehler]

I loved that.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I had a great moment with Lorraine and Jane where I. I didn't know Lorraine that well. I've just kind of, like, seen her at events over the years, and I felt very bonded with her by the end of the weekend. I don't know if she felt the same way about me, but she was just.

[Martin Short]

No, she didn't.

[Amy Poehler]

She didn't.

[Martin Short]

I asked her, damn it. I said, who did you bond with? Who didn't you bond with?

[Amy Poehler]

And she.

[Martin Short]

Well, she opens up with the word surprise, surprise. So it shocked me. She didn't like him.

[Amy Poehler]

She didn't.

[Martin Short]

You know why?

[Amy Poehler]

I could feel it.

[Martin Short]

I'll tell you what she said.

[Amy Poehler]

She kept nodding her head no.

[Martin Short]

She said, I'm not a fan of the chatty chat.

[Amy Poehler]

She was like, I wish she was quieter.

[Martin Short]

Oh, my God. She said, like, Steve Martin.

[Amy Poehler]

He's like, he'll tell you what they make you work for.

[Martin Short]

You know? Who I want to meet is Tina Feige.

[Amy Poehler]

Totally.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Damn it. I felt that. I felt that because. But she. Her and Jane, she shared two things with me that I loved. One was just a small detail, but I loved it. She's like, jane and I are getting ready together, which I just love. That's a very girl thing. Like, who are you doing hair and makeup with for the party? And Jane and Lorraine were getting ready together, which just warmed my heart. Like, I loved that. And also, they just both seemed great. And I was like. I said, you two look great. You seem great. And we kind of had a moment where we said, you know, women know how to age. Like, they do better with aging than men.

[Martin Short]

Well, some do.

[Amy Poehler]

Most. You disagree?

[Martin Short]

Well, okay, let's put it this way. If you're talking.

[Amy Poehler]

Let's go.

[Martin Short]

Yeah. If you're talking about someone who's had. I said, suture. WHO's had 15 facelifts. But.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, but.

[Martin Short]

And then how's that look?

[Amy Poehler]

But that's. I think. I think we get a little confused that. Well, maybe I'm wrong, but we live in Los Angeles and we see that a lot. But the rest of. Like, you're.

[Martin Short]

The rest of the country.

[Amy Poehler]

Average people in a country.

[Martin Short]

I'm sure.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm sure women, 10. Like, look at women. Look at men and women when they turn 50. It can be difficult.

[Martin Short]

It's.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't know. Every high school reunion I went to, the women look pretty great, and the men don't.

[Martin Short]

They look bad, terrible. Why Marty? Okay, here's what's not good. Going bald is tough.

[Amy Poehler]

That I don't even mind. Who's the most handsome bald person?

[Martin Short]

Paul Schaeffer.

[Amy Poehler]

Paul Schaeffer must. Paul person.

[Martin Short]

Fabulous.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Martin Short]

I say of Paul that I've known him since 72, and even in 72, he looked like a maitre d in a spaceship.

[Amy Poehler]

Ana and Will killed as Bobby and Marty at that music.

[Martin Short]

Oh, my God. And I said to Will after I said, okay, did that take you two months or three months? He said, we learned it today.

[Amy Poehler]

Today. And Anna was doing a great impression of Paul playing them the part because it was like he was playing. Yeah, 45. 45 songs at once. And it was complete chaos. And they crushed it. And to me, Tina and I were talking about this after. To me, there was something very proud of. I felt very proud of all of us. I don't know why, but it felt like a win for all of us that these two great sketch comed. I mean, I feel this way when I watch you work and when you and Steve are together, like can come out and just settle a crowd and just. It just own the room. There's a joy when people are not nervous.

[Martin Short]

Oh, my God.

[Amy Poehler]

I love so much.

[Martin Short]

And also, neither character or forget actor. But neither character they were playing was trying to be funny.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

They weren't trying to. They weren't saying laugh at it. They were just being sincere in who they were. And it was. Oh, my God, was that a triumph? I thought Bill Murray killed.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, everybody was incredible.

[Martin Short]

How about Maya and Fred as friends?

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Like Fred can do these physical things the slightest.

[Martin Short]

There is no one funnier than Fred.

[Amy Poehler]

I agree.

[Martin Short]

This is what Fred said to me.

[Amy Poehler]

Fred Armisen for everybody.

[Martin Short]

This is what, first of all, well, this is visual. But every. His dressing room is beside me. So I would pass his room and he'd be on his phone, I'd say, hey, Fred. And he'd go see, Fred, you're not really asleep. Oh, hi. How long have you been here? Fred, I just saw you on the. And the other thing he did, which he completely convinced me was true, was when I left the stage after the goodnights, he said, why did you call Paul McCartney? Tony McCartney? I said, I want what? Yeah, I mean, you said, oh, Tony McCartney. And because I didn't know Paul was standing beside me, I thought, did I.

[Tina Fey]

Such a funny joke.

[Martin Short]

Then I told Bill Hader this and Bill told Fred. And Fred sent me a text like a couple days ago. Sorry, I'm so. I thought you knew that was a joke. I literally thought I said Tony McCartney. The stupidest thing in the world.

[Amy Poehler]

Tony McCartney.

[Martin Short]

Tony McCartney. I wish I said it. Of course, you know, not knowing Paul's.

[Amy Poehler]

Name, Fred used to send me long texts about his flight schedule, like when he was arriving, what airport, what time to get picked up, as if I was picking him up from the airport. He is so deeply funny. He also does a bit that I love where if you haven't seen him for a long time at a party and you go, hey, Freddie goes, hi. How are you? Like, he pretends you're just a fan bothering him. He's so funny. He loves a bit.

[Martin Short]

He does a million of them, too. And everyone's funny.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, but people feel that way about you. People feel like the way. Even we were talking earlier with Maya and Tina and Jost, like, people feel that way about you. Marty, of all the funny people, people think you're the funniest.

[Martin Short]

I don't think so, because.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, well.

[Martin Short]

Okay, thank you. But I find that. I find what I do with, like, Fred is. If it's at a party, I'll say, did you hear what Fred said? Yeah, there's a lot of. Did you hear what Fred said?

[Amy Poehler]

I agree that I think Fred is, like, genuinely one of the funniest people I know, but I think you are, too. The thing that I love about watching you is. And I don't know, maybe you're faking it, but I feel like the lesson I learned at SNL and beyond is if you are enjoying yourself, people will enjoy themselves.

[Martin Short]

Oh, absolutely.

[Amy Poehler]

But people don't really apply that often into the work that they do and even into the comedy that they do.

[Martin Short]

Some people can't hide it. You know, I used to think that even if I was. If I was at work and I was feeling low about something, I would do an impersonation of myself. Happy.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

And then that would get me happier. Like, when I started doing talk shows, I kept thinking, first time I did an important American talk show would be December of 82, Letterman, 1230 show. And I thought, what is the gimmick here? Oh, I got to do an impersonation of myself at a dinner party. Really loose and having fun. But I gotta get it down to eight minutes.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, that's deep. I remember Lauren telling me when I was doing Update, you have to do a version of yourself for update. That's. Yeah, yeah. A removed version of yourself. Or are you doing lip?

[Martin Short]

Yeah. Nothing worse than dry lips, is it?

[Amy Poehler]

I get them constantly. Yeah, it's actually a problem of mine.

[Martin Short]

I love that you needed me to do it, to feel free that you could do it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I mean, I can't do it. That's too rude. But if my guest pulls out lip balm.

[Martin Short]

What if you looked over and I had bright red lips? I wore red lipstick.

[Amy Poehler]

I love a lip balm. It's one of the things about LA that really crushes me is how dry it is here.

[Martin Short]

Very dry.

[Amy Poehler]

Is this your home base? La? Like, this is home?

[Martin Short]

No. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. And then when I was 22, I moved to Toronto, which is 40 miles east of Hamilton.

[Amy Poehler]

I've been to some of those lakes you talk about outside of Toronto, and it does not get warm ever. It doesn't.

[Martin Short]

It does.

[Amy Poehler]

I was there mid August.

[Martin Short]

This is. And I don't. This is.

[Amy Poehler]

And it was about 55 degrees, but.

[Martin Short]

This is going to be.

[Amy Poehler]

Sorry.

[Martin Short]

Okay, well, I'm gonna say it, and then we'll be criticized and. But it's a real girl thing to.

[Amy Poehler]

Say to be cold.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

How dare you? You. I do a cold plunge every day.

[Martin Short]

Okay, but let me say something again. I gotta get in trouble again.

[Amy Poehler]

But a girl thing to be cold. No, no one's gonna be mad about that.

[Martin Short]

A girl calls a cold plunge is not what a guy. Oh, my God, you're. I'm doubling. Like, I don't consider.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, you're right.

[Martin Short]

I don't consider 71 a cold plunge.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I mean, when I say cold.

[Martin Short]

Plunge, I mean, oh, my God.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, I'm like, taking.

[Martin Short]

No, not like real cold.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, I sleep without my socks on.

[Martin Short]

That's a cold plunge.

[Amy Poehler]

No, I have a high tolerance for cold. I proudly got into cold plunging, like, five years ago, and I do it all the time now, like every good podcast.

[Martin Short]

I'm, you know, decades older than you. I would think that I'd say I'm going to do a cold plunge and be dead. Be dead. Just floating right in that cold plunge.

[Amy Poehler]

No, I slowly built up. It was during COVID and I was genuinely. I was so anxious.

[Martin Short]

What temperature did you start? Truthfully?

[Amy Poehler]

Truthfully, I was so anxious and depressed during COVID that I was trying all these different things. And so I would do the sauna, and the cold plunge was about 48, 49 degrees.

[Martin Short]

And how cold will you get it now?

[Amy Poehler]

Same. I don't do it any colder. Maybe the coldest is like 47.

[Martin Short]

Right. That's cold.

[Amy Poehler]

It's cold. And I started by just, like, going in and out in and out for years and then building up. And now I can do a couple of minutes and it is come. I cannot recommend it enough.

[Martin Short]

How about just a cup of coffee? Just a lovely cup of coffee in the morning.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, I want to talk about your tour because Tina and I are on tour and we asked you for advice. I don't know if you remember or.

[Martin Short]

Maybe you probably sent some glib.

[Amy Poehler]

You did. You said. Well, you said you gave good advice. You gave a lot of good advice. But because we've been doing a show on tour, it's been the best. Oh, it's the most dream come true.

[Martin Short]

Well, this is what it is. This is what it is because you and Tina love each other. Then there's a rehearsal, there's laughs, there's a dinner, there's perhaps a glass of wine afterwards. So it is kind of like as much fun as it can be because you're happy to siege everybody.

[Amy Poehler]

And I know this sounds silly, but because I was never a touring stand up or a musician, I don't think I ever sold tickets where people knew they were going to get me. You know, I was either part of an ensemble, part of a sketch group, part of an improv show, or I was hosting something that it wasn't. So the. The fact that people show up already knowing that you are who they want to see is. It just gets so much out of it.

[Martin Short]

Well, that's why, you know, you've done corporate dates now. They can be tricky because they're not showing up for you. They're showing up because, you know, they work for Tide. And so you kind of have to be prepared for hi, everybody, nothing. And not take it personally.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Martin Short]

I mean, but when you. When people have paid to see you, it's this great compliment and they're happy to be there.

[Amy Poehler]

I know it's the silliest, most obvious thing, but I realized our first show. Oh. People knew it was going to be just us.

[Martin Short]

Yes, that's right.

[Amy Poehler]

And they paid to see us. And there's like a honest exchange between your performance and their ticket. Like, I do the show for you, you come and pay for it. Like, it feels very honest. Whereas I feel.

[Martin Short]

Well, see, that's the other thing. I think that if. If. And Steve is similar to me, and I know that Tina and you are the same. If you felt. Or if I felt that Steve was kind of walking through it that night, then I'd say, you know what? This has been great. We did it, but we can't do it anymore. Because that would. And vice versa. He would, like, be stunned. So I think that there are certain things in. In partnerships that goes without saying. And that commitment to understanding that people not only paid a lot of money, they got a babysitter. There was a dinner, maybe. You know, it's.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. We have, like, tons of women who come with their friends or mothers who are bringing their daughters.

[Martin Short]

Right.

[Amy Poehler]

This is the. Their night out for the month.

[Martin Short]

Maybe they got a hotel room.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. And we're the same. When we were done with the show, we look at each other and we're like, we gave them a good show. Like, that's what we feel good about. Yeah, I know.

[Martin Short]

But I must admit, especially doing different Broadway shows through the years, I've rarely met anyone that just will walk through it. I'm always amazed when I go to a Broadway musical and it's, let's say, Wednesday matinee, and it's maybe not the greatest musical. You still can't believe the talent on stage. I know the level of the work. Like, they're working like it was opening night.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

And I don't think their computer knows how to do it differently.

[Amy Poehler]

What was it like? Like, we, like a lot of people in comedy, I obsess about those early Toronto days and you all together, and that was crazy. Crazy. I mean, one of the questions Jost wanted me to ask you was.

[Martin Short]

Who.

[Amy Poehler]

Was sleeping together that we didn't know about? You don't have to answer, but he wanted me to ask you.

[Martin Short]

But I used to be able to. There's a big picture of the Godspell cast, and I can go day by day. Day by day. Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray. No, it was the seventies. Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

It's so good. I mean, that period of time with all the people that you were there with, because you were there with who? Paul.

[Tina Fey]

Paul.

[Martin Short]

I was there with Paul Gilda.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep.

[Martin Short]

Andrea Martin.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Martin Short]

Victor Garber, Eugene Levy. We were on the same cast.

[Amy Poehler]

Wild.

[Martin Short]

And I remember Stephen Schwartz. It was down it really, like 500 people. It was like American Idol. The whole day was the callback day. And Friends were at the back cheering on Friends. And, you know, Gilda got up there in. In bib overalls and with pigtails on either side, going and saying zippity do. And I thought, oh, that's the sad thing I've ever. And they said, you're hired. And I thought, oh, maybe you have to rethink because I'm doing My Funny Valentine. So I don't know. But it was just. She was exactly what they were looking for. And. And then we all just got there. But I remember Stephen Schwartz, who was down to about 12 people. And it was between me and another guy.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you remember the guy?

[Martin Short]

I know I want to call him, say his name is Andrew. I never saw him again, but I just remember Stephen Schwartz, who was like 24 at the time, himself, went like this. Andrew, you're so, so good. But I think we're going to go with Martin. And I'm still in university. It was like, wow. So Eugene and I, who are friends, went back and there was a payphone. It kept borrowing each other's dimes and phoning people and tell them what happened. And it was a dream. Now you weren't in university anymore. Now you didn't have to study any more exams. You could stay up as late as you want. You could drink beer at the end of the show.

[Amy Poehler]

And he told you in real time.

[Martin Short]

Yeah. Right there at the end of the day, we knew.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

[Martin Short]

It was unbelievable.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, can I ask you a little bit about Gilda? Because we talked about jam, but I like the things I hear about Gilda and just might be my projection. But I just feel like I would really love her or what.

[Martin Short]

Been madly in love with her.

[Amy Poehler]

What I can't always balance is like how. Like you said something about her one time about like she just was so comfortable with her own. Just the story you told. Her own weirdness and strangeness. Like her own. Like she really knew.

[Martin Short]

She was just, you know what? She was just every, you know, I've said this before. Every girl wanted to be her best friend.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

And every guy wanted to go out with her. I remember she came up to the first rehearsal and said, hi, Marty, I'm so happy to be here. And she had her finger on her forehead. And I said, okay, good. I knew she was doing it. And then she pulled and she had a big pimple here. She was just so original. The size of her purse, the fullness of her hair.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Martin Short]

And you know, I. I fell for her madly. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Tell me more about that.

[Martin Short]

Well, we didn't because it's just like.

[Amy Poehler]

It's just so sweet.

[Martin Short]

I mean, I don't know what she was, you know, she was.

[Amy Poehler]

How old were you when you guys.

[Martin Short]

I was younger. I was 22 to her, 26.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Martin Short]

And. And we went. We would break up and get back, but every couple years.

[Amy Poehler]

What kind of attachment styles did you have?

[Martin Short]

What does that mean?

[Amy Poehler]

Do you have an hour? But were you anxiously attached Were you an avoidant?

[Martin Short]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Amy Poehler]

You know what I mean? Coming together and breaking up.

[Martin Short]

I'll tell you exactly what is very interesting. Gilda had, you know, emotional ups and downs, and I had just gone through a period where my parents had died and my mother had died, and all she wanted to do was live, and she was the happiest person in the world. So to me, one of the issues that Gilda and I had where we'd have fights about was, I think, what do you have to be not happy about? You're talented, you have family money, everyone loves you, everyone wants to be your friend, everyone wants to date you. No one is funnier. You get the biggest laughs of anyone on stage. You know, But I was only 22, you know, I didn't understand, you know, I mean, look, we're learning a lot of things about gals today. One is they can't handle cold. And the other, we've not learned that. Duh, Mood swings. So, I mean, I'll, like, make a list of the things I've learned about you.

[Amy Poehler]

Say something really beautiful, which is, you did have a. You had a lot of loss early in your life, and you learned that lesson that some people learn and take away, which is, you know, we are here once you got to figure, you know, like, we have to enjoy.

[Martin Short]

I've never understood why, for some reason, because my. My brother died when I was 12, my mother when I was 17, my father at 20, why I didn't become victim of that, why I became oddly empowered by it, to the point that I could be on stage and put my hair up in a point and say, I think it's funny. I mean, and not be. Did they like me? I don't know. Do they? And I was never that. And I think because I grew up in a very funny family. I was youngest of five, Irish Catholic. And if they liked you, then that's all you cared about. You didn't really care about you, and.

[Amy Poehler]

You just might have been built that way. There's just, like, your nervous system was right.

[Martin Short]

And some people understandably become, you know, victims of these tough situations.

[Amy Poehler]

But don't you feel like that's the. I mean, for me, anyway, that is the thing about getting older is realizing, oh, the simple lesson over and over again, that we all process differently. Like, I cannot get someone to be happy if they're not, or I can't, or I can't get myself.

[Martin Short]

And as a parent, you know, because we always want to solve.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, yeah, I Mean, there's some kind of version of that. What you talk about, that joy of being alive that does come out in the stuff that you do. And also, what I love about you is you also play very. How do I say this? Like, sharp and biting characters. Like, you're also really funny at playing people who are not rooting for you. And. But we love, like, okay, Jiminy. So. Jiminy.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, no, but I mean, we love morons with power. We love.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, that's a better way to say it.

[Martin Short]

People who. I mean, to me, the idea that Jiminy Gleck was a guy who had a staff working for him and someone was afraid of screwing up the lunch order. I said tuna. When I say Dijon mustard, that does not mean Frenches. And they're quivering. You know, it's kind of like, can you imagine the staff when they leave after delivering Trump, his 48th thing of Kentucky Fried Chicken? What they're privately saying, I don't call this hot. Yes, sir.

[Amy Poehler]

And Jiminy, to me, is a very familiar person in the world. The past 20, 30 years of like, press that I've had to do. Oh, completely that kind of person. Who, to your point, king of his kingdom.

[Martin Short]

King of his kingdom.

[Amy Poehler]

And you come to them and this is how we do things. And they're inquisitive, but, like mean. And they.

[Martin Short]

Oh, they Foley from Kids in the hall said, marty, oh, you finally created a character who's as mean as you really are in life.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, but that's like. I think that's what I'm getting to is, do you think you are meaner than people think you are?

[Martin Short]

Probably. But I think that, you know, my father was sarcastic and Irish and mean. I mean, I remember taping, recording two and a half hours of Present Opening on Christmas morning. And you'd hear my father, oh, Michael, what a lovely G. I wonder what Michael would give you if he had money. You know, it was like, oh, yeah, it was just all that stuff.

[Amy Poehler]

But teasing is a love language.

[Martin Short]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Amy Poehler]

That's what I do for people.

[Martin Short]

But there were. The thing that was weird for me doing Jiminy Glick was that because it was improvised, I would say things that even shocked me afterwards. Like, I remember interviewing Edie Falco and she was in the middle of an answer and I went, shh. Just cause I asked you a question does not mean that I need an answer. Thank you. And she said afterwards she was really throwing because being shush was her Achilles heel as a kid.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh.

[Martin Short]

So you can see it in the Thing she did. And it was also so insane. It's so insane.

[Amy Poehler]

Great, Great moment, though. I mean, Jiminy is the videos that people watch, that my people watch to check, like, to just get a huge serotonin boost. Like, it is Jiminy videos all the way. We, Tina and I, all of us send each other those videos almost every week still.

[Martin Short]

I love that.

[Amy Poehler]

They just are. They're so funny.

[Martin Short]

I think it is that ability to say the worst things.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Martin Short]

And have no fingerprints on it. Like I said, you know, saying to Mel Brooks, what's your big beef with the Nazis? And he just kind of goes, my big beef? My big beef. I said, you're always knocking the Nazis. Oh, it's time for Mal Brooks to knock the Nazis. And he goes, I don't know. The rude.

[Amy Poehler]

And the guests, it was completely like they didn't know anything.

[Martin Short]

The only thing we ever did once with Steven Spielberg, I said to Steven, okay, at one point, I'm going to ask you to describe how you view the role of a director and kind of look off. And so what we planned was. And the only time we ever planned anything like this is that he was talking, the camera stayed with me and I slowly got down in the chair and crawled to Crash service and took all the candies, put three donuts, put them in my pocket, crawled back, crawled up in the chair and interrupted that. Wonderful now.

[Amy Poehler]

God. Jiminy Forever. Jiminy Forever. You have a stamp in Canada?

[Martin Short]

I do, I do.

[Amy Poehler]

Is it a picture of you or one of your characters?

[Martin Short]

It is a picture of many characters.

[Amy Poehler]

So it's a many character stamp.

[Martin Short]

Yes, it's a stamp. I have a coin.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Martin Short]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Was that cool? Did they have a ceremony and everything?

[Martin Short]

No, they didn't have a ceremony, but they had or they did and I didn't show. Probably more like it. You know what I mean? It's probably.

[Amy Poehler]

They did. They had a guy except for you.

[Martin Short]

Yeah. They were doing a whole, you know, Bewitched tournament on TCM and I wasn't gonna miss that. No. A coin I have. Yes. A stamp. And so does Catherine O'Hara.

[Amy Poehler]

I heard the great.

[Martin Short]

So does Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, a few of us.

[Amy Poehler]

All heroes of mine. I was 12 and 82. Were you on SNL? What year were you on SNL? SCTV in 82.

[Martin Short]

I joined it in the spring of 82.

[Amy Poehler]

So how many years were you on SNL?

[Martin Short]

One.

[Amy Poehler]

Wild.

[Martin Short]

What was your first year?

[Amy Poehler]

When I started 2001, I started two weeks after nine, 11.

[Martin Short]

Wow.

[Amy Poehler]

That was the time when it Was like, you know, will we ever laugh again? Comedy is dead.

[Martin Short]

Right?

[Amy Poehler]

And I remember thinking, but. But maybe not. Maybe it's, you know, maybe we should still laugh. Yeah. My first show was the Giuliani show with the first responders on stage.

[Martin Short]

Right. Who was the host?

[Amy Poehler]

Reese Witherspoon. Musical guest. Alicia Keys. And that was September 29th or something. 2001.

[Martin Short]

God.

[Amy Poehler]

And, you know, it was like, you know, the beginning of any job. It's like, where are the bathrooms? How does this work? How do you get anything on? And we're not going to do anything political for three years. Comedy is over. New York is, you know, hurting. We're going to, you know, there's anthrax in the building. But isn't it interesting that that happened Then Covid happens over and over again. This idea that how can we get through this? Personal. People have personal tragedies in their life. It's like over and over again, we think, how can I get by? And for me, and maybe for you, like, comedy just continues to be the thing that I think pushes people.

[Martin Short]

Oh, absolutely.

[Amy Poehler]

Through.

[Martin Short]

Yeah. Because it is so absurd, our life, that these perfect lives will end one. And that tragedy exists. There is a reason that the two masks are comedy and tragedy, because they're both preposterous. And I think comedy has saved my life endlessly. Endlessly. You know, and being so lucky to be in the family. I had this Irish Catholic, youngest of five siblings that are all still so close and all so funny. And all of us do wordle every day, and everyone is mean to each other and insult each other, and it's perfect.

[Amy Poehler]

It's the best.

[Martin Short]

Yeah. My father.

[Amy Poehler]

Laughing.

[Martin Short]

I know my father. My father would never, never had dinner with us, you know, because he had his big. He was Irish, so it had. And he was successful guy.

[Amy Poehler]

But he'd have his beer, didn't Irish broke.

[Martin Short]

Yes. Cross McGlynn. Counter mile. Marty, get down here. And so he would come home, we'd be in the nook having dinner, and he'd have the newspaper with his gin and ginger. No ice. Cause the Irish feel ice is addictive. So he'd sit there and he'd. Marty, don't shovel the food in like an animal. Do. Thank you. And then. Or one time he got up and Michael, keep eating. I'll make sure the dogs don't get it. It was just. And of course, if you weren't the brunt of it, you found it hilarious.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, but that's. That's love.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, I know.

[Amy Poehler]

That is the fact that somebody feels like you can take the tease.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Is the highest compliment.

[Martin Short]

People ask Steve and myself this a lot. I'll ask you. Have you. Like, Steve and I insult each other a lot. You know, I mean, in life. It started with me insulting him in life because that's how I grew up. And then we turned it. You know, we insult each other on stage, but people always wonder if I've ever gone too far or hurt his feelings or. I didn't mean to. It never has happened. And Steve will answer that question by saying, I think it's because we just know we'd never intend to.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, that's right.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And we have. Tina and I have a different dynamic. We don't. We don't really insult each other.

[Martin Short]

Well, you'll fight over the heat, right? Like, if it's too cold in the room, you'll say, oh, that's my blanket. I mean, do you ever do that stuff?

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Martin Short]

You know, but I think. You see, it's so funny you say that, because I think of you ladies as.

[Amy Poehler]

That's where you should stop.

[Martin Short]

Well, no, I just think of.

[Amy Poehler]

You should just stop. Don't. Don't think of us.

[Martin Short]

So you never say. Okay, missy. That. You don't say that. Okay, that's my blanket.

[Amy Poehler]

No, we're really. We usually are the same temperatures.

[Martin Short]

So. So sorry. Why should I. So I shouldn't just verbalize what everyone's thinking?

[Amy Poehler]

I don't think everyone's thinking it. I think it's very personal.

[Martin Short]

Okay, whatever you think, it's fine.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't know if any. If you notice this at all, but there's a lot of. This is my personal fake food. Some of my personal fake food collection. So we've been trying to figure out how to make the studio feel home.

[Martin Short]

You know, it's interesting.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Which one do you like the best?

[Martin Short]

Fake food. And it would be boring to look.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you.

[Martin Short]

But the way you've arranged it, like the Cheez Its.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, let's talk about it for a second while we just have a second.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. So this is a. For people who might be watching this rather than listening to it. There's a tiny little paper box of Cheez Its.

[Martin Short]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And you think, oh, just a teeny, tiny miniature box of Cheez Its. There can't be anything in there.

[Martin Short]

No, it can't be anything. It'd be silly if there was.

[Amy Poehler]

Maybe there's a tiny Cheez itself.

[Martin Short]

Do you know what's sad about this moment? You actually know a lot about this stuff.

[Amy Poehler]

This is my stuff.

[Martin Short]

No, I know. That's what's sad. But you know what? Oh, my God. Sometimes when I'm like, I'm dieting, but I'm still hungry for something.

[Amy Poehler]

Does it have an icy. You know what? When I have a tiny box of Nutri Grain bars.

[Martin Short]

Well, surely nothing's in there.

[Amy Poehler]

No, it's a tiny. Just a silly little box. It couldn't be an actual Nutri Grain bar. And with a anthropomorphic face that's winking at you. Let's see if you can see that. Right?

[Martin Short]

See, a lot of people would find that disturbing.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, not me.

[Martin Short]

Not me. But meanwhile.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, thanks.

[Martin Short]

Oh, hold on. Party.

[Amy Poehler]

And not to be. Not to make a big deal, but this isn't real. This is a candle, and it's. It's fake bread, and it looks like a candle.

[Martin Short]

See, if you were on a blind date with a guy and he brought you back to his apartment and said, you want to see all these things.

[Amy Poehler]

I've done that I've brought all my men through, and you.

[Martin Short]

Some of it and some of it isn't, you'd say, okay, And I put it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. And I go, so let's go guess which is fake. I go, put it in your mouth. Put it in your mouth and tell me what's fake. That's how I get it.

[Martin Short]

Well, that was. I'm not. See, clip, clip, clip. I can censor.

[Amy Poehler]

But look, a simple felt fake garlic. This isn't garlic. This is felt.

[Martin Short]

Oh, you're kidding.

[Amy Poehler]

Felt tomato. Come on.

[Martin Short]

Why you. Oh, that is so clever.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you.

[Martin Short]

And you know what? Again, some people would have this and not make it interesting, but you describing it is really, really interesting.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, thank you.

[Martin Short]

Oh, look, you can do props.

[Amy Poehler]

Take your word for it.

[Martin Short]

I'm a pirate.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, listeners, Marty is putting a fake felt tomato in one of his eyes and pretending he's a pirate. It's this kind of prop stuff that's great for podcasts.

[Martin Short]

I know. And you know what? It's so interesting. I realize now as I do it, it's one of the things that have kept me out of the big money is prop humor. Prop humor. But you're making it work. What's that? An egg.

[Amy Poehler]

This is a fake egg. Asmr. Listen to this.

[Martin Short]

Well, that doesn't sound fake to me.

[Amy Poehler]

People make so much money doing clickety click things with microphones. Not. But not with a fake egg.

[Martin Short]

But what a gift you have. If this is an indication of what your podcast is gonna be.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, it's really, really.

[Martin Short]

I think I wouldn't make a big cake to celebrate the second week, but certainly. I bet you finish this week.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, we will definitely finish this week. Yeah, we will definitely. Yeah. And they've been very nice and they, they, I, in fact, they just wouldn't.

[Martin Short]

Bother to decorate the whole place. I mean, you've got, you've got this stuff going. I think it's probably, oh, pancakes, baked pancakes.

[Amy Poehler]

They just said, someone just said to me, great job and let's finish the week. That's what someone said to me. And I take that as a good sign.

[Martin Short]

Yeah, well, I think it's very good.

[Amy Poehler]

So my last question to you is, and I'm asking a lot of people this, what is the thing you like? Where do you get your serotonin? What do you look at, watch, listen to, where do you go? Who do you hang with? I mean, you're very funny friends. But, you know, what is something that you like, genuinely laugh at that you watch or consume?

[Martin Short]

I can always turn on Annie hall and just get lost in it. But I have great friends for long time, decades and decades friends who are all famous people in comedy and everyone is funny. One time I was having lunch with Chris Guest. This is years ago. And I was making this movie, Captain Ron. He said, martin, what is this film about? And right away, I knew he'd hate the film. You know, I said, well, Chris, I play a man who has two children who inherits a boat. He said, I didn't say, spoil it for me. I thought I was.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you have anything you like? Like, now that, like, you're watching anything that's making you laugh?

[Martin Short]

No, you know, I. Truthfully, I am a news junkie.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, this is. Yeah, okay.

[Martin Short]

I watch, you know, Morning Joe every morning. I'll turn on cnn. So there are many, many. I love Bill Maher, but there are many, many things that people say. You haven't seen that. I mean, when I go to the Emmys, I don't know who's a massive star or who's a seat filler because there's so much I haven't seen. Well, there's just still that last seen Elsewhere. I haven't.

[Amy Poehler]

Have you? God, I loved St. Elsewhere. Oh, but there. That St. Elsewhere was.

[Martin Short]

I'm telling you, the last time you.

[Amy Poehler]

Watched TV is saying Elsewhere said to.

[Martin Short]

Bill Hader, I'm still mad they canceled Arlis, you know. All right, well, I love you very much.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you so much for doing this.

[Martin Short]

And so I get paid. Yeah, not in cash.

[Amy Poehler]

No in bitcoin and dogecoin in Doge, Doge and Doge. A cat coin. Well, that was an awesome interview with Martin Short. He is the best. And now it's time for something we're calling the Polar Plunge, which is basically, how do you get. How do you change your day? How do you make yourself feel better? I do like to jump into cold water. I know it's weird, but I have a podcast so I have to do it. But I think one way to change the molecules in your brain and give you a serotonin boost is to laugh. And there is no better laugh for me than Jiminy Glick. So do yourself a favor and watch that character played by Martin Short in a variety of videos online. Jiminy Glick interviewing Bill Hader when he stepped in for Jimmy Kimmel is so funny. Hader cannot stop laughing and he just loves getting teased. And that kind of teasing between people who are mutually respectful of each other is like my favorite kind of love language. So, yeah, Martin Short, thank you for Jiminy Glick, the gift that keeps on giving. And if you have never watched that character, please binge it now. Thanks so much for listening to Good Hang. Thanks for hanging with us. We will see you next time you've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Alaya Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. I love to watch TV on my couch and then never get back up. And so once I'm down, it's hard to stand and I definitely don't want to drive and get food. So Uber Eats delivers my food to me and then I shuffle over to my door in my pajamas and I grab the food. So whatever you're craving, Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites. You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites. Only on Uber Eats. Order now.