Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast
S5 E1: "Nail in the Coffin" (September 9, 2025)
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton
Guests: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, John Hoffman (Showrunner/Co-creator/Episode Director)
Episode Overview
The Season 5 premiere episode of the "Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast" takes listeners behind the scenes of the much-anticipated first episode, “Nail in the Coffin.” Host Michael Cyril Creighton, who plays Howard in the series, is joined by the core trio—Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez—as well as showrunner John Hoffman. The episode delves into the evolving on-screen chemistry, secrets about welcoming Hollywood royalty to the Arconia, the making of Season 5's grand new sets and story arcs, and shares playful, insider moments with the cast and crew.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Creating a Positive On-Set Culture
[03:06 – 04:28]
- Secret to a Great Set:
- Selena Gomez: “We always go back to what we all believe in, which is being professional and on time, but also creating an atmosphere that's fun, that's light and easy.”
- Steve Martin: “We know that any kind of anger outburst, being late, kind of slows down production... We just like doing our job and go, well, we got it. Let's move on to the next thing.”
- Martin Short: The set stays “joyful and fun,” resulting in stronger comedy and camaraderie.
- Steve Martin: “The fish stinks from the head,” attributing the positive tone to showrunner John Hoffman: “I've never seen them angry or distraught.”
2. The Evolving Mystery and Unscripted Surprises
[04:28 – 05:27; 13:43 – 14:34]
- Season Development:
- Despite being co-creator, Steve Martin shares that the creative process is “like making up a jigsaw puzzle. What have we established? How can we make this all fit together?”
- Hoffman notes: “We learn things from watching the way in which the actors play the scenes. It opened up a world for us that we thought could be both intriguing and funny.”
3. Welcoming Guest Stars: An Oscar-Heavy Set
[05:31 – 06:41; 23:06 – 24:32]
- Star-Studded Cast:
- Michael Cyril Creighton recalls counting “nine Oscars” among the cast in the holding area (including Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, Kristoff Waltz, Dianne Wiest, and Steve Martin’s honorary Oscar).
- Steve Martin: “Working with these celebrity actors, you realize why they're stars—they're really good. And you go, oh, yeah, okay.”
- Dianne Wiest joins as Lester’s widow, Rainey, with John Hoffman sharing he simply “makes a wish list of everyone [he’s] ever loved watching.”
4. Production Design: The Casino and Godfather House
[06:42 – 07:09; 13:23 – 14:42; 15:55 – 19:35; 25:56 – 27:50]
- The Hidden Casino:
- Selena Gomez: “I loved that set. It felt like I was in a different era.”
- Steve Martin lauds the “unreal” production design.
- John Hoffman: The casino is informed by the building’s historic underbelly and is “a spectacular place just to shoot.”
- Filming in the Godfather House:
- Michael Cyril Creighton: “I'm so conditioned to thinking things are a set. It was hard to believe that that was the actual house. And it was kind of cozy. I liked it.”
- Fun trivia: The production rented the real house from The Godfather, which now has an in-ground pool built by the original film crew as thanks.
5. The Finger: A Season-Long Clue
[19:53 – 22:57]
- The Severed Finger Gag:
- John Hoffman: “The writers all season were like, are we really talking about the finger again? Because it was my favorite thing to keep bringing up. Guys, we have to track the finger.”
- Host’s favorite line: “That's not Nikki's finger. His hands were very hairy and that they once got them permed. Hilarious.”
- The scene’s physical comedy, including the finger landing on a piano, required repeated takes for perfect timing.
6. Mabel’s Growth and the Intergenerational Cast Dynamic
[09:46 – 10:53]
- Selena Gomez: “I think she's always been a little bit of a lost child inside an adult's body, and I think she's growing out of [that]. Now that she's established her own place, that could be a new chapter.”
- Steve Martin: “Marty's character and my character are too old to change... And Selena's character is perfect for change.”
- Michael Cyril Creighton: Points out the resonance for younger audiences who may be feeling lost themselves.
7. Introducing Sofia Cachimiglio and Her Staten Island “Sons”
[15:56 – 17:43]
- John Hoffman: The concept was to “subvert” expectations, showing Sofia (Téa Leoni) as a disheveled “mom in Staten Island,” surrounded by giant, comedic sons.
- The sons were each over six feet tall, creating a visually comedic and distinctive family.
8. The Dry Cleaner Reveal & Connections to Arconia
[28:02 – 29:18]
- John Hoffman draws on his experience living in a classic NYC building to anchor the show’s layered geography.
- The new season reveals that the Arconia is not just a home, but hosts its own dry cleaner—adding another layer to the building’s mystery and charm.
9. Quickfire Q&A Highlights
[08:04 – 09:17]
- Which finger would you lose?
- Selena Gomez: “My pinky. Because I don't know.”
- Michael Cyril Creighton: “My middle finger. I think it's rude, that saves a lot of fistfights.”
- Steve Martin: Relates to Jerry Garcia, who played banjo after losing a finger—“I could afford to lose two.”
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
Opening Banter – Oscar Count
“I looked over at one point, we were in a holding area and there was a bunch of chairs and I think I counted nine Oscars. Meryl was there at three. Renee. Two. Kristoff. Two.”
—Michael Cyril Creighton [00:00]
Steve Martin on Podcast Structure
"If you're listening to a serious podcast... there's always like five minutes of this lively, supposed to be humorous chat... That's fine for a comedy podcast like this one, but that's my little pet peeve about podcasts."
—Steve Martin [02:30]
On Joyful Collaboration
“The set should be joyful and fun, and it's a comedy, crew should be laughing and it's a comedy. And the looser they are, looser the room is, the better we are.”
—Michael Cyril Creighton [03:56]
Steve Martin on Showrunning Surprises
“If you're a writer and you don't know where you're going, either will the audience.”
—Steve Martin [05:17]
The Comedy of the “Finger”
“The writers all season were like, are we really talking about the finger again? ...We have to track the finger.”
—John Hoffman [20:01]
"The best, absolute best line in the whole episode is when she talks about, that's not Nicky's finger, because his hands were very hairy and that they once got them permed."
—Podcast Host [20:10]
The Godfather House Trivia
"When we rented the house where the Godfather was shot, we met the family that's living there now, and they're lovely and normal.... I believe the production of the original Godfather, as a thank you to the people who owned the house then for letting them shoot there, they built an in-ground pool, really, where the wedding was happening in the original film."
—John Hoffman [18:53]
Selena Gomez on Mabel’s Growth
"I think she's always been a little bit of a lost child inside an adult's body, and I think that's something that I feel she's growing out of. And now that she's established her own... place, that could be a new chapter."
—Selena Gomez [09:56]
Steve Martin’s Impression Requests
"Would you do your Katharine Hepburn for me? Because it makes me so happy."
—Podcast Host [11:05]
"I would. I'm very excited about season five, as Spencer Tracy would have been were he alive."
—Michael Cyril Creighton as Hepburn [11:15]
Key Timestamps
| Time | Segment/Topic | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–00:19| Oscar Count and Opening Banter | | 03:06–04:28| On-Set Atmosphere and Collaboration | | 04:28–05:27| Crafting the Season 5 Mystery | | 06:42–07:09| The Hidden Casino Set | | 09:46–10:53| Mabel’s Independence and the Millennial Experience | | 13:23–14:42| Story Arcs and Development (Mob, Sofía, the Casino) | | 15:55–19:35| Filming in the Godfather House, Casting the Sons | | 19:53–22:57| The Finger: Comic Prop and Plot Point | | 23:06–24:32| Dianne Wiest Joins as Lester’s Widow, Rainey | | 28:02–29:18| The Arconia’s Dry Cleaner Revelations |
Conclusion
The episode delivers a playful, affectionate deep dive into "Only Murders in the Building" Season 5's opening, blending insider process notes, stories from the soundstage, and the usual doses of cast-and-crew wit. With new sets, unexpected storylines, and a cavalcade of A-list talent, the Arconia’s world continues to expand in surprising ways. The cast’s chemistry, John Hoffman's deft leadership, and the creative team's love for classic New York and genre subversion promise a season that honors both tradition and modern weirdness.
For more behind-the-scenes fun, tune in next for chats with more cast and the new doormen of the Arconia. And remember: “Don’t get murdered.”