There is no doubt about it, Martin Short is a national treasure. Well, a Canadian national treasure. The actor has been gracing television sets and film screens for roughly five decades, and there is no “short”-age of roles and projects showcasing his immense talents. The last several years have seen his star power shine even brighter with a career resurgence in “Only Murders in the Building.“ But there’s so much more to him than that; enough to where you just might need a documentary to help you digest everything he’s done. Well, if that’s what’s needed, Netflix has you covered.
This May, the streaming juggernaut will debut “Marty, Life Is Short,” fittingly about the life of Martin Short. Long before he became almost inseparable from Steve Martin, Short was making a name for himself as a brilliant impressionist and sketch comedian on “SCTV” in the early 1980s. His talent for creating and developing characters would later lead him to success in the early 2000s with the abrasive reporter Jiminy Glick.
If you want to talk films, “Father of the Bride” films, “Three Amigos,” “Captain Ron,” and the drastically underrated “Mumford” directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Fittingly enough, Kasdan directs this documentary, marking another collaboration for the two. Kasdan also directed Short in “Cross My Heart,” though it’s much harder to call that film drastically underrated.
You can’t even talk about “Saturday Night Live” without Martin Short. He was one of the cast members brought in for the 1984 season that also featured Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest. Since then, he’s made frequent guest appearances, and was a big part of the 50th anniversary special. Did you know Short was a judge on “Canada’s Got Talent?” Yeah, back in 2012, he was a judge for a season. What HASN’T he done?
“Marty, Life Is Short” debuts May 12th, 2026 on Netflix. You can also check out “Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces” on Apple TV now.
