Steve Martin, the late Catherine O’Hara, and other friends of the couple remember their relationship.

Martin Short documentary serves as a love letter to late wife Nancy Dolman

Steve Martin, the late Catherine O'Hara, and other friends of the couple remember their relationship.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

EW's editorial guidelines

May 9, 2026 10:00 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Martin Short and late wife Nancy Dolman in 2009. Credit:

Eric Charbonneau/VF/Getty

- Martin Short remembers the "drop dead beautiful" Nancy Dolman, to whom he was married in 1980, in new documentary *Marty, Life Is Shor*t.

- Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010.

- The late Catherine O'Hara recalled telling a couple's counselor that she wanted to emulate Martin and Nancy's dynamic.

The late Catherine O'Hara, who was a good friend of Martin Short for decades, explains in the new documentary about his life, *Marty, Life Is Short*, that his love story with late wife Nancy Dolman was admired.

"My husband and I went through a little rough patch, and we went to therapy," O'Hara says. "And one of the questions she was, 'Do you have friends, do you know a couple whose relationship you would love to have or you'd love to emulate?' We said, 'Oh, we have these friends Marty and Nancy.' And she said, 'I can't tell you how many people have named them when I've asked this question.'"

O'Hara is one of several recognizable faces the Netflix project who confirm that the couple was a perfect match. The Netflix film, which is directed by family friend Lawrence Kasdan, is full of vintage photos and video footage of the couple.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

Martin's *Only Murders in the Building* costar Steve Martin explained part of their dynamic.

"She thought everything he said was hilarious," Martin said. "And it was a sincere laughter. It wasn't like a wife doing it. It was like a person laughing. You know, 'Tell that story again.'"

Short married Dolman, an actress herself, in 1980, after meeting her during the 1972 production of *Godspell* in Toronto

Martin Short joined by sons at first public appearance since death of daughter Katherine

Martin Short joined by sons at first public appearance since death of daughter Katherine

He soon found himself spending time with the "drop dead beautiful" actress with a Joni Mitchell look, as both of them were going through breakups.

"I was doing a play and Nancy came, it was the summer," Short said. "And she was wearing short shorts and a halter top. And I was wearing short shorts and a T-shirt. And we went to the Four Seasons Hotel, and I said to the guy, 'My wife and I would like a room, please.' And even he started laughing because we looked about 12. And that was it. That was it."

Martin Short wife Nancy Dolman and their kids.

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Dolman, who raised three children, including late daughter Katherine, with Short, died of ovarian cancer in 2010. Short also talks about that painful experience, which followed her 2007 diagnosis that came after she suspected she had a hernia. It turned out to be an ovarian cyst.

Friends said Dolman was determined to live during the last few months of her life.

"She tended to be positive in general," Short said. "So when she got sick, her approach was, 'I can fight it.'"

He said Dolman would tell everyone during her treatment that she felt cured each time she had a new cocktail or chemotherapy.

"She went to the internet once," Short recalled, "read about it, and said, 'I'm not gonna do that anymore.'"

*Marty, Life Is Short* premieres May 12 on Netflix.

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Dating & Relationships

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”