All these things that enter your head are assignments. You write them up and then throw them out there and if someone wants to do it, your assignment is done.
All you're trying to do in an improvisation is get as much material as possible for the editing room.
Being the youngest of five, you're adored, you're fueled with confidence.
David Lynch and I almost made a movie together in the late '80s. We had lots of dinners and lunches. He's a very cool, hip guy. This film, let's face it, is like an homage to him, I would imagine he'd find it funny.
Everything you do is always the best you could do at the time given the budget, the constraints, the reality of it.
I always do my life around the school year. Around the middle of June, the kids are out of school and we go up to our cottage in Canada.
I hate to lull the audience into letting them think that something is something. It's always fun to defy expectations.
I have a kind of objective luxury about my career.
I have sometimes imagined my own death and brought myself to tears.
I know if I were to drop dead now, people would probably write nice things in the obit.
I like a hopping lobby - a kind of scene lobby with energy. There's something lonely about a hotel.
I pretend I'm one of the royal family when I'm in a hotel and that the hotel belongs to me - it is a palace.
I think I'm funny because my family, my siblings were funny.
I think loss can fuel how you lead your whole life.
I'd think, I'll improvise my way to the window. So the camera guy is trying to follow, and suddenly he's in the shot.
I've chosen to treat my life more like a party than something to stress about.
I've done lots of improv things but not a whole movie.
I've never done an improvised movie as a fictitious character. I think that's the challenge.
In comedy, what one person might find absolutely hilarious, and someone probably over 50 is going to say, I don't get it.
My mother was the concert master of the symphony. Absurdity and eccentricity were not criticized.
No one is any one thing.
One of my great influences was Don Knotts as Barney Fife.
One of the challenges of going to Broadway is because you've never done Broadway. So you do that a couple of times. Then you go, ", I've done Broadway".
People do think I'm Jewish. But we're Irish Catholic. My father had a brogue.
Someone once asked me what was the weirdest question I was ever asked. And I was stymied.
Sometimes people get passionate about the obscure jokes.
What I learned, a little too late, was that the 'traditional' Martin Short target viewer weighs under 300 pounds. Unfortunately, I was on during daytime.
What's great about being a character actor is you know that you can survive forever. It's not about the gloss of your eyebrows.
When you send something out there, you say, "This is my painting", I hope you like it and if you don't, then I'm sure someone will.
When you start saying, "I want people to love me". I don't need the money any more, you then seek things that will keep you challenged.
Years ago, I found that being that excited about something so commonplace, like what to wear on an airplane, was kind of engaging.
You go through publicists because it's easy for a publicist to say to another publicist, "No".
You try to figure out things to keep yourself interested. It's very easy to get lulled.
Martin Short is one of very few ex-SNL cast members who have made a guest appearances on rival sketch comedy show MadTV.
In 1999, Martin Short won a Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Musical" for his performance in the Broadway play Little Me.
Although Martin Short maintains his Canadian citizenship he also has become a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Martin Short went to McMaster University alongside fellow comedians Eugene Levy and Dave Thomas, both of who encouraged Martin to pursue a career in comedy.
When he was young Martin Short lost his brother David in 1962 (car accident) and later lost both his parents, his mother passing away in 1970, and is father in 1972.
Martin Short graduated from McMaster University, with a degree in Social Work, in 1972.
Martin starred as Jack Frost in the 2006 film The Santa Clause 3:The Escape Clause. His other starring movie roles were in The Three Amigos! (1986), Really Weird Tales (1987), Innerspace (1987), The Big Picture (1989), Three Fugitives (1989), Pure Luck (1991), Father of the Bride (1991), Captain Ron (1992), Money for Nothing (1993), Clifford (1994), Father of the Bride Part II (1995) and Mars Attacks! (1996).
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