Catherine O'Hara makes a posthumous appearance in the upcoming Netflix documentary about the life of comedian Martin Short. In a previously taped interview conducted before her death in January at age 71, O'Hara praised her longtime friend, stating, 'I feel like he could improvise to eternity. Couldn't he?'
Documentary Trailer Released
The official trailer for the documentary, titled Marty, Life Is Short, debuted on Friday, showcasing the high-energy Short, now 76, across multiple comedic forms spanning five decades. The beloved Home Alone actress, whose brother Michael P. O'Hara detailed her final days on his podcast, appears in a compilation of never-before-seen footage, including a vintage clip of her dancing with Short.
Another dated video, seemingly captured by Short, shows him playfully squeezing her cheeks while exclaiming, 'I love you in Home Alone! You were wonderful!' as O'Hara laughs. A black-and-white photo later appears, featuring O'Hara and Short alongside their co-stars from the acclaimed Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV (Second City Television) in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
O'Hara's Passing
O'Hara passed away on January 30 due to a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs triggered by rectal cancer. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, Bo Welch, 74, and their two sons, Matthew, 32, and Luke Welch, 28.
Documentary Details
Marty, Life Is Short, premiering on May 12, is directed by Lawrence Kasdan, another longtime friend of Short's. The film features a roster of A-list friends and colleagues commenting on the comedian's talent and his impact on their lives.
Steve Martin, 80, who co-stars with Short in Only Murders in the Building, says in the trailer: 'I'll tell you something about Marty. Let's say you're going to host a dinner party, and you invite Marty, and then it turns out Marty can't come. You cancel the party.' Eugene Levy also extols Short's improvisational skills, noting, 'In this business, in the world of comedy, there's nobody faster. There's nobody smarter. There's nobody funnier.'
Elsewhere in the two-minute, 22-second trailer, Short and Tom Hanks are seen leaping off a yacht into the ocean, mimicking the iconic scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Short muses in an interview, 'I'm in the greatest profession in the world. I'm so damn lucky. How do I keep it going?'
Personal Reflections
Short reflects on the loss of his eldest brother David at age 12, the deaths of his parents when he was 18 and 20, and the loss of his wife, Nancy Dolman, to ovarian cancer when he was 60. 'In life, sometimes you hit a green light. And sometimes, for no reason, it's red,' Short says as images of his loved ones flash on screen. He jokes to his brother Michael that he 'had a speed dial to the funeral parlor,' adding, 'There were laughs during those years... that's the point.'
The trailer also features vintage footage of Short dancing with his three children when they were younger: Katherine, who died of an apparent suicide in February at 42, Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36. Fellow SCTV alum Andrea Martin says, 'Being a dad, it's as genuine as his breath.' Hanks concludes, 'Marty operates at the speed of joy.'
