Facts About Their Marriage Hollywood Life

Publish date: 2024-08-08

Martin Short has been having a renaissance with his hit show ‘Only Murders in the Building’ and a stellar hosting gig on ‘Saturday Night Live’
The Canadian comic became a household name back in the 80s on ‘SNL’ and went on to a successful movie career, with such flicks as ‘Three Amigos’ and ‘Father of the Bride’
Short’s wife Nancy Dolman, whom he married in 1980, died of ovarian cancer in 2010

Martin Short has had one legendary Hollywood career and it appears to be going stronger than ever! Hot off his second season of Only Murders in the Building, the Canadian comic, born in March 1950, nailed his Saturday Night Live hosting gig, where he shared emcee duties with his Only Murders co-star Steve Martin, with a special surprise visit from their other Only Murders co-star, Selena Gomez. Martin was also recently tapped to play amorous candlestick, Lumière, in ABC’s Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.

The high-profile roles are a long way from Martin’s humble beginnings as a struggling actor in Toronto. However, those early days of his career also marked the start of his romance with his late wife Nancy Dolman, as they met on the 1972 Toronto production of Godspell. Keep reading to find out more about the woman who stole Martin’s heart, below.

Where is Nancy from?

Martin, who was born in Ontario, didn’t have to go far to meet the woman who would become his wife. Nancy was born on Sept. 26, 1950 in Toronto. The Hollywood bug apparently ran in her blood, as her brother, Bob Doleman, became a famous screenwriter and director, helming such pictures as Willow and The Banger Sisters. However, Nancy would get her start as an actress in musical theater long before meeting Martin.

She landed a role on the soap opera spoof ‘Soap’

After touring with Jesus Christ Superstar, Nancy landed a part in the late 70s sitcom Soap, which was a spoof of soap operas at the time and starred such luminaries as Billy Crystal and Richard Mulligan. Nancy played the recurring character Annie Selig Tate on the ABC hit. Nancy would later step back from acting to raise her kids.

Nancy lost her battle with ovarian cancer

After 30 years of marriage, Martin had to say goodbye to Nancy when she succumbed to her battle with ovarian cancer in 2010. He has since stated that her passing has made him able to take mroe risjs in his life. “With real tragedy, you become a little more daring,” he told AARP in 2019. “It’s the yin to the yang: the positive part of life’s dark side.”

She was a proud mother of 3 adopted kids

Martin and Nancy decided to adopt children and welcomed daughter Katherine in 1983, followed by Oliver in 1986 and Henry in 1989. After Nancy died, Martin got candid about how the three kids were handling their mother’s death. “It’s been a tough two years for my children. This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does, you gain a little, and you suffer a little. There’s no big surprise,” he told The Guardian in 2012.

Martin says he still converses with Nancy

“Our marriage was a triumph,” Martin told AARP. “So it’s tough. She died in 2010, but I still communicate with her all the time. It’s ‘Hey Nan,’ you know? How would she react to this decision or that, especially regarding our three kids.”

He added, “I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them. The idea that it just ends, and don’t speak of them — that’s wrong….to me, she’s still here.”