Martin Short on Comedy, SCTV and His Unforgettable ’80s Characters

Martin Short didn't need much time to make an impression in the ’80s.

Sometimes all he needed was extremely high-waisted pants, a spectacularly bad haircut and the phrase “I must say.”

In this classic episode of Stuck in the ’80s, we revisit our interview with Martin Short, one of the funniest and most versatile performers to emerge from the remarkable Canadian comedy scene that gave us an absurd number of comedy legends.

Short's road to stardom included a stop at SCTV, where he joined a cast that included John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin and Joe Flaherty.

It was there that audiences met some of Short's wonderfully strange creations, including the spectacularly nerdy Ed Grimley.

Grimley was impossible to forget. The hair. The pants. The triangle. His obsession with Pat Sajak. Short somehow turned a character who looked like he should have been banned from leaving his bedroom into a pop-culture phenomenon.

Then came Saturday Night Live.

Short joined the show for the 1984-85 season alongside fellow SCTV veteran Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. His tenure lasted only one season, but it arrived at an important moment for SNL and produced plenty of memorable television.

Short also brought characters including Grimley and the gloriously untalented Jackie Rogers Jr. to a much larger American audience.

Hollywood soon came calling.

In 1986, Short teamed with Chevy Chase and Steve Martin for Three Amigos!, playing Ned Nederlander in a comedy that wasn't exactly greeted as a masterpiece upon arrival but eventually became one of the decade's most beloved cult movies.

A year later came Innerspace, followed by movies including Cross My Heart and Three Fugitives as Short continued moving effortlessly between sketch comedy, movies, television and the stage.

That's part of what makes talking with Martin Short so much fun. His career can't really be reduced to one show, one movie or even one character.

For children of the ’80s, though, there's something particularly wonderful about that stretch when Short seemed capable of appearing anywhere — SCTV one minute, Saturday Night Live the next, then suddenly standing beside Steve Martin and Chevy Chase dressed as a singing cowboy.

In our conversation, Short looks back at his career, his comedy influences and the characters that made him one of the most distinctive performers of the decade.

And yes, it's nearly impossible to talk about Martin Short without eventually attempting an Ed Grimley impression.

We apologize in advance.

Join the Stuck in the ’80s Patreon

Want even more Stuck in the ’80s? Our Patreon members get bonus content and other extras created for the people who somehow haven't gotten tired of us after all these years.

Join the Stuck in the ’80s Patreon and help us keep the podcast, website and our various ’80s obsessions alive and kicking.

Join Us on The ’80s Cruise

Want to take your ’80s obsession out to sea? Join Stuck in the ’80s aboard The ’80s Cruise, where we host trivia, live events, podcasts and assorted other ’80s foolishness alongside thousands of fellow fans.

When booking your cabin, use promo code STUCK to receive $250 in onboard credit.

Come for the music. Stay for the trivia.

And please don't blame us if you return home owning more concert T-shirts than you packed.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.