“I think it’s been a friendship that always grows if you work with someone and love that person,” Short, 74, told Extra in an interview published on Monday, August 26.
While Short was asked about his and Streep’s onscreen relationship, he remained tight-lipped about their characters’ connection. (Streep, 75, joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building season 3 as Loretta Durkin, the love interest of Short’s Oliver Putnam.)
“I don’t want to reveal too much of what happens,” he said, while costar Selena Gomez noted, “It’s so sweet.”
Costar Steve Martin, for his part, added that Streep is a “friend to all” of them. “I’ve worked with her,” Martin, 79, said. “I did a movie with her very fortunately … and if I don’t see her for two years [and] get back together, you’re already laughing and talking. It’s friendly.”
Short and Streep made headlines on Thursday, August 22, when they were spotted at the Only Murders in the Building season 4 premiere holding hands. Deadline shared a clip of Short and Streep interlacing fingers as they walked alongside Martin at the Los Angeles party.
“Steve Martin in this video is the definition of the 3rd wheel 😄,” one user commented via X, while another added, “I simply love living in a world where 75 year old Meryl Streep is having a soft relationship launch with her 74 year old boyfriend, Martin Short.”
This isn’t the first time Short and Streep have sparked dating rumors. In December 2023, Time Out New York theater editor and critic Adam Feldman teased via social media that there are “two quite surprisingly celebrity couples” who kept their romance out of the spotlight. Many quickly pointed to Streep and Short.
The following month, Streep and Short were spotted sitting next to each other at the Golden Globes. (Short was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy for his role in Only Murders in the Building, while Streep earned a nod for Best Supporting Female Actor — Television for her part in the series. Neither won their category.)
Afterward, a rep for Short denied that he and Streep were dating, telling The Messenger in a statement, “They are just very good friends, nothing more.”
In March, Short admitted that he was nervous to share the screen with Streep, gushing that it was “one of the great thrills of my life.”
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Short said at a For Your Consideration event, “In fact, the first day of shooting — which was rare because I’m not brand new — I was driving to work and I thought, ‘I’m nervous today. I’m working with Meryl Streep.’”
