Martin Short is not gay, as speculated by a section of the media. In fact, he is very straight. Though he has been single for over a decade now, he used to be married until 2010, when his partner passed away.
Despite portraying Frank, the exuberant event planner in Father of the Bride, Short has never identified himself as bisexual or a part of LBGTQ. In reality, that role had nothing to do about his sexuality.
Martin Short Is Not Gay
Martin Short is a very talented singer, actor, and comedian. He is everything you look for in an entertainer and even more. Based on his job description, Martin takes up various comic and challenging roles. One of those roles was Frank, the energetic event planner, in the 2022 American romantic comedy Father of the Bride.
The movie stirred questions and mixed reactions about his sexuality among fans. Is Martin Short gay? What about Short’s sexuality? And more questions kept rolling. Some even rumored that he was bisexual. Despite these speculations and assumptions, Martin Short is not gay, as he has come out to debunk the rumors himself.
In an interview with Pride Source, Short explained that the creator of the character Frank never designed him to be gay. However, there was no other way to represent Frank in a comic way other than the way he did.
He also explained that if he reversed the movie and acted like John Wayne, then it won’t be real anymore. And without reality, the character would be stripped of its comic nature. According to Short, people should not judge one’s sexuality by physical appearance.
In the same vein, he admitted to being guilty of the same misjudgments that were being meted on Frank. Short explained his encounter with seemingly straight people who turned out to be effeminate in reality. Finally, the actor reiterated that the character Frank had nothing to do with his sexuality. Therefore, Martin Short is not gay.
Nancy Dolman was Martin Short’s Wife
As the questions about Martin Short’s sexuality increased, more attention has been drawn to his wife’s identity. Martin’s late wife was Nancy Dolman, a Canadian actress and singer. She was born on September 26, 1951, and was a native of Toronto, Canada.
Aside from being raised in Toronto, Dolman attended the York Mills Collegiate Institute. She also got a degree from the University of Western Ontario. Just like Martin, entertainment was more like a family thing for the late actress. Her brother, Bob Dolman, is a well-known producer, screenwriter, and director.
Dolman started her career in the industry before she met her eventual husband, Martin Short. She later retired to be a homemaker but appeared in a couple of screenplays. At the beginning of her career, Short’s wife appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar, a Canadian Rock Theatre Production.
She also recorded an album at MGM in Los Angeles with a group of other singers. In addition to this, she took a role as one of the main characters on the ABC hit. Unfortunately, she died when she was just 58 years old from complications of Ovarian cancer.
Martin Short is a Widower
The Canadian actor and comedian shared almost three decades with his sweetheart, Nancy Dolman. Short and his wife had the same career path as they both worked in the entertainment industry. Aside from earning a living from showbiz, it also brought these lovebirds together.
Short met his beau during the run of the Toronto production of Godspell in 1972. At that time, Nancy was Gilda Radner’s understudy, while Short was just a newbie in the entertainment industry. Besides how they met, every other detail of their relationship – prior to the marriage – is not publicly known.
However, their love grew stronger, and they promised to be with each other forever on December 22, 1980. Although it was a celebrity wedding, the details of their ceremony are not available to the general population.
Short and Nancy were together for about 30 years. They lived in peace without scandals and controversies, unlike some celebrity couples. Just five years into their marriage, Dolman retired from the entertainment industry to care for her husband and children.
Sadly, Short could not spend forever with his wife as she passed away on August 21, 2010. Short’s wife, Dolman, had had a long battle with Ovarian cancer which finally claimed her life.
Martin Short Claims He Still ‘Communicates’ With His Wife
In truth, Nancy Dolman’s demise left Short daring. The Canadian actor explained that with the tragedy of losing his wife, he became a little more daring. Martin also stated that he still feels his wife’s presence even in her absence.
In a talk with AARP, Short admitted that life has been tough since his wife’s demise. According to him, he still communicates with Nancy all the time. He explained that he still considers what her take would be in certain decisions he makes especially concerning the kids.
Martin believes that dead people still maintain a close connection with their loved ones and to the best of his knowledge, Nancy is still there with him.
Martin Short and Nancy Dolman Had Three Kids
This couple shares three adopted children. Their kids are Katherine Elizabeth, Oliver Patrick, and Henry Hayter. Their first child, Katherine Elizabeth, was born in 1983. She works as a social worker.
Oliver Patrick, Martin’s second child, came in 1986. He works with Warner Brothers while his younger brother – Short’s last child – Henry Heyter, was born in 1989.
Is Martin Short Single, or Has He Remarried?
It’s over a decade since Martin Short’s wife, Nancy Dolman, kicked the bucket, but Martin has remained her widower. The Canadian actor has neither remarried nor been publicly associated with any lady. He has confessed to excessively loving his late wife, having spent 30 years of his adult life with her. He has also mentioned that their marriage was a triumph.
However, he has not said anything about taking another wife or giving love another shot. Instead of considering love, he rearranged his priorities and activities.
He also told AARP that he has a bucket list of things he considers a priority for his well-being. According to Martin, it was his health first, then family, friends, money, career, creativity, self-discipline, and lastly, lifestyle.