What to Know About Martin Short's Late Parents and 4 Siblings

Martin Short's older brother and his parents all died before he turned 21

NEED TO KNOW

• Martin Short is the youngest of five siblings, raised in Canada by Olive Hayter and Charles Patrick Short

• Both of his parents were accomplished, with his mother being North America’s first female concertmaster
• The actor’s older brother, David, and his parents all died before he turned 21

If you asked him, Martin Short was far from the funniest person in his family.

"Everyone was funny in my family," the Only Murders in the Building star said during a September 2013 interview on Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien. "I was the youngest, so it was almost like trickled-down funny … comedy was very dominant in my house."

Martin and his four older siblings were raised in Ontario, Canada, by their parents, Olive Hayter and Charles Patrick Short. His mother was a talented violinist, and his father worked as the vice president of Canadian Steel, per The Guardian.

Tragedy first struck the family when Martin's brother, David, died in a car accident. The actor was 12 years old at the time, and said during a May 2026 panel at Netflix Is a Joke Presents: This Better Be Funny with David Letterman that his mother was diagnosed with cancer at her son's funeral.

"[She] died three years later. My father died the year after that," Martin told the crowd. "So there was definitely a period where life changed completely.”

Here's everything to know about Martin Short's family, including his late parents and his four siblings.

Short’s mother was the first female concertmaster in North America

Olive was not only a professional violinist — and "an extraordinary musician" according to Martin — but she was also the first female concertmaster in North America.

"She was a remarkable person," the actor told PEOPLE in a 1984 profile. "Both my parents were. So I never looked at it as if it was a tragedy — that I didn't have them my whole life."

He continued, "You learn some sense of priorities. Our whole family took the attitude that if you have wonderful moments, don't second-guess them, just enjoy them."

He is the youngest of five

During their marriage, Olive and Charles welcomed five children: David, Michael, Brian, Nora and Martin.

"I am the youngest of five and it's the greatest position in the world; your feet never touch the ground," he said in an October 2012 interview with The Guardian. "You're told by everyone you're the most brilliant, fascinating, adorable person, so even if you wanted to have self-esteem issues it's just not possible."

Short’s eldest brother, mother and father died within five years

When Martin was 12, David died in a car accident in Montreal. At the Netflix Is a Joke panel, the actor said his older brother was "the star" of the family.

Just years after that tragic loss, his mother died of cancer in 1968. Meanwhile, Martin's father died from complications caused by a stroke two years later.

"I think the reason all that didn't throw me sideways was because I had such a solid foundation," he told The Guardian. "Those kinds of situations are horrible but I think that you are either empowered by them or you become a victim of them."

Michael is an Emmy-winning comedy writer

Martin's brother, Michael, is also in the entertainment industry. He's worked as a writer for major series like SCTV, Maniac Mansion, Mad TV, The Wayne Brady Show and Schitt's Creek, for which he won an Emmy after co-producing the show.

The Short brothers have collaborated on a few projects over the course of their careers.

Michael served as a writer for Martin's 2012 comedy special I, Martin Short, Goes Home and worked intermittently on his series The Martin Short Show between 1994 and 2000.

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