Heading into this year’s SAG Awards, Martin Short had five previous nominations. On Sunday night, the veteran actor-comedian won his first SAG Award at the age of 74 in the Male Actor In a Comedy Series category for his role as Oliver Putnam on Only Murders In the Building. An hour or so later, he won a second Actor when the Hulu series took the Comedy Ensemble trophy in one of the ceremony’s biggest surprises.
Short, an Emmy and Tony winner, was not on hand to receive his first SAG Award at the Los Angeles ceremony. His rep said that Short “was not able to attend due to Covid” and shared a statement form him.
“The honor of being in Only Murders In The Building is the most spectacular compliment anyone could be given,” Short said in the statement. “The honor of being awarded by your peers is even greater. Thank you so so much.”
Short and his longtime collaborator and friend — as well as Only Murders co-star — Steve Martin both appeared on the SNL50 live special the previous Sunday. Four days later, Martin announced on IG that Short had come down with Covid, adding, “the SNL 50th Covid curse is real.”
“Unfortunately, we have to reschedule this weekend’s sold out Durham and Knoxville dates,” Martin wrote in the Thursday IG message. The original Knoxville date was Feb. 23, the night of the SAG Awards, so the duo presumably would’ve been on stage in Tennessee during the awards show had Shot not contracted Covid.
According to reps, Martin was unable to travel to Los Angeles “due to a previous conflict in his schedule.”
With Short and Martin not in attendance, it was their Only Murders co-lead, Selena Gomez, who accepted the show’s award for Ensemble In a Comedy Series. Looking genuinely shocked, she was seen saying “What?” after the name of the show was read as the winner.
“We never win, this is so weird,” Gomez said on stage. “Marty and Steve aren’t here because… you know, they don’t really care,” she quipped to a big laugh from the audience.
Reminded by co-star Richard Kind to thank Short and Martin, Gomez thanked them “for helping raise me.”
She was joined on stage by Only Murders regular Michael Cyril Creighton as well as three of the big-name Season 4 stars that likely helped the show score its first comedy ensemble award for the latest installment, Kumail Nanjiani, Molly Shannon, who also was at SNL50, and Kind. Also MIA were fellow Season 4 cast members and comedy ensemble winners Sunday night Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria and Zach Galifianakis.
Watch Gomez’s reaction and acceptance speech below:
After the ceremony, Gomez, who also was at the SAG Awards as part of the nominated Emilia Pérez ensemble, and the rest of the Only Murders gang recorded a video message for Martin and Short, which the former posted on IG.
“We still don’t believe it,” the group exclaimed, adding, “Congratulations.” (You can watch it below.)
In his note accompanying the video, Martin wrote, “I’m the buddy of a winner! Congratulations to Martin Short for his best comedy actor award, and thank you SAG for our comedy ensemble award!”
Short’s counterpart, the SAG Award winner for Female Actor In a Comedy Series, Hacks‘ Jean Smart, also was a no-show, with the presenters announcing that she didn’t make it because she was shooting on location (Presumably Season 4 of the Max series.)
