Sticking up for a friend! Steve Martin didn’t appreciate that he and Martin Short received Emmy recognition for their acting in Only Murders in the Building while their costar Selena Gomez did not.
“We’re thrilled at the nominations, not only for us but for the show. We’re dismayed that Selena was not nominated because she’s so crucial to our performances, really,” Martin, 76, told The New York Times on Tuesday, July 12.
While the 29-year-old Monte Carlo actress was not acknowledged for her character work, Short, 72, was quick to point out that she is “nominated as an executive producer” for the Hulu series. As a musician, Gomez’ accolades include an American Music Award for Artist of the year in 2016.
The “Lose You to Love Me” singer told emmy magazine in May 2022 that her septuagenarian costars had made her feel right at home filming season 1 of Only Murders, which premiered in August 2021. “I have to say I’m really lucky … it’s been wonderful. I feel like I’m a part of the group, I don’t feel like an outcast because I’m younger,” she told the outlet.
Martin joked that he had certain reservations about working with the Disney Channel alum. “Selena was an unknown. And she’s coming from pop culture, we don’t know if she’s a diva, we don’t know if she’s crazy. We don’t know anything about her,” he joked to emmy magazine while promoting the show’s second season, which began streaming in June.
In an August 2021 interview with Glamour, the Spring Breakers actress revealed that she was “constantly” asking the two comedic legends questions on set. “My questions always consisted of, ‘What were you doing when you were my age?’ I asked them about love, I asked them about their careers, I asked them about humor,” she told the outlet.
As it turns out, the Three Amigos! stars had questions of their own for Gomez. “They would always ask questions about pop culture. I think that was the biggest fascination,” the “Wolves” singer told Glamour. “If anything, it was like, ‘Why is this song popular?’ and ‘Are people listening to this still? Are they liking this?’ I would play them rap songs, and I would sing with them and dance. It was so much fun, it shouldn’t even have been work.”
‘Only Murders In The Building.’ Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
Although Martin and Short wish Gomez had received an Emmy nomination, they aren’t taking their own critical acclaim too seriously. The comedians, who are nominated in the same category, joked about being in competition with each other during their interview with The New York Times.
“I believe that the comedy acting category should be divided in two, for Overly Broad and Way Too Subtle. So, whatever the nominations are, you have subcategories. Marty could win Overly Broad, and I could win Way Too Subtle,” the Saturday Night Live alum said.
“You could be in your own category, which is Too Pale to Actually Light,” Short replied to his longtime friend. When asked if he’d ever been in direct competition with Martin before, the Innerspace actor quipped, “just emotionally,” while the Jerk star added, “every minute of every day.”
