Martin Short's 3 Children: All About Katherine, Oliver and Henry

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty

ThoughMartin Shorttends to keep his family life private, he is the proud father of three children.

Martin and his late wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, welcomed three children via adoption before herdeath in August 2010 from ovarian cancer: Katherine Elizabeth, 41, Oliver Patrick, 38, and Henry Hayter, 35.

While promoting his bookI Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend,Martin appeared onThe Meredith Vieira Showin November 2014 and revealed a touching moment he shared with his children following Dolman’s death at the family’s cottage in Canada.

“(Nancy) had once said to me, ‘I don’t want a funeral and I don’t want a memorial. Throw a party, or not.’ She just was so irritated that she was losing this battle, she didn’t want to think about it,” Martin recalled. “So I just followed her wishes. We went up, we had a party with about 30 close friends and family. She was cremated. The kids and I went into a boat, we sprinkled the ashes into the water, and we jumped into the ashes.”

In the years after Dolman’s death, Martin has opened up about how his children have coped with the loss.

“It’s been a tough two years for my children,” Martin toldThe Guardianin October 2012. “This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does you gain a little and you suffer a little. There’s no big surprise.”

Despite Martin and Dolman having illustrious careers in the entertainment industry themselves, none of their children wanted to follow in their footsteps.

“None of them wanted to go into show business, and I pushed them,” theOnly Murders in the Buildingstar said during an appearance onConan. “I wanted them to go into show business. I make them do laps in the morning and I go to the balcony with my coffee and say, ‘Quitter! Do it again!’ "

Read on to learn more about Martin Short’s three children.

Katherine Elizabeth Short, 41

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Katherine Elizabeth Short was born on Dec. 3, 1983.

Today, Katherine works in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker and works part-time at the clinic Amae Health to provide community outreach, family support groups, peer support and psychotherapy. She is also involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, which aims to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health.

While Martin has not divulged personal details about his daughter over the years, she has appeared at several events with the formerSaturday Night Livestar.

In May 2003, Martin and Dolman brought their daughter to the afterparty forThe Producers, posing withGoldie Hawnat the Hollywood Palladium. Years later, Katherine also attendedBette Midler’s New York Restoration Project “Hulaween” event, donning a prom queen sash as part of her ensemble for the evening.

Katherine also accompanied Martin to theVanity FairOscar Party in February 2011, posing on the red carpet for several father-daughter snaps at the special event.

Oliver Patrick Short, 38

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Oliver Patrick Short was born on April 29, 1986.

According to hisLinkedIn profile, he went to college at the University of Notre Dame, where he was the women’s ice hockey coach and the men’s snowboard captain. He graduated in 2008 with a degree in film and television production.

Though Oliver might not be in front of the camera, he has pursued a career behind the scenes in the industry. He previously worked as an executive assistant at Warner Bros. Pictures, which Martin confirmed in a 2012 interview withThe Guardian. He went on to work at FOX Sports, the MLB Network and NBC Sports, holding various different producing positions.

While not much else is known about Oliver, like his sister he has appeared at various industry events with his father over the years.

Martin, Dolman and their three children all attended the afterparty following the opening night ofMartin Short: Fame Becomes Mein August 2006, with the family of five posing together at Tavern on the Green in New York City. In October 2006, Martin, Katherine and Oliver also attended the Night Of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit in N.Y.C., posing for a snap on the red carpet.

Henry Hayter Short, 35

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Henry Hayter Short was born on Aug. 4, 1989.

Per hisLinkedIn, Henry followed in his brother’s footsteps and attended the University of Notre Dame. In college, he was a member of the men’s water polo club team and the fishing club. He also served as the captain of the ski and snowboard club. He graduated from the university in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

In 2012, Martin toldThe Guardianthat Henry had been backpacking around Europe. He went on to start his career at the Royal Bank of Canada where he served as a managed solutions group consultant, before moving on to his role as an analyst. Today, he works as a veterinary assistant at the Malibu Coast Animal Hospital.

Since he was a teenager, Henry has attended events with both of his parents, including the 2004 premiere ofLemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Eventswith both Martin and Dolman. In October 2012, Henry attended the opening night of the BFI London Film Festival with Martin for the premiere of the actor’s movieFrankenweenie. Henry also attended the Broadway opening night ofPippinwith his dad in April 2013.

In recent years, Henry walked the red carpet with his father at the ​​2016 Canadian Screen Awards as well as the Take Off, Eh: An All-Star Benefit in July 2017.

source: people.com