Martin Short Reveals Late Wife Nancy Dolman's Last Words and the Heartbreaking Connection to Daughter Katherine's Death

Brenton BlanchetFri, May 15, 2026 at 3:04 PM UTC

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Martin Short and Nancy Dolman attend the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar party on Feb. 22, 2009
Credit: Eric Charbonneau/VF/Getty -

Martin Short is reflecting on the deaths of two loved ones

The actor discussed the last words of his wife, Nancy Dolman, during a Friday, May 15 interview with The New York Times

Short's new documentary, Marty, Life Is Short, is now streaming on Netflix

Martin Short is getting candid about love and loss.

The actor, 76, reflected on the 2010 death of his wife Nancy Dolman and the recent death of his daughter Katherine in an interview with The New York Times published Friday, May 15.

During the discussion about his new Netflix documentary Marty, Life Is Short, Short drew a parallel between the two moments in his life as he recalled his late wife's last words to him. Dolman, who was 58, died of ovarian cancer in 2010, while 42-year-old Katherine died by suicide in February.

“Martin, let me go," Short recalled of Dolman's message.

“Katherine was saying: Dad, let me go,” he added. “I don’t see any difference between mental illness as a disease and cancer as a disease. In some cases, both are terminal. And in some cases, both are survivable.”

Martin Short and Nancy Dolman attend the Nov. 20, 1989 premiere of 'Back to the Future Part II'
Credit: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch via Getty

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Short also told the Times that the most recent loss in his life was different. “This is your child,” he said. “I am trying to head toward the light.”

Short is also dad to Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36, whom he shared with his late wife of 30 years. The pair met in 1972 and later married in 1980.

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The Only Murders in the Building star shared a similar sentiment during a Sunday, May 10, appearance on CBS News Sunday Morning, calling the death of their daughter "a nightmare for the family."

"But the understanding that mental health and cancer, like my wife [had], are both diseases," he said. "Sometimes with diseases, they are terminal. My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn't."

He added, "So Nan's last words to me were, 'Martin, let me go.' And what she was saying was, 'Dad, let me go.' So I hold a deep desire. And that's why I'm involved in this organization, Bring Change to Mind ... taking mental health out of the shadows, not being ashamed of it, not hiding from the word 'suicide,' but accepting that this could be the last stage of an illness."

The Los Angeles coroner confirmed that Katherine died by suicide in February. At the time, the Short family said in a statement that she was "beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”

Katherine worked in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker and also part-time at the clinic Amae Health to provide community outreach, family support groups, peer support and psychotherapy. She mostly remained out of the public eye, but attended a few events with her father over the years.

Martin Short and daughter Katherine Short on Sept. 24, 2012
Credit: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages via AP Images

Elsewhere during his Sunday Morning conversation, Short explained why it was important for him to speak out after his daughter's death. “If I said to the audience, any audience I was in, ‘How many have lost anyone from suicide?' you'd be stunned by the hands that would go [up]. ‘How many have mental health in their family?' You'd be stunned by the hands that would go up," he said.

“So why pretend that this is your own pain? Maybe by sharing your pain it will help other people's pain,” he added.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”