Steve Martin, Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’) could tie Emmys record set by only 3 other comedy series
Few comedy duos have had the staying power of Steve Martin and Martin Short, two actors and entertainers who recently rejuvenated their decades-long partnership with the smash hit Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building.” The hilarious spoof of true crime podcasts looks poised to perform extremely well at the upcoming Emmy Awards, and if Martin and Short both earn nominations in the Comedy Lead Actor category, they will become only the fourth comedy pair in the history of the awards to earn double bids in the category.
The last time two costars competed in the comedy lead category was exactly 20 years ago, when in 2002 Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry both earned nominations for “Friends.” That year was one of the comedy’s best at the Emmys, as it earned 11 nominations and picked up prizes for Comedy Series and Jennifer Aniston, but LeBlanc and Perry ultimately lost to Ray Romano for “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
WATCH our exclusive video interview with “Only Murders in the Building” showrunner John Hoffman
Prior to the “Friends” matchup, you have to go back almost 30 more years to 1975 to find another example of competing male leads, when Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were nominated for the final time for “The Odd Couple.” In that race, Randall bested Klugman, but the two had faced off previously every year from 1971 to 1975. Klugman won their first duel and again in 1973, with Randall winning only once for the role in 1975. Before them, the very first pair of costars to compete in this category was Sebastian Cabot and Brian Keith for “Family Affair” back in 1968, in a contest that went to Don Adams (“Get Smart”).
Even though it seems like a rare occurrence, Gold Derby’s current combined odds of experts, editors, and users think Steve Martin and Martin Short will pull off the feat. Martin currently ranks second in the category, while Short comes in fifth. The winter awards also give a strong indication that both will earn nominations, as they did so at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Critics Choice TV Awards, and the Golden Globes. The prize at all three of those ceremonies went to reigning Emmy champion Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”), who we currently expect to repeat. Given the strength of “Ted Lasso” overall – the series took home seven Emmys for its first season last year – it seems unlikely that either Martin or Short could best Sudeikis, even if the other wasn’t in the contest. With both slated to earn bids, though, we will likely never know.
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In the above the line categories, our odds predict “Only Murders” to earn five nominations, including Comedy Series; Comedy Actress for Selena Gomez, currently in our sixth and final slot; Comedy Actor for both Martin and Short; and Comedy Supporting Actress for Amy Ryan, who ranks sixth out of the eight-person line-up.
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