'Had a speed dial to the funeral parlour': Martin Short's tragic history of loss laid bare in new documentary

Martin Short is set to pull back the curtain on his journey through grief in upcoming Netflix documentary Marty, Life is Short.

His is a career devoted wholeheartedly to bringing light and laughter to the world – however, Short's personal life has long been marred by tragedy.

In the newly-released trailer, the beloved comic actor is heard joking to his brother Michael that he "had a speed dial to the funeral parlour," following an ongoing slew of deaths within his family.

"There were laughs during those years.… that's the point," he adds. "In life, sometimes you hit a green light. And sometimes, for no reason, it's red," Short says, alluding to his extensive and gut-wrenching history of personal loss.

"Mum died and dad's health went fast," Martin said. "I was just overwhelmed with 'I can't do it, I can't do it.'"

Most recently, the death of the comic actor's daughter Katherine Haley, 42, marked the latest heartbreak to befall the Short family.

The trailer for the documentary notably includes footage from old family videos showing Martin dancing with Katherine and her two siblings when they were young.

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In 2010, Short's wife Nancy, who he'd been with for 36 years, passed away after a battle with ovarian cancer, leaving the pair's family heartbroken.

Opening up about the loss of his wife, he revealed it had been "a tough two years" for the pair's three adoptive children – Henry, now 36, Oliver, now 39 and Katherine.

The Only Murders in the Building star has spoken openly about grief over the years, reflecting on the deaths of his brother and both parents during the early stages of his burgeoning comedy career.

As he sought to make a name for himself within the industry, the now-75-year-old actor navigated grief, whilst maintaining his characteristic optimism and glass-half-full mentality.

In a past interview with PEOPLE, which came shortly after the actor was first signed with Saturday Night Live in 1984, a then 34-year-old Short spoke at length about his family – and the unexpected loss of his eldest brother and parents.

Martin is the youngest of his five siblings, with his older brother passing away in a car accident when the comedian was just 12 years old.

He told the publication that despite this particular chapter of his life being one of the most difficult, he was not afraid to revisit it.

"There isn't a period of my life that I don't like to think about or wouldn't go back to," he reflected.

Marty, Life is Short is set to release later this month on May 12.

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