Martin Short and Meryl Streep stepped out in New York for a performance of "Merrily We Roll Along" on Broadway.
The two “Only Murders in the Building" stars attended the performance on March 16 and went backstage to meet the cast afterwards.
Krystal Joy Brown, who stars in the musical as Gussie, documented the moment and shared a picture she took with Streep and Short.
"I am absolutely floored," she wrote on her Instagram story. "I performed for these two legends and they were so kind and effusive about our show and said some kind words to me I will NEVER forget."
Brown also posted a video of Streep speaking to the entire crew, gushing, "You were wonderful."
An attendee at the show also shared to social media a photo of Streep and Short sitting together in the audience.
Streep and Short may have smoldering on-screen chemistry in “Only Murders in the Building,” but in real life, Short has said that they are just pals, not dating.
“We’re not a couple,” Short, 73, said with a laugh in January on the “Club Random with Bill Maher” podcast. “We are just very close friends.”
Dating rumors began swirling around Short and Streep earlier this year after Streep starred as the love interest of Short’s character in the third season of “Only Murders in the Building.”
In October, Streep revealed that she and her husband of more than four decades, Don Gummer, have been separated for more than six years. Short is also not publicly in a relationship. His wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, died from ovarian cancer in 2010.
Short opened up about working with Streep in a 2023 interview with Backstage, sharing his admiration for the “Let Them All Talk” star’s record-setting 21 Oscar nominations.
“Who’s even made 21 movies?” he joked.
He also shared a funny memory from the set of “Only Murders in the Building.” He said that once, while Streep was about to begin performing a scene, one of the show’s creators thought she was talking to them on set, and responded to her.
She looked annoyed then, because in reality, she had just delivered her first line in the scene.
“She’s so good that you don’t even know when you’ve started,” Short said.
He also recalled a wry comment Streep made to him after they had finished filming a scene on the Staten Island Ferry.
“I just want you to know that, sometimes, I can be quite good. And that was an example of it,” Streep said, according to Short.
He also described Streep’s process as bringing “full commitment to every rehearsal, and I understand that.”
Read on for a timeline of Short and Streep’s sweet friendship.
February 2015: Backstage on Broadway
On Feb. 3, 2015, Short and Streep smiled together backstage at the Broadway play, “It’s Only a Play.”
They also both posed for photos with the cast members of the play, including Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing and F. Murray Abraham.
June 2017: Honoring Diane Keaton
Streep and Short were spotted together once more on June 8, 2017, at the Lifetime Achievement Gala honoring Diane Keaton at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
They sat next to Keaton at the event, and they were also joined by Steve Martin, who is in "Only Murders in the Building."
February 2023: Another Broadway evening
Short and Streep made another appearance together at the opening night of the Broadway play “Pictures from Home” on Feb. 9, 2023, joinedby their “Only Murders” co-star, Martin.
Streep also posed for photos with her “Mamma Mia” co-star, Christine Baranski.
January 2024: Multiple joint appearances
Streep and Short were all smiles as they posed together at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Jan. 7, 2024.
The actors appeared to sit side by side during the ceremony and they were captured posing affectionately with each other during the event.
A few days later on Jan. 12, they appeared together once again at the AFI Awards luncheon in Los Angeles.
They laughed together in multiple photos and appeared to be having a great time in each other’s company.
Not long after their two joint appearances in January, romance rumors began to swirl about the pair, with many fans sharing their excitement on social media about the possible pairing.
“so much of my mental health wellbeing is based around Martin Short and Meryl Streep working out,” one person wrote on X.
“Meryl streep and martin short are my TV parents,” another person wrote.
“Meryl Streep and martin short being friends is iconic enough,” another X user wrote, “but can you imagine if they are actually dating ……… legends.”
But again, Short firmly denied these dating rumors on Bill Maher's podcast in late January, and a rep for Short also told People in January that he and Streep “are just very good friends, nothing more.”
Streep, who is typically private about her personal life, does not appear to have commented publicly on her friendship with Short.