People.com Entertainment TV 'Only Murders in the Building' 's Steve Martin and Martin Short Reveal Each Other's Quirky Habits The comedy legends spoke to PEOPLE about their decades-long friendship and working together on the Emmy-nominated Hulu series By Aili Nahas Aili Nahas Aili Nahas is the West Coast Deputy News Editor at PEOPLE. She is also the TV deputy in Los Angeles as well as the Weddings Editor. Aili has spent nearly two decades in the entertainment industry and 12 years at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines and Alexandra Schonfeld Alexandra Schonfeld Twitter Digital News Writer, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 13, 2022 02:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email After 36 years of friendship, Steve Martin and Martin Short know a thing or two about one another. In this week's issue of PEOPLE, the two comedy legends — and 2022 Emmy nominees — open up about their decades-long friendship, Only Murders in the Building and their "You Won't Believe What They Look Like Today!" comedy tour. "I think our friendship only seems special because we're in show business," says Short, 72. "But if your dad had a 36-year best friend, you'd say, 'How great. They must enjoy each other's company.'" Because the duo have known and worked alongside each other for so long, they've been able to pick up on one another's quirks. "Here's what it's like to be with Marty Short: We're sitting next to each other, maybe in a car, and I hear, 'You going to the Oscars this year?' And I go, 'Gee, I don't know. It depends if we're invited,'" says Martin, 76. "He says, 'No, I'm doing dictation into the phone. Sorry, I'm sending a text.' 'Oh, okay.'" Martin continues, "Then a minute goes by and he goes, 'The ratings were really high this year. Congratulations.' And I go, 'Yeah, thanks. That's really great. I mean, we did it...' He says, 'No, I'm sending a dictation to Bill Hader.' And then I'll hear, 'For lunch, I'd like a turkey sandwich and some coleslaw on the side.' And I won't say anything. And then he says, 'Are you listening?'" CAITLIN CRONENBERG Steve Martin and Martin Short's Friendship Timeline Short chimed in to say that while he considers himself to be "very, very organized," Martin has "a million more skills." "And he's obsessed with food. I love escargot, but I won't eat a raw tomato," Short says. For more on PEOPLE's cover story with Steve Martin and Martin Short, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. "I'm not a gourmand," Martin clarifies. "I mean, I'll eat a grilled cheese. As I get older, I just want perfect weather and a perfect meal. I make poached eggs with a $39 machine on Amazon. Poaches two eggs perfectly, and it takes two minutes. No muss, no fuss. But I don't have a cooking talent, and I don't have an organization talent." CAITLIN CRONENBERG Short continued to compliment his friend by highlighting his numerous achievements beyond the screen both on stage and in print. "You've written novels. You've written plays that have been on Broadway. You've written a musical that's been on Broadway," he says, adding self-deprecatingly, "I've only won a Tony." Given all they've seen in the industry, it's no surprise that one of their timeless sources of conversation is other luminaries. Steve Martin and Martin Short Reveal What They Love Most About Each Other CAITLIN CRONENBERG "Marty and I are amused by egocentric mania, like when somebody's being too pompous," Martin admits. "We just find that hilarious," he confesses. "And we love to gossip about on-set stories we've heard of people being ridiculous." For more from Steve Martin and Martin Short, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here. Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building is currently streaming on Hulu.