Martin Short was stunned when Meryl Streep admitted she was nervous on her first day filming Only Murders in the Building.
The 75-year-old actor portrays Oliver Putnam in the series opposite the 76-year-old screen legend as his love interest Loretta Durkin and he was shocked to learn she was just as apprehensive about shooting their first scenes together in season three as he was.
Speaking on Sirius XM's Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, he said: "So, the first scene we shot in Only Murders was a scene where we're at the piano and we're kind of flirting a little bit.
"The first shot set up [panned over Meryl to me] so it's pressure on me.
"And then, we break down so that they can reverse the cameras and do her side,."
“We go into holding area and she just says, ”Okay, nerves to half.’ And I go, ‘Wait a second, I was nervous. You can’t be nervous.' "
Martin previously insisted it was "coincidental" that the Devil Wears Prada star had joined Only Murders in the Building as his love interest amid speculation they are together in real life.
He told People magazine: "It's always interesting — show business relationships and spec.
"They already planned that I would have a theatrical experience and there would be a love interest.
"She just wanted to be on the show. She didn't know about [the love story]."
Co-creator John Hoffman has previously spoken of his delight at watching Martin and Meryl film together.
He told Decider: “You know, it is one of the most unexpected turns but I remember thinking, like, ‘God.' As I got to know Meryl, as I’ve known Marty and as I watched the two of them work together in season 3, I just — it was unbelievable.
"They just delighted in each other on screen, off screen in every way.”
Meryl even thanked John for giving her the opportunity to have a love interest in her 70s.
He said: “I remember one night we were shooting on the ferry in Episode 5 of Season 3. We shot until about 2 in the morning on the most gorgeous night in Manhattan.
“I got off to gangplank there and Meryl was waiting and she had tears in her eyes and she said, ‘I just had to wait here for you to get off the boat to say thank you.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘I just got to play a scene I really thought that the likes of which I wouldn’t have a chance to do. To play romantic scenes at this age with this band in this way, it’s just the greatest thing ever.'”
