Only Murders in the Building is new on streaming this week, with the first three episodes of Season 5 premiering, which means we get to see the hilarious Steve Martin and Martin Short spar with Selena Gomez as they solve another murder in their swanky apartment building. At this point, they are an iconic pop culture trio, but it’s safe to say the TV show wouldn’t exist without another great trio: the Three Amigos. And, in the newest season, there’s a little nod to the 1986 movie that started it all for Martin and Short.
What's The Three Amigos Reunion In Only Murders In The Building Season 5?
Three Amigos was Steve Martin and Martin Short’s first starring roles together, which would lead to decades of continued collaborations on the Father of the Bride movies, touring together and of course their roles on one of the funniest shows on Hulu that we never want to see end, Only Murders in the Building. In the second episode of Season 5, one of their main co-stars from the ‘80s comedy debuted a role on the series! Tony Plana, who famously played the role of Jefe, portrays the previous doorman in The Arconia, George.
While we won’t go too into specifics about the episode in case you haven’t seen it yet, the episode titled “After You,” and viewers get to visit the past of the Arconia when Lester was getting his start as the doorman. It gives more background on the mystery this season as Charles, Oliver and Mabel try to solve Lester’s murder.
How Tony Plana Was Cast In The Hulu Hit Alongside Steve Martin And Martin Short
When Only Murders co-creator John Hoffman spoke to Deadline about casting Plana, he shared how it came together. In his words:
Isn’t [Tony] the greatest? When we were casting George, we thought, ‘Who do we want that has the weight to carry what he’s carrying with a little edge and that dance you have to do?’ We got a list of actors, and I saw Tony’s name on it, and I stopped everything. I called Steve and Marty, and said, ‘Tony Plana is on our list for George.’ I didn’t need to say more. They told me, ‘Get him! He’s the greatest guy.’ It was a no-brainer for us. I just love him, and he came, and we had this reunion, the 2 ½ amigos. I directed that episode that Tony is in, so I got to see everything happen.
Short and Martin also had a lot to gush over reuniting with Plana for their Hulu show. Short exclaimed that they “love Tony,” and Martin called the actor an “essential element of Three Amigos” before revealing that he was “very sentimental” about getting to work with them again to play George. Here’s what Plana said himself about getting the role:
It was an amazing time to reconnect after so many years. I don’t think I’d seen Steve since back when we did the publicity for that film. Martin, I saw him a few times over the years because his son and my son attended high school together.
In the interview, Plana, who’s also famous for Ugly Betty and a host of roles across five decades, said having the Three Amigos reunion was “big hugs all around,” calling Martin and Short “incredibly welcoming and a lot of fun.” Only Murders has often been called the “most fun set to be on” by all who find themselves on the show, so we’re not surprised Plana had a blast.
