Gomez, comedy legends spoof true-crime craze in Hulu series
You’d think youthful pop star Selena Gomez might have felt a bit like a fish out of water playing opposite Steve Martin and Martin Short in Hulu’s new murdermystery romp.
Not only are the two comedy legends in their 70s, but they’ve worked together on stage and screen so frequently that they have established a kind of shorthand with one another.
Gomez, however, said she fit right in.
During an online press session, the 29-year-old Texan spoke of how comfortable she was on the set of “Only Murders in the Building,” a mix of suspense and laughter that’s full of extreme theories, delicious put-downs and more twists and turns than a carnival ride.
She referred to Martin and Short as “these two crazy uncles in my life that basically give me boy advice and I sing rap songs to them.”
“Naughty rap songs, I have to add,” said Martin, who, along with Short, also participated in the recent Q&A with TV critics.
The first three episodes of “Only Murders in the Building” arrive Tuesday on Hulu, followed by a new episode every week until the finale of the 10-episode series on Oct. 19.
Gomez hasn’t done a half-hour series since Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” ended in 2012. Since then, the Grand Prairie native has nurtured a highly successful recording career, acted in movies such as “Spring Breakers” and executiveproduced the controversial Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why.”
She and her two co-stars also are executive producers on “Only Murders,” as is Dan Fogelman of “This Is Us” fame. The show was created by Martin and John Hoffman, whose credits include the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie.”
Gomez plays Mabel, who resides — as do the older lead characters, Charles (Martin) and Oliver (Short) — in a posh apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. When we first see the strangers together in the building’s elevator, they appear to have nothing in common.
She’s a hip millennial in a fuzzy orange bomber jacket and bright red headphones.
Oliver’s a down-on-his-luck playwright who dresses in shades of purple and pink, never seems to be without a flowing scarf and takes every opportunity to chat with strangers.
Charles, an actor whose one memorable role was as a television detective named Brazos, has done little since the show’s demise, and he tries to avoid human contact whenever possible.
Soon, however, the three realize they are fans of the same true crime podcast and can’t get enough of the chilling genre.
When they discover a fellow resident has been found dead, they bond over the close-tohome mystery, try to solve it and even decide to launch their own podcast.
What ensues is a highly entertaining parody of crime devotees and the burgeoning popularity of podcasts.
“It was the combination of this incredible comedic cast and the idea of true crime lovers coming together and attempting their own podcast (that) seemed ripe with all sorts of possibilities comedically,” Hoffman said.
Adding to the fun are Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan in recurring roles and a cameo by rock star Sting.
The real magic of “Only Murders” is the chemistry that builds among the three stars. Gomez credits Martin and Short.
“How they lead a set is so commendable,” she said. “They are so humble and kind, and they are there till the very end and they’ve set such an example for me.
“I love that they have a sense of humor that’s not the typical, like, crass, or kind of dark. It’s very light — something that I really appreciated. I just really hope that I can live up to, you know, these incredible people.”
Gomez needn’t worry. Her co-stars said they were just as taken with her as she was with them.
“It was a dream to work with this brilliant, young lady,” Short said.
“I believe when Selena’s on screen, the show is suddenly elevated,” Martin added. “It’s more mysterious, it’s more interesting. There’s an old cliché — the camera loves her.”
Martin and Short, of course, have loved working with each other for years. They appeared together in “Three Amigos!” and “Father of the Bride” and, more recently, have toured together with live comedy shows.
“I think we just get along at a humorous level and always have.
We don’t get neurotic with each other,” Martin said.
That was true while making “Only Murders,” too.
“(Steve’s) agenda is to make the set loose and happy ’cause that’s the playground,” Short said. “He is never temperamental. He always knows his lines, and if he doesn’t, he does jokes about it that get everyone laughing and then it becomes a better take.”
Gomez was just as upbeat about working on the series, saying she appreciated “the level of sophistication of the material.”
She also loved the constant laughter during filming, something TV critics got a taste of during the press session.
Martin and Short riffed on the difference between how the paparazzi reacted to Gomez and how they were greeted.
“I mean, Marty and I can barely walk down the street, the paparazzi were so crazy,” Martin said. We actually had to throw Selena out there so we could get to our trailers.”
“Yeah,” Short added. “And for some reason, the paparazzi stayed with her and we got away.”