Ben Stiller, Mark Hamill, and more celebs defend Martin Short after op-ed calls him ‘desperately unfunny’

Hollywood stars are rallying aroundMartin Shortafter a scathing critique called the decorated actor and comedian “desperately unfunny.”

A Slate op-ed titled “Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short” made the rounds on Friday, arguing that Short’s “over-the-top characters” — from Father of the Bride‘s Franck Eggelhoffer to Only Murders in the Building‘s Oliver Putnam — are “unbelievably annoying.” Writer Dan Kois reflected on Short’s five decades in the industry, describing his so-called “schtick” as “exhausting, sweaty, and desperately unfunny.”

Representatives for Short did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

Since the piece was published, many of his fans have taken issue with its depiction and assessment of Short, including his Hollywood peers. His fellowSaturday Night LivealumBen Stillerwas quick to jump to his defense, writing on social media, “Martin Short is a comedic genius. End o story.”

Star WarsstarMark Hamilljoined in, posting pictures of Short’s past roles with the caption, “Hard to believe people are actually debating whether or not Martin Short is funny. Newsflash: He is HILARIOUS.”

John Cusack pointed to one of Short’s sketches from his stint on Second City Television, writing, “Mr. Rodgers [sic] boxing match is my fav.”

Before his success as a movie star, Short made a name for himself in two hit comedy series,SCTVandSNL. Theskit in questionfeatures Short as PBS starFred Rogers, duking it out with famed chefJulia Childin comedic fisticuffs.

Succession actress J. Smith-Cameron also weighed in on the clips of Short’s work embedded throughout the op-ed, which she found “so entertaining that the article is a valentine in spite of itself.”

While the piece takes issue with Short’s comedic stylings, describing him as having an “eager-to-please flamboyance” and claiming he “would do anything, anything, for a laugh,” it also spends time dissecting his career. In a follow-up post, Smith-Cameron added, “I came away with more appreciation of Martin Short than ever.”

Meanwhile, actor and TV hostJerry O’Connellcommended Short for his kindness, explaining, “When I was a kid, I walked up to Martin Short and told him I lovedThree Amigos.He could not have been kinder to this annoying kid. I think about that exchange a lot.”

After the op-ed surfaced on social media,SNLcomedian andBetter Call SaulactorMichael McKeanwrote, “Guy really blew the lid off of the whole Martin Short story, didn’t he?”