Only Murders in the Building co-creator and showrunner John Hoffman recalled a sweet moment shared with star Meryl Streep, who thanked him for the romantic scenes involving her character and Martin Short‘s.
Speaking to Decider ahead of the satirical true crime dramedy’s Season 4 finale, the executive producer recalled a special interaction in the middle of actress Loretta’s (Streep) debut on the show in Season 3.
“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,” he recalled. “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.’”
The Emmy-winning writer-producer continued, “And I felt, of course, like the luckiest guy in the world to have her anywhere near a set that I was near. So that felt like one of the most gratifying things. And I kept on thinking like, ‘I hope the world falls in love with this couple the way we all are.’ And that is so due to the magic that they create together.”
Only Murders in the Building also stars Selena Gomez and Steve Martin, and in Season 4 additional cast include Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Kumail Nanjiani and Melissa McCarthy. The plot follows the Arconia trio as they uncover a wide-ranging murder conspiracy amid the film adaptation of their podcast and lives. In Season 3, the seeds of Loretta and Oliver’s (Short) romance were planted as the couple looks to head toward the altar in the Season 4 finale airing Oct. 29.
“You know, it is one of the most unexpected turns but I remember thinking, like ‘God,’” Hoffman added of the coupling. “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. We were laughing our heads off and they just delighted in each other on screen, off screen in every way.”