In his second year at college, Martin Short lived at home, helping to care for his sick father. Listen to what he says about this tragic moment: "When my dad died at the end of my sophomore year, I stopped and took stock of my life. There was this real sense that my childhood was officially over. I decided that I wanted to be an actor. I knew I was loved as a kid. The thing you can always rely on, your core person, comes from your family's attention and love. When my mother got sick, and I'd see her fight to survive, it gave me an early view of bravery and what life was about. I was able to prepare for it. Your mother dies, and you're 18, and you face a choice. Are you going to take drugs? Become a drunk? Or are you going to try to become more spiritual? Why not go with the thing that seems more positive?"

Then he thought for a moment: "Why do I tend to be optimistic?" And then he answered, "Because the alternative is just crushing to my soul."