Martin, Short Mock Trump at Spielberg Honor
Steve Martin and Martin Short performed a nearly six-minute comedy set at the Museum of Modern Art's 2026 Film Benefit honoring Steven Spielberg.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Comedy
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Steve Martin and Martin Short delivered a comedy routine poking fun at themselves, Steven Spielberg and Donald Trump at the Museum of Modern Art's 2026 Film Benefit. Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bruce Springsteen also made appearances and speeches at the event.
Why it matters
The benefit celebrated Spielberg, who achieved EGOT status earlier in 2026 with a Grammy win, underscoring his standing across film and music. The event also surfaced details of his next project, a Western he has in development.
Martin and Short's performance ran nearly six minutes, while Spielberg's 1985 film The Color Purple received 11 Oscar nominations. Details of the Western's budget, distributor and production timeline have not been disclosed.
The players
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is an American filmmaker known for directing blockbusters including Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler's List.
Steve Martin
Steve Martin is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his long career in stand-up and film comedy.
Martin Short
Martin Short is a Canadian-American actor and comedian known for sketch comedy and his work in film and television.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the current President of the United States and a former businessman and television personality.
The details
Martin and Short performed their set as a comedy routine aimed at themselves, Spielberg and Trump. Spielberg, honored at the benefit, shared details of his next project during a conversation at SXSW in Austin in March 2026, where he said the Western would avoid stereotypes and tropes.
Timeline
June 2025: Spielberg told The Hollywood Reporter he had an appetite for making a Western.
March 2026: Spielberg discussed his Western in development at SXSW in Austin.
2026: Spielberg achieved EGOT status, and the Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit honored him.
Industry Dynamics
Spielberg's EGOT milestone and his return to the Western genre fit a broader pattern of established Hollywood directors revisiting legacy genres. The benefit's mix of comedy and celebrity appearances reflects how studio-era honors are increasingly staged as public entertainment.
The Western Spielberg is developing has no announced release window, so audiences cannot yet plan to see it. Viewers interested in the Museum of Modern Art's film programming can check the museum's schedule for future screenings.
The takeaway
Spielberg's EGOT milestone and his next Western signal that major directors continue to expand into new genres late in their careers. Readers can watch for official announcements on the project's distributor and release timing.
Further reading
For more on the genre, explore Comedy coverage across film and live performance.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Independent.
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