“'OMITB' Co-Creator Says Meryl Streep and Martin Short 'Enjoy Each Other' Off-Screen”

Martin Short and Meryl Streep have been denying romance rumors for almost a year, but there's no denying the chemistry between them Just murders in the building Characters – so much so that one of the minds behind the series is now speaking out.

John Hoffman created the hit Hulu series with Steve Martin and serves as both executive producer and writer on the series. In a new interview, Hoffman said it was “incredible” watching Streep, 75, and Short, 74, build their relationship on screen – and off.

“You know, it's one of the most unexpected turns of events, but I remember thinking, 'God.' “When I met Meryl, met Marty and saw the two of them working together in Season 3, it was just incredible,” said Decider.

“We laughed out loud and they enjoyed each other in every way on and off screen.”

Streep joined the cast in Season 3 as Broadway star Loretta Durkin, who forms a relationship with Short's character Oliver Putnam, and her storyline was particularly impactful for the actress.

Hoffman revealed that one day after filming a scene on a ferry in Season 3, Streep “had tears in her eyes” and waited for him to get off the boat to “say thank you.”

“I thought, 'What?' and she said, “I just got to do a scene that I really thought I wouldn't have a chance to do at this age, to do romantic scenes like that with this band, it's just the best thing ever.” “'” , he recalled Streep saying.

Hoffman said he felt “like the luckiest person in the world.” [Streep] “Somehow close to a set I was near,” so hearing her appreciate Loretta’s storyline was “one of the most gratifying things.”

“And I kept thinking, 'I hope the world falls in love with this couple like we all are,'” he said. “And that’s because of the magic they create together.”

Although the chemistry between their characters is undeniable, the actors continue to insist in real life that they are just friends, despite speculation that began after PEOPLE confirmed last year that Streep had been separated from her husband Don Gummer for six years.

In January, a rep for Short told PEOPLE that the two were “just very good friends, nothing more,” and the actor himself later chimed in, telling Bill Maher, “We're not a couple, we're just very close friends.” “

Shortly later, he told PEOPLE that it was a “coincidence” that Streep joined the show out of love for his character. “They had already planned that I would have a theatrical experience and there would be a love interest. So it was a coincidence, but she just wanted to be on the show. She didn’t know.” [the love story].”

Short's friend and co-star, however, had fun with the speculation. On October 18, Martin, 79, posted a photo from last year with Streep and Short, but added an emoji to obscure his own face in the photo.

He left the post without a caption, prompting fans to speculate further in the comments. One wrote: “I take this as confirmation. I’ve never been more invested in celebrity couple rumors.”

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Just murders in the building Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Hulu.