Streep and Short continue to deny that they’re romantically involved in real life, but their characters’ chemistry onscreen is undeniable

Meryl Streep and Martin Short at the Season 4 premiere of Hulu’s “Only Murders In The Building”. Photo:

Michael Buckner/Getty

Martin Short and Meryl Streep have been denying romance rumors for close to a year, but there’s no denying the chemistry between their Only Murders in the Building characters — so much so that one of the minds behind the show is now weighing in.

John Hoffman created the hit Hulu series with Steve Martin and serves as both an executive producer and writer on the show. In a new interview, Hoffman said that it has been “unbelievable” watching Streep, 75, and Short, 74, build their rapport onscreen — and off.

Meryl Streep and Martin Short Are Spotted Holding Hands at Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Afterparty

“You know, it is one of the most unexpected turns but I remember thinking, like ‘God.’ 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,” told Decider.

“We were laughing our heads off and they just delighted in each other on screen, off screen in every way.”

Meryl Streep and Martin Short filming “Only Murders In The Building” on May 29, 2024.

SteveSands/NewYorkNewswire/MEGA

Streep joined the cast in season 3 as Broadway star Loretta Durkin, who develops a relationship with Short’s character Oliver Putnam, and their storyline has been particularly impactful for the actress.

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

“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,'” he remembered Streep saying.

Meryl Streep and Martin Short at the Season 4 premiere of Hulu’s “Only Murders In The Building” at Paramount Studios on August 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Hoffman said he felt “like the luckiest guy in the world to have [Streep] anywhere near a set that I was near,” so hearing her appreciate Loretta’s storyline “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,'” he said. “And that is so due to the magic that they create together.”

Only Murders in the Building Creator Knew Meryl Streep Was the ‘Perfect Person’ to Play Martin Short’s Love Interest

Though their characters’ chemistry is undeniable, in real life, the actors continue to insist they are just friends, despite speculation which 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 the pair are “just very good friends, nothing more,” and the actor himself later weighed in, telling Bill Maher, “We’re not a couple, we are just very close friends.”

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

Meryl Streep and Martin Short at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024.

Todd Williamson/CBS via Getty

Short’s friend and costar has been having some fun with the speculation, though. On Oct. 18, Martin, 79, posted a photo from last year with Streep and Short, though he added an emoji to cover his own face in the photo.

He left the post captionless, leading fans to speculate further in the comments, with one writing, “I’m taking this as confirmation. I’ve never been so invested in celebrity couple rumors.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Only Murders in the Building seasons 1-4 can be streamed on Hulu.