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Wikipedia

Phil Hartman

Philip Edward Hartman ( Hartmann; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States when he was ten years old. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with a degree in graphic arts, he designed album covers for bands including Poco and America. In 1975, he joined the comedy group the Groundlings, where he helped Paul Reubens develop his character, Pee-wee Herman. Hartman co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and made recurring appearances as Captain Carl on Reubens's show Pee-wee's Playhouse.

Phil Hartman
Hartman in character as Chick Hazard, Private Eye, c. 1978
Born
Philip Edward Hartmann

(1948-09-24)September 24, 1948
DiedMay 28, 1998(1998-05-28) (aged 49)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of deathHomicide by gunshot
Resting placeCremated; Ashes scattered over Emerald Bay, Santa Catalina Island, California, U.S.
Citizenship
  • Canada
  • United States
Alma materCalifornia State University, Northridge
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • screenwriter
  • graphic designer
Years active1969–1998
Notable workPee-wee Herman
TelevisionSaturday Night Live
Spouses
  • Gretchen Lewis
    (m. 1970; div. 1972)
  • Lisa Strain
    (m. 1982; div. 1985)
  • Brynn Omdahl
    (m. 1987)
Children2

In 1986, Hartman joined the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a cast member, and stayed for eight seasons until 1994. Nicknamed "Glue" for his ability to hold the show together and help other cast members, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his SNL work in 1989. He also starred as Bill McNeal in the sitcom NewsRadio, voiced Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure on The Simpsons, and appeared in supporting roles in the films Houseguest, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Jingle All the Way, and Small Soldiers.

After two divorces, Hartman married Brynn Omdahl in 1987, with whom he had two children. However, their marriage was troubled due to Phil's busy work schedule on SNL and Brynn's drug and alcohol abuse. In 1998, while Phil was sleeping in his bed, Brynn shot and killed him, and later killed herself. In the weeks following his murder, Hartman was celebrated in a wave of tributes. Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Hartman was "the last person you'd expect to read about in lurid headlines in your morning paper ... a decidedly regular guy, beloved by everyone he worked with".[1] He was posthumously inducted into the Canada and Hollywood Walks of Fame in 2012 and 2014.

Early life edit

 
Hartman designed album covers for bands such as Poco.

Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann (later dropping one "n")[2] on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario.[3][4] He was the fourth of eight children of Doris Marguerite (née Wardell; July 17, 1919 – April 15, 2001) and Rupert Loebig Hartmann (November 8, 1914 – April 30, 1998),[5] who sold building materials.[6] The family was Catholic.[3][7][8] As a child, Hartman found affection hard to earn: "I suppose I didn't get what I wanted out of my family life, so I started seeking love and attention elsewhere."[2]

Hartman was 10 when his family moved to the United States.[9] They first lived in Lewiston, Maine, then Meriden, Connecticut, and then on the West Coast, where he attended Westchester High School and frequently acted as the class clown.[2][3][4][10] After graduating, he studied art at Santa Monica City College, dropping out in 1969 to become a roadie with a rock band.[2] He returned to school in 1972 to study graphic arts at California State University, Northridge. He developed and operated his own graphic art business, creating more than 40 album covers for bands including Poco and America, as well as advertising and the logo for Crosby, Stills & Nash.[1][2][10][11] In the late 1970s, he made his first television appearance on an episode of The Dating Game, where he won.

Career edit

The Groundlings and Pee-Wee Herman (1975–1985) edit

Working alone as a graphic artist, Hartman frequently amused himself with "flights of voice fantasies".[11] In 1975, seeking a more social outlet for his talents, he began attending evening comedy classes by the California-based improvisational comedy group The Groundlings.[4][8][10] While watching one of their performances, he impulsively decided to climb on stage and join the cast.[3][11][12] His first onscreen appearance was in 1978's Stunt Rock, an Australian film directed in Los Angeles by Brian Trenchard-Smith.[13] After several years of training, paying his way by redesigning the group's logo and merchandise, Hartman formally joined The Groundlings and by 1979 was one of the show's stars.[10]

There Hartman befriended Paul Reubens, with whom he often collaborated on comedic material. Together they created the character Pee-wee Herman and developed The Pee-wee Herman Show, a live stage show that subsequently aired on HBO in 1981.[11] Hartman played Captain Carl in the show, and reprised the role for the children's TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse.[11] Reubens and Hartman made cameos in the 1980 film Cheech and Chong's Next Movie.[8][14] Hartman co-wrote the script of the 1985 feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and had a cameo role as a reporter.[1][4] He had considered quitting acting at the age of 36 due to the challenges of finding work; but the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure changed his mind.[15][16] After a creative disagreement with Reubens, he left the Pee-Wee Herman project to pursue other roles.[11][17][18]

Hartman took more small roles in 1986 films such as Jumpin' Jack Flash and Three Amigos. He also worked as a voice actor in animated television programs, including The Smurfs, Challenge of the GoBots, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, and in Dennis the Menace as characters Henry Mitchell and George Wilson.[2] He developed a strong persona providing voice-overs for advertisements.[12]

Saturday Night Live (1986–1994) edit

Hartman successfully auditioned to join NBC's variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL) in its 12th season, which began on October 11, 1986.[1] He had been recommended for the show by fellow Groundlings and SNL cast members Jon Lovitz,[19] and Laraine Newman as well as Jumpin' Jack Flash director Penny Marshall.[20] He told the Los Angeles Times, "I wanted to do [SNL] because I wanted to get the exposure that would give me box-office credibility so I can write movies for myself."[16] In his eight seasons with the show Hartman became known for his impressions, and performed as over 70 different characters. Hartman's original SNL characters include Eugene, the Anal Retentive Chef and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.[2] His impressions include Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Ed McMahon, Barbara Bush, Charlton Heston, Kelsey Grammer, Michael Caine, Oliver Stone, Phil Donahue, Telly Savalas, Barry Humphries, Kirk Douglas and Bill Clinton—the latter considered his best-known impression.[1][21]

Hartman first performed his Clinton impression on an episode of The Tonight Show.[22] When he met Clinton in 1993, Hartman remarked, "I guess I owe you a few apologies",[22] adding later that he "sometimes [felt] a twinge of guilt about [his Clinton impression]".[21] Clinton showed good humor and sent Hartman a signed photo with the text: "You're not the president, but you play one on TV. And you're OK, mostly."[21] Hartman copied the president's "post-nasal drip" and the "slight scratchiness" in his voice, as well as his open, "less intimidating" hand gestures. Hartman opted against wearing a larger prosthetic nose when portraying Clinton, as he thought it would be distracting. He instead wore a wig, dyed his eyebrows brighter, and used makeup to highlight his nose.[10] In one of Hartman's sketches as Clinton, the president-elect visits a McDonald's restaurant and explains his economic policies and support for military intervention in Somalia by the metaphor of eating other customers' food. The writers told him that he was not eating enough during rehearsals for the sketch – by the end of the live performance, Hartman had eaten so much he could barely speak.[22]

 
Hartman appears as Bill Clinton on Saturday Night Live.[22][23]

At SNL, Hartman's nickname of "Glue" was coined by Adam Sandler according to Jay Mohr's book Gasping for Airtime.[10][24] However, according to You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman by Mike Thomas, author and staff writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, the nickname was created by SNL cast member and Hartman's frequent on-screen collaborator Jan Hooks.[25] Hartman was very helpful to other cast members. For example, he aided Hooks in overcoming her stage fright.[26] SNL creator Lorne Michaels explained the name: "He kind of held the show together. He gave to everybody and demanded very little. He was very low-maintenance."[7] Michaels also added that Hartman was "the least appreciated" cast member by commentators outside the show, and praised his ability "to do five or six parts in a show where you're playing support or you're doing remarkable character work".[2] Hartman won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program for SNL in 1989, sharing the award with the show's other writers. He was nominated in the same category in 1987, and individually in 1994 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.[27]

By 1993, almost every cast member who was there during Hartman's first year on SNL had left the show, including Jon Lovitz, Jan Hooks and Dana Carvey. Hartman said he felt "like an athlete who's watched all his World Series teammates get traded off into other directions ... It was hard to watch them leave because I sort of felt we were all part of the team that saved the show."[12] This cast turnover contributed to his leaving the show in 1994.[21] Hartman said he thought it was time to leave because the show was "getting less sophisticated" and his style of humor did not fit with the less intellectual comedy of newer cast members like Adam Sandler.[20] Hartman had originally planned to leave the show in 1991, but Michaels persuaded him to stay to raise his profile; his portrayal of Clinton contributed to this goal.[12] Jay Leno offered him the role of his sidekick on The Tonight Show but Hartman opted to stay on SNL.[28][29] NBC persuaded him to stay on SNL by promising him his own comedy–variety show The Phil Show.[21] He planned to "reinvent the variety form" with "a hybrid, very fast-paced, high energy [show] with sketches, impersonations, pet acts, and performers showcasing their talents". Hartman was to be the show's executive producer and head writer.[30] Before production began, however, the network decided that variety shows were too unpopular and canceled the series. In a 1996 interview, Hartman noted he was glad, as he "would've been sweatin' blood each week trying to make it work".[21] In 1998, he admitted he missed working on SNL, but had enjoyed the move from New York City to Southern California.[17]

NewsRadio (1995–1998) edit

Hartman became one of the stars of the NBC sitcom NewsRadio in 1995, portraying radio news anchor Bill McNeal. He signed up after being attracted by the show's writing and use of an ensemble cast,[10][31] and joked that he based McNeal on himself with "any ethics and character" removed.[17] Hartman made roughly US$50,000 (equivalent to $96,025 in 2022) per episode of NewsRadio.[7] Although the show was critically acclaimed, it was never a ratings hit and cancellation was a regular threat. After the completion of the fourth season, Hartman commented, "We seem to have limited appeal. We're on the edge here, not sure we're going to be picked up or not", but added he was "99 percent sure" the series would be renewed for a fifth season.[31] Hartman had publicly lambasted NBC's decision to repeatedly move NewsRadio into different timeslots, but later regretted his comments, saying, "this is a sitcom, for crying out loud, not brain surgery".[17] He also stated that if the sitcom were cancelled "it just will open up other opportunities for me".[31] Although the show was renewed for a fifth season, Hartman was killed before production began.[32] Ken Tucker praised Hartman's performance as McNeal: "A lesser performer ... would have played him as a variation on The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Ted Baxter, because that's what Bill was, on paper. But Hartman gave infinite variety to Bill's self-centeredness, turning him devious, cowardly, squeamish, and foolishly bold from week to week."[33] Hartman was posthumously nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1998 for his work on NewsRadio, but lost to David Hyde Pierce.[27][34]

The Simpsons (1991–1998) edit

Hartman provided the voices for numerous characters on the Fox animated series The Simpsons, appearing in 52 episodes.[1] He made his first appearance in the second season episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car". Although he was originally brought in for a one-time appearance, Hartman enjoyed working on The Simpsons and the staff wrote additional parts for him. He voiced the recurring characters Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure, as well as several background characters.[35] His favorite part was that of McClure,[18] and he often used this voice to entertain the audience between takes while taping episodes of NewsRadio. He remarked, "My favorite fans are Troy McClure fans."[17] He added "It's the one thing that I do in my life that's almost an avocation. I do it for the pure love of it."[36]

Hartman was popular among the staff of The Simpsons. Showrunners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein said they enjoyed his work, and used him as much as possible when working on the show. To give Hartman a larger role, they developed the episode "A Fish Called Selma", which focuses on Troy McClure and expands the character's backstory.[37] The Simpsons creator Matt Groening said that he "took [Hartman] for granted because he nailed the joke every time",[1] and that his voice acting could produce "the maximum amount of humor" with any line he was given.[38] Before his death, Hartman had expressed an interest in making a live action film about Troy McClure. Many of The Simpsons production staff expressed enthusiasm for the project and offered to help.[39] Hartman said he was "looking forward to [McClure's] live-action movie, publicizing his Betty Ford appearances",[11] and "would love nothing more" than making a film and was prepared to buy the film rights himself in order to make it happen.[18]

Other work edit

Hartman's first starring film role came in 1995's Houseguest, alongside Sinbad.[40] Other films include Greedy, Coneheads, Sgt. Bilko, So I Married an Axe Murderer, CB4, Jingle All the Way, the English Disney/GKIDS dub of Kiki's Delivery Service, and Small Soldiers, the latter of which is his final theatrically released film.[41][42] At the same time, he preferred working on television.[12] His other television roles include appearances on episodes of The John Larroquette Show, The Dana Carvey Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun,[1] and the HBO TV film The Second Civil War as the President of the United States.[22] He made a considerable amount of money from television advertising,[28] earning $300,000 for a series of four commercials for the soft drink Slice.[29] He also appeared in advertisements for McDonald's (as Hugh McAttack) and 1-800-Collect (as Max Jerome).[43]

Hartman wrote a number of screenplays that were never produced.[28] In 1986, he began writing a screenplay for a film titled Mr. Fix-It,[16] and completed the final draft in 1991. Robert Zemeckis was signed to produce the film, with Gil Bettman hired to direct. Hartman called it "a sort of a merger of horror and comedy, like Beetlejuice and Throw Momma From the Train", adding, "It's an American nightmare about a family torn asunder. They live next to a toxic dump site, their water supply is poisoned, the mother and son go insane and try to murder each other, the father's face is torn off in a terrible disfiguring accident in the first act. It's heavy stuff, but it's got a good message and a positive, upbeat ending." Zemeckis could not secure studio backing, however, and the project collapsed.[44] Another film idea involving Hartman's Groundlings character Chick Hazard, Private Eye was also canceled.[16] Hartman appeared on David Letterman's Late Night and Late Show 13 times between 1989 and 1996, where he can be seen speaking German fluently.[45]

Style edit

Clean and unassuming, he had such a casual, no-nonsense way about him. It was that quality that we all find so hilarious, his delightful ability to poke fun at himself and at life with a tongue-in-cheek attitude comparable to, say, Tim Conway or Mel Brooks or Carol Burnett.

Nancy Cartwright.[46]

In contrast to his real-life personality, which was described as "a regular guy and, by all accounts, one of show business's most low-key, decent people",[47] Hartman often played seedy, vain or unpleasant characters as well as comedic villains.[18] He described his standard character repertoire as the "jerky guy" and "the weasel parade",[11] citing Lionel Hutz, Bill McNeal, Troy McClure, and Ted Maltin from Jingle All the Way as examples.[18] Hartman enjoyed playing such roles because he "just want[ed] to be funny, and villains tend to be funny because their foibles are all there to see".[18]

He often played supporting roles, rather than the lead part. He said: "[T]hroughout my career, I've never been a huge star, but I've made steady progress and that's the way I like it"[21] and "It's fun coming in as the second or third lead. If the movie or TV show bombs, you aren't to blame."[11] Hartman was considered a "utility player" on SNL with a "kind of Everyman quality" which enabled him to appear in the majority of sketches, often in very distinct roles.[10] Jan Hooks stated of his work on SNL: "Phil never had an ounce of competition. He was a team player. It was a privilege for him, I believe, to play support and do it very well. He was never insulted, no matter how small the role may have been."[26] He was disciplined in his performances, studying the scripts beforehand. Hooks added: "Phil knew how to listen. And he knew how to look you in the eye, and he knew the power of being able to lay back and let somebody else be funny, and then do the reactions. I think Phil was more of an actor than a comedian."[26] Film critic Pauline Kael declared that "Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks on Saturday Night Live are two of the best comic actors I've ever seen."[48]

Writer and acting coach Paul Ryan noted Hartman's work ethic with his impressions. He assembled a collection of video footage of the figure he was preparing to impersonate and watched this continually until he "completely embodied the person". Ryan concluded that "what made [Hartman's impressions] so funny and spot on was Phil's ability to add that perfect touch that only comes from trial and error and practicing in front of audiences and fellow actors."[49] Hartman described this process as "technical".[10] Journalist Lyle V. Harris said Hartman showed a "rare talent for morphing into... anybody he wanted to be".[50]

Ken Tucker summarized Hartman's comedic style: "He could momentarily fool audiences into thinking he was the straight man, but then he'd cock an eyebrow and give his voice an ironic lilt that delivered a punchline like a fast slider—you barely saw it coming until you started laughing."[33] Hartman claimed that he borrowed his style from actor Bill Murray: "He's been a great influence on me – when he did that smarmy thing in Ghostbusters, then the same sort of thing in Groundhog Day. I tried to imitate it. I couldn't. I wasn't good enough. But I discovered an element of something else, so in a sick kind of way I made myself a career by doing a bad imitation of another comic."[11]

Personal life edit

Hartman married Gretchen Lewis in 1970 and they divorced in September 1972.[51] He married real estate agent Lisa Strain in 1982, and their marriage lasted three years. Strain told People magazine that Hartman was reclusive off screen and "would disappear emotionally ... he'd be in his own world. That passivity made you crazy."[7] In 1987, Hartman married former model and aspiring actress Brynn Omdahl (born Vicki Jo Omdahl, April 11, 1958 – May 28, 1998), having met her on a blind date the previous year.[3][7] They had two children, Sean and Birgen Hartman. The marriage had difficulties; she was reportedly intimidated by his success and was frustrated that she could not find any on her own, although neither party wanted a divorce. She was reported to have been jealous and often verbally and/or physically abusive, even sending a letter to his ex-wife, threatening to "rip [Strain's] eyes out" if she spoke to him again.[52] Hartman considered retiring to save the marriage.[7]

Hartman tried to get Brynn acting roles, but she became progressively reliant on alcohol and narcotics, entering rehab several times. On multiple occasions, he removed their children from the household to stay with friends or family because of her drug- and alcohol-fueled outbursts.[3] Because of his close friendship with SNL associate Jan Hooks, Brynn "joked" on occasion Hooks and Hartman were married "on some other level".[26] Brynn had written threatening letters addressed to Hooks, warning her to not get close to her husband, but they appeared to have never even been sent, being discovered in her belongings following her death.

Stephen Root, Hartman's NewsRadio co-star, said few people knew "the real Phil Hartman", as he was "one of those people who never seemed to come out of character," but he nevertheless gave the impression of a family man who cared deeply for his children.[53] Hartman befriended Joe Rogan during his time on NewsRadio and confided his marital problems to him. Rogan said that he encouraged Hartman to divorce Brynn five times, but "[Hartman] loved his kids and didn't want to leave".[54]

Hartman stated in 1997 that, though a non-practicing Catholic, he displayed a sense of religiousness.[55] In his spare time, he enjoyed driving, flying, sailing, marksmanship, and playing the guitar.[1][3]

Death edit

On May 27, 1998, Hartman's wife, Brynn, visited the Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo in Encino, California, with producer and writer Christine Zander, who said she was "in a good frame of mind"; they had drinks. After returning home, Brynn and Hartman had a "heated" argument, after which he went to bed.[7] She entered his bedroom some time before 3:00 a.m. PDT on May 28, 1998, and, as he slept, she fatally shot him once between the eyes, once in the throat, and once in the upper chest with a .38 caliber handgun.[7] Hartman was 49 years old. Brynn was taking Zoloft, had been drinking alcohol, and had recently used cocaine.[56]

Brynn then drove to the home of her friend Ron Douglas and confessed to the killing, but he did not believe her. They drove back to the house in separate cars, and she called another friend and confessed a second time.[7][57] On seeing Hartman's body, Douglas called 9-1-1 at 6:20 a.m. Police arrived and escorted Douglas and the Hartmans' two children from the premises, by which time Brynn had locked herself in the bedroom. Shortly afterward, she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[7][58]

The police stated Hartman's death was caused by "domestic discord" between the couple.[59] A friend said Brynn "had trouble controlling her anger.... She got attention by losing her temper."[60] A neighbor of the Hartmans told a CNN reporter that the couple had marital problems. Yet actor Steve Guttenberg said they had been "a very happy couple, and they always had the appearance of being well-balanced".[58]

Brynn's brother, Gregory Omdahl, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 1999 against both Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zoloft, and her child's psychiatrist, Arthur Sorosky, who had provided samples of the antidepressant to Brynn.[61] Pfizer later settled the lawsuit without an admission of any wrongdoing.[62] Phil Hartman's friend and former SNL colleague Jon Lovitz has accused Hartman's NewsRadio co-star Andy Dick of reintroducing Brynn to cocaine, causing her to relapse and suffer a nervous breakdown. Dick claimed to have known nothing of her condition.[63] Lovitz later said he no longer blamed Dick for Hartman's murder, but in 2006, Lovitz claimed Dick had approached him at a restaurant and said, "I put the Phil Hartman hex on you. You're the next one to die." Lovitz then had him ejected from the restaurant.[64][65] The following year at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles, Lovitz and Dick had another argument, with Lovitz slamming Dick's head into the bar.[65] Dick asserted he was not at fault in relation to Hartman's death.[63]

Brynn's sister Katharine Omdahl and brother-in-law Mike Wright raised the two Hartman children.[57] Hartman's will stipulated each child would inherit money over several years after turning 25. The total value of Hartman's estate was estimated at $1.23 million.[57] In accordance with their wishes, both Hartman's and Brynn's bodies were cremated by Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary, Glendale, California, and their ashes were scattered over Santa Catalina Island's Emerald Bay. Hartman has a headstone in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, with wife Brynn.[57][66]

Response and legacy edit

NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer stated that Hartman "was blessed with a tremendous gift for creating characters that made people laugh. Everyone who had the pleasure of working with Phil knows that he was a man of tremendous warmth, a true professional and a loyal friend."[58] Guttenberg expressed shock at Hartman's death and Steve Martin said he was "a deeply funny and very happy person".[58] Matt Groening called him "a master"[1] and director Joe Dante said "He was one of those guys who was a dream to work with. I don't know anybody who didn't like him."[47] Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly concluded that Hartman was "the last person you'd expect to read about in lurid headlines in your morning paper" and "a decidedly regular guy, beloved by everyone he worked with".[1] In 2007, Entertainment Weekly ranked Hartman the 87th greatest television icon of all time,[67] and Maxim named him the top Saturday Night Live performer of all time.[68]

On the day of Hartman's death, rehearsals for The Simpsons and that night's performance by The Groundlings were canceled.[1] The season five premiere episode of NewsRadio, "Bill Moves On" (aired September 23, the day before what would have been his 50th birthday) finds Hartman's character, Bill McNeal, has died of a heart attack, while the other characters reminisce about his life. Lovitz joined the show, in his place, beginning with the next episode.[32] A special episode of Saturday Night Live commemorating Hartman's work on the show aired on June 13, 1998.[69] Rather than substituting another voice actor, the writers of The Simpsons retired Hartman's characters.[38] His final appearance in the tenth season episode "Bart the Mother" is dedicated to him,[32] as is his final film Small Soldiers.[70]

Hartman was preparing to voice Zapp Brannigan, a character written specifically for him on Groening's second animated series Futurama, at the time of his death.[71] Even though the role was specifically made for him, Hartman still insisted on trying out for the role. About a week before his death, he auditioned for Groening and Futurama executive producer David X. Cohen. Groening wrote that Hartman "blew us away with his performances."[72] After Hartman's death, Billy West took over the role.[71] Though Cohen credits West with using his own take on the character,[73] West later said that he purposely tweaked Zapp's voice to better match Hartman's intended portrayal.[71] Hartman was planning to appear with Lovitz in the indie film The Day of Swine and Roses, scheduled to begin production in August 1998.[1]

In 2002, Laugh.com and Hartman's brother John published the album Flat TV, a selection of comedy sketches recorded by Hartman in the 1970s, which had been kept in storage. John Hartmann commented: "I'm putting this out there because I'm dedicating my life to fulfilling his dreams. This [album] is my brother doing what he loved."[74] Flat TV was optioned for an animated adaptation by Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot's animation company Worker Studio in 2013.[75][76] The deal came about after Michael T. Scott, a partner in the company, posted online a handwritten letter he had received from Hartman in 1997, leading to a correspondence between Scott and Paul Hartmann.[77]

A campaign was started on Facebook by Alex Stevens in 2007, and endorsed by Hartman's brother Paul, to have Phil inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame.[78][79] Among the campaign's numerous publicity events, Ben Miner of the Sirius XM Radio channel Laugh Attack dedicated the month of April 2012 to Hartman. The campaign ended in success and Hartman was inducted on September 22, 2012, to the Walk of Fame, with Paul accepting the award on his late brother's behalf. Hartman was also awarded the Cineplex Legends Award.[80][81] In June 2013, it was announced that Hartman would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was unveiled on August 26, 2014.[82][83] Additionally, a special prize at the Canadian Comedy Awards was named for Hartman. Beginning with the 13th Canadian Comedy Awards in 2012, the Phil Hartman Award was awarded to "an individual who helps to better the Canadian comedy community".[84] In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Hartman as one of the ten greatest Saturday Night Live cast members throughout the show's forty-year history, coming in seventh on its list of all 141 members.[85]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes Ref
1978 Stunt Rock Assistant [86]
1980 The Gong Show Movie Man at airport with gun Credited as Phil Hartmann [87]
Cheech & Chong's Next Movie Actor being filmed in the background [87]
1982 Pandemonium Reporter Credited as Phil Hartmann [88]
1984 Weekend Pass Joe Chicago [89]
1985 Pee-wee's Big Adventure Reporter / Rodeo announcer Also co-writer [90]
1986 Last Resort Jean-Michel [91]
Jumpin' Jack Flash Fred Credited as Phil E. Hartmann [91]
Three Amigos! Sam Credited as Philip E. Hartmann [91]
1987 Blind Date Ted Davis [92]
The Brave Little Toaster Peter Lorre Hanging lamp (credited), Jack Nicholson air conditioner (uncredited) Voice [93][94]
Amazon Women on the Moon Baseball announcer Voice [88]
1989 Fletch Lives Bly manager [95]
How I Got into College Bennedict
1990 Quick Change Hal Edison
1993 Loaded Weapon 1 Officer Davis [88]
CB4 Virgil Robinson [96]
Coneheads Marlax [96]
So I Married an Axe Murderer John "Vicky" Johnson [96]
1994 Greedy Frank McTeague [97]
The Pagemaster Tom Morgan Voice [94]
1995 The Crazysitter The Salesman [88]
Houseguest Gary Young [98]
Stuart Saves His Family Announcer Uncredited
1996 Sgt. Bilko Major Colin Thorn [91]
Jingle All the Way Ted Maltin [99]
1998 Kiki's Delivery Service Jiji Voice, Disney English dub;
Posthumously released, dedicated in memory
[100][94]
Small Soldiers Phil Fimple Posthumously released, dedicated in memory [101]
Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night Chauncey Voice, direct-to-video;
Posthumously released (final film role)
[88]

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes Ref
1979 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Additional voices [87]
1980 The Six O'Clock Follies Unnamed role [102]
1981 The Pee-wee Herman Show Captain Carl / Monsieur LeCroc Television special; also writer [103]
The Smurfs Additional voices [87]
1982 The Little Rascals Additional voices
1983 The Pop 'N Rocker Game Announcer
The Dukes Various voices 7 episodes [91]
1984 Challenge of the GoBots Additional voices [104]
The New Scooby Doo Mysteries Additional voices
Pink Panther and Sons Additional voices
Magnum, P.I. Newsreader Episode: "The Legacy of Garwood Huddle" [91]
1985 Sara Drake Episode: "27 Candles"
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo Additional voices Episode: "It's a Wonderful Scoob" [87]
The Jetsons School Patrol robots / Executive Vice-president Voice, episode: "Boy George" [105]
1986 Dennis the Menace Henry Mitchell / George Wilson / Various voices [91]
Pee-wee's Playhouse Captain Carl 6 episodes [106]
1986–1994 Saturday Night Live Various characters 155 episodes; also writer [88]
1987 DuckTales Captain Frye Voice, episode: "Scrooge's Pet" [92]
Foofur Additional voices
1988 Fantastic Max Additional voices
1990 Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures Additional voices Episode: "One Sweet and Sour Chinese Adventure to Go"
On the Television Various characters Episode: "M. Superior"
TaleSpin Ace London Voice, episode: "Mach One for the Gipper" [107]
The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda Additional voices
Gravedale High Billy Headstone Voice, episode: ″Cleo's Pen Pal″
Tiny Toon Adventures Octavius Voice, episode: "Whale's Tales" [107][94]
1991 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Dimitri the Russian Ambassador / TV Reporter Voice, episode: "Mind Pollution" [107]
Sesame Street Employe of the ABC Moving Company Episode: 2800
Empty Nest Tim Cornell Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" [108]
Darkwing Duck Paddywhack Voice, episode: "The Haunting of Mr. Banana Brain" [88]
One Special Victory Mike Rutten Television film
1991–1998 The Simpsons Troy McClure / Lionel Hutz / Various others Voice, 52 episodes [109]
1991–1993 Tom & Jerry Kids Calaboose Cal Voice [88]
1992 Fish Police Inspector C. Bass Voice, episode: "A Fish Out of Water"
Parker Lewis Can't Lose Phil Diamond Episode: "Lewis and Son"
Eek! The Cat Monkeynaut #1 / Psycho Bunny Voice, 2 episodes [107]
1993 Daybreak Man in abstinence commercial Uncredited
Television film
Droopy, Master Detective Additional voices
Animaniacs Dan Anchorman Voice, episode: "Broadcast Nuisance" [107][94]
The Twelve Days of Christmas Additional voices Television film
The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode: "The Stalker" [110]
1994 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition Host TV Short [111]
The Critic Various voices Episode: "Eyes on the Prize" [88]
1995 The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show Various characters Television special [112]
The John Larroquette Show Otto Friedling Episode: "A Moveable Feast" [88]
Night Stand with Dick Dietrick Gunther Johann Episode: "Illegal Alien Star Search"
1995–1998 NewsRadio Bill McNeal 75 episodes [113]
1996 The Dana Carvey Show Larry King Episode: "The Mountain Dew Dana Carvey Show" [88]
Caroline in the City Host Uncredited
Episode: "Caroline and the Letter"
The Ren & Stimpy Show Russian Filmreel Announcer / Sid the Clown Voice, 2 episodes [114]
Seinfeld Man on phone Episode: "The Package"; uncredited [115]
Saturday Night Live Himself (host) / various roles 2 episodes [88]
1996, 1998 3rd Rock from the Sun Phillip / Randy 2 episodes [100]
1997 The Second Civil War President of the United States Television film [101]
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Game show host Voice, episode: "The Empress's Nightingale"
Posthumously aired (final appearance)
[88]

Video games edit

Year Title Voice roles
1997 Virtual Springfield Troy McClure
Lionel Hutz
1998 Blasto Captain Blasto[94]

Theatre edit

Year Title Role
1981 The Pee-wee Herman Show Captain Carl / Monsieur LeCroq

Theme park attractions edit

Year Title Voice roles
1995 ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter T.O.M. 2000
1998 The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) Morris

Discography edit

The following is a list of albums for which Hartman designed the covers.

1974

1975

1977

1979

1980

References edit

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Book sources edit

Thomas, Mike (2014). You might remember me: the life and times of Phil Hartman. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781250027962.

External links edit

  • Phil Hartman at IMDb
  • at Yahoo! Movies
  • at The New York Times
  • Hartman's autopsy and death certificate
  • Phil Hartman's final night: The tragic death of a “Saturday Night Live” genius, Mike Thomas, Salon, September 21, 2014

phil, hartman, philip, edward, hartman, hartmann, september, 1948, 1998, canadian, born, american, comedian, actor, screenwriter, graphic, designer, hartman, born, brantford, ontario, canada, family, moved, united, states, when, years, after, graduating, from,. Philip Edward Hartman ne Hartmann September 24 1948 May 28 1998 was a Canadian born American comedian actor screenwriter and graphic designer Hartman was born in Brantford Ontario Canada and his family moved to the United States when he was ten years old After graduating from California State University Northridge with a degree in graphic arts he designed album covers for bands including Poco and America In 1975 he joined the comedy group the Groundlings where he helped Paul Reubens develop his character Pee wee Herman Hartman co wrote the film Pee wee s Big Adventure and made recurring appearances as Captain Carl on Reubens s show Pee wee s Playhouse Phil HartmanHartman in character as Chick Hazard Private Eye c 1978BornPhilip Edward Hartmann 1948 09 24 September 24 1948Brantford Ontario CanadaDiedMay 28 1998 1998 05 28 aged 49 Los Angeles California U S Cause of deathHomicide by gunshotResting placeCremated Ashes scattered over Emerald Bay Santa Catalina Island California U S CitizenshipCanadaUnited StatesAlma materCalifornia State University NorthridgeOccupationsActorcomedianscreenwritergraphic designerYears active1969 1998Notable workPee wee HermanTelevisionSaturday Night LiveSpousesGretchen Lewis m 1970 div 1972 wbr Lisa Strain m 1982 div 1985 wbr Brynn Omdahl m 1987 wbr Children2In 1986 Hartman joined the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live SNL as a cast member and stayed for eight seasons until 1994 Nicknamed Glue for his ability to hold the show together and help other cast members he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his SNL work in 1989 He also starred as Bill McNeal in the sitcom NewsRadio voiced Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure on The Simpsons and appeared in supporting roles in the films Houseguest So I Married an Axe Murderer Jingle All the Way and Small Soldiers After two divorces Hartman married Brynn Omdahl in 1987 with whom he had two children However their marriage was troubled due to Phil s busy work schedule on SNL and Brynn s drug and alcohol abuse In 1998 while Phil was sleeping in his bed Brynn shot and killed him and later killed herself In the weeks following his murder Hartman was celebrated in a wave of tributes Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Hartman was the last person you d expect to read about in lurid headlines in your morning paper a decidedly regular guy beloved by everyone he worked with 1 He was posthumously inducted into the Canada and Hollywood Walks of Fame in 2012 and 2014 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 The Groundlings and Pee Wee Herman 1975 1985 2 2 Saturday Night Live 1986 1994 2 3 NewsRadio 1995 1998 2 4 The Simpsons 1991 1998 2 5 Other work 3 Style 4 Personal life 5 Death 5 1 Response and legacy 6 Filmography 6 1 Film 6 2 Television 6 3 Video games 6 4 Theatre 6 5 Theme park attractions 7 Discography 8 References 8 1 Book sources 9 External linksEarly life edit nbsp Hartman designed album covers for bands such as Poco Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann later dropping one n 2 on September 24 1948 in Brantford Ontario 3 4 He was the fourth of eight children of Doris Marguerite nee Wardell July 17 1919 April 15 2001 and Rupert Loebig Hartmann November 8 1914 April 30 1998 5 who sold building materials 6 The family was Catholic 3 7 8 As a child Hartman found affection hard to earn I suppose I didn t get what I wanted out of my family life so I started seeking love and attention elsewhere 2 Hartman was 10 when his family moved to the United States 9 They first lived in Lewiston Maine then Meriden Connecticut and then on the West Coast where he attended Westchester High School and frequently acted as the class clown 2 3 4 10 After graduating he studied art at Santa Monica City College dropping out in 1969 to become a roadie with a rock band 2 He returned to school in 1972 to study graphic arts at California State University Northridge He developed and operated his own graphic art business creating more than 40 album covers for bands including Poco and America as well as advertising and the logo for Crosby Stills amp Nash 1 2 10 11 In the late 1970s he made his first television appearance on an episode of The Dating Game where he won Career editThe Groundlings and Pee Wee Herman 1975 1985 edit Working alone as a graphic artist Hartman frequently amused himself with flights of voice fantasies 11 In 1975 seeking a more social outlet for his talents he began attending evening comedy classes by the California based improvisational comedy group The Groundlings 4 8 10 While watching one of their performances he impulsively decided to climb on stage and join the cast 3 11 12 His first onscreen appearance was in 1978 s Stunt Rock an Australian film directed in Los Angeles by Brian Trenchard Smith 13 After several years of training paying his way by redesigning the group s logo and merchandise Hartman formally joined The Groundlings and by 1979 was one of the show s stars 10 There Hartman befriended Paul Reubens with whom he often collaborated on comedic material Together they created the character Pee wee Herman and developed The Pee wee Herman Show a live stage show that subsequently aired on HBO in 1981 11 Hartman played Captain Carl in the show and reprised the role for the children s TV show Pee wee s Playhouse 11 Reubens and Hartman made cameos in the 1980 film Cheech and Chong s Next Movie 8 14 Hartman co wrote the script of the 1985 feature film Pee wee s Big Adventure and had a cameo role as a reporter 1 4 He had considered quitting acting at the age of 36 due to the challenges of finding work but the success of Pee wee s Big Adventure changed his mind 15 16 After a creative disagreement with Reubens he left the Pee Wee Herman project to pursue other roles 11 17 18 Hartman took more small roles in 1986 films such as Jumpin Jack Flash and Three Amigos He also worked as a voice actor in animated television programs including The Smurfs Challenge of the GoBots The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo and in Dennis the Menace as characters Henry Mitchell and George Wilson 2 He developed a strong persona providing voice overs for advertisements 12 Saturday Night Live 1986 1994 edit Hartman successfully auditioned to join NBC s variety show Saturday Night Live SNL in its 12th season which began on October 11 1986 1 He had been recommended for the show by fellow Groundlings and SNL cast members Jon Lovitz 19 and Laraine Newman as well as Jumpin Jack Flash director Penny Marshall 20 He told the Los Angeles Times I wanted to do SNL because I wanted to get the exposure that would give me box office credibility so I can write movies for myself 16 In his eight seasons with the show Hartman became known for his impressions and performed as over 70 different characters Hartman s original SNL characters include Eugene the Anal Retentive Chef and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer 2 His impressions include Frank Sinatra Ronald Reagan Ed McMahon Barbara Bush Charlton Heston Kelsey Grammer Michael Caine Oliver Stone Phil Donahue Telly Savalas Barry Humphries Kirk Douglas and Bill Clinton the latter considered his best known impression 1 21 Hartman first performed his Clinton impression on an episode of The Tonight Show 22 When he met Clinton in 1993 Hartman remarked I guess I owe you a few apologies 22 adding later that he sometimes felt a twinge of guilt about his Clinton impression 21 Clinton showed good humor and sent Hartman a signed photo with the text You re not the president but you play one on TV And you re OK mostly 21 Hartman copied the president s post nasal drip and the slight scratchiness in his voice as well as his open less intimidating hand gestures Hartman opted against wearing a larger prosthetic nose when portraying Clinton as he thought it would be distracting He instead wore a wig dyed his eyebrows brighter and used makeup to highlight his nose 10 In one of Hartman s sketches as Clinton the president elect visits a McDonald s restaurant and explains his economic policies and support for military intervention in Somalia by the metaphor of eating other customers food The writers told him that he was not eating enough during rehearsals for the sketch by the end of the live performance Hartman had eaten so much he could barely speak 22 nbsp Hartman appears as Bill Clinton on Saturday Night Live 22 23 At SNL Hartman s nickname of Glue was coined by Adam Sandler according to Jay Mohr s book Gasping for Airtime 10 24 However according to You Might Remember Me The Life and Times of Phil Hartman by Mike Thomas author and staff writer for the Chicago Sun Times the nickname was created by SNL cast member and Hartman s frequent on screen collaborator Jan Hooks 25 Hartman was very helpful to other cast members For example he aided Hooks in overcoming her stage fright 26 SNL creator Lorne Michaels explained the name He kind of held the show together He gave to everybody and demanded very little He was very low maintenance 7 Michaels also added that Hartman was the least appreciated cast member by commentators outside the show and praised his ability to do five or six parts in a show where you re playing support or you re doing remarkable character work 2 Hartman won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Music or Comedy Program for SNL in 1989 sharing the award with the show s other writers He was nominated in the same category in 1987 and individually in 1994 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program 27 By 1993 almost every cast member who was there during Hartman s first year on SNL had left the show including Jon Lovitz Jan Hooks and Dana Carvey Hartman said he felt like an athlete who s watched all his World Series teammates get traded off into other directions It was hard to watch them leave because I sort of felt we were all part of the team that saved the show 12 This cast turnover contributed to his leaving the show in 1994 21 Hartman said he thought it was time to leave because the show was getting less sophisticated and his style of humor did not fit with the less intellectual comedy of newer cast members like Adam Sandler 20 Hartman had originally planned to leave the show in 1991 but Michaels persuaded him to stay to raise his profile his portrayal of Clinton contributed to this goal 12 Jay Leno offered him the role of his sidekick on The Tonight Show but Hartman opted to stay on SNL 28 29 NBC persuaded him to stay on SNL by promising him his own comedy variety show The Phil Show 21 He planned to reinvent the variety form with a hybrid very fast paced high energy show with sketches impersonations pet acts and performers showcasing their talents Hartman was to be the show s executive producer and head writer 30 Before production began however the network decided that variety shows were too unpopular and canceled the series In a 1996 interview Hartman noted he was glad as he would ve been sweatin blood each week trying to make it work 21 In 1998 he admitted he missed working on SNL but had enjoyed the move from New York City to Southern California 17 NewsRadio 1995 1998 edit Hartman became one of the stars of the NBC sitcom NewsRadio in 1995 portraying radio news anchor Bill McNeal He signed up after being attracted by the show s writing and use of an ensemble cast 10 31 and joked that he based McNeal on himself with any ethics and character removed 17 Hartman made roughly US 50 000 equivalent to 96 025 in 2022 per episode of NewsRadio 7 Although the show was critically acclaimed it was never a ratings hit and cancellation was a regular threat After the completion of the fourth season Hartman commented We seem to have limited appeal We re on the edge here not sure we re going to be picked up or not but added he was 99 percent sure the series would be renewed for a fifth season 31 Hartman had publicly lambasted NBC s decision to repeatedly move NewsRadio into different timeslots but later regretted his comments saying this is a sitcom for crying out loud not brain surgery 17 He also stated that if the sitcom were cancelled it just will open up other opportunities for me 31 Although the show was renewed for a fifth season Hartman was killed before production began 32 Ken Tucker praised Hartman s performance as McNeal A lesser performer would have played him as a variation on The Mary Tyler Moore Show s Ted Baxter because that s what Bill was on paper But Hartman gave infinite variety to Bill s self centeredness turning him devious cowardly squeamish and foolishly bold from week to week 33 Hartman was posthumously nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1998 for his work on NewsRadio but lost to David Hyde Pierce 27 34 The Simpsons 1991 1998 edit Hartman provided the voices for numerous characters on the Fox animated series The Simpsons appearing in 52 episodes 1 He made his first appearance in the second season episode Bart Gets Hit by a Car Although he was originally brought in for a one time appearance Hartman enjoyed working on The Simpsons and the staff wrote additional parts for him He voiced the recurring characters Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure as well as several background characters 35 His favorite part was that of McClure 18 and he often used this voice to entertain the audience between takes while taping episodes of NewsRadio He remarked My favorite fans are Troy McClure fans 17 He added It s the one thing that I do in my life that s almost an avocation I do it for the pure love of it 36 Hartman was popular among the staff of The Simpsons Showrunners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein said they enjoyed his work and used him as much as possible when working on the show To give Hartman a larger role they developed the episode A Fish Called Selma which focuses on Troy McClure and expands the character s backstory 37 The Simpsons creator Matt Groening said that he took Hartman for granted because he nailed the joke every time 1 and that his voice acting could produce the maximum amount of humor with any line he was given 38 Before his death Hartman had expressed an interest in making a live action film about Troy McClure Many of The Simpsons production staff expressed enthusiasm for the project and offered to help 39 Hartman said he was looking forward to McClure s live action movie publicizing his Betty Ford appearances 11 and would love nothing more than making a film and was prepared to buy the film rights himself in order to make it happen 18 Other work edit Hartman s first starring film role came in 1995 s Houseguest alongside Sinbad 40 Other films include Greedy Coneheads Sgt Bilko So I Married an Axe Murderer CB4 Jingle All the Way the English Disney GKIDS dub of Kiki s Delivery Service and Small Soldiers the latter of which is his final theatrically released film 41 42 At the same time he preferred working on television 12 His other television roles include appearances on episodes of The John Larroquette Show The Dana Carvey Show 3rd Rock from the Sun 1 and the HBO TV film The Second Civil War as the President of the United States 22 He made a considerable amount of money from television advertising 28 earning 300 000 for a series of four commercials for the soft drink Slice 29 He also appeared in advertisements for McDonald s as Hugh McAttack and 1 800 Collect as Max Jerome 43 Hartman wrote a number of screenplays that were never produced 28 In 1986 he began writing a screenplay for a film titled Mr Fix It 16 and completed the final draft in 1991 Robert Zemeckis was signed to produce the film with Gil Bettman hired to direct Hartman called it a sort of a merger of horror and comedy like Beetlejuice and Throw Momma From the Train adding It s an American nightmare about a family torn asunder They live next to a toxic dump site their water supply is poisoned the mother and son go insane and try to murder each other the father s face is torn off in a terrible disfiguring accident in the first act It s heavy stuff but it s got a good message and a positive upbeat ending Zemeckis could not secure studio backing however and the project collapsed 44 Another film idea involving Hartman s Groundlings character Chick Hazard Private Eye was also canceled 16 Hartman appeared on David Letterman s Late Night and Late Show 13 times between 1989 and 1996 where he can be seen speaking German fluently 45 Style editClean and unassuming he had such a casual no nonsense way about him It was that quality that we all find so hilarious his delightful ability to poke fun at himself and at life with a tongue in cheek attitude comparable to say Tim Conway or Mel Brooks or Carol Burnett Nancy Cartwright 46 In contrast to his real life personality which was described as a regular guy and by all accounts one of show business s most low key decent people 47 Hartman often played seedy vain or unpleasant characters as well as comedic villains 18 He described his standard character repertoire as the jerky guy and the weasel parade 11 citing Lionel Hutz Bill McNeal Troy McClure and Ted Maltin from Jingle All the Way as examples 18 Hartman enjoyed playing such roles because he just want ed to be funny and villains tend to be funny because their foibles are all there to see 18 He often played supporting roles rather than the lead part He said T hroughout my career I ve never been a huge star but I ve made steady progress and that s the way I like it 21 and It s fun coming in as the second or third lead If the movie or TV show bombs you aren t to blame 11 Hartman was considered a utility player on SNL with a kind of Everyman quality which enabled him to appear in the majority of sketches often in very distinct roles 10 Jan Hooks stated of his work on SNL Phil never had an ounce of competition He was a team player It was a privilege for him I believe to play support and do it very well He was never insulted no matter how small the role may have been 26 He was disciplined in his performances studying the scripts beforehand Hooks added Phil knew how to listen And he knew how to look you in the eye and he knew the power of being able to lay back and let somebody else be funny and then do the reactions I think Phil was more of an actor than a comedian 26 Film critic Pauline Kael declared that Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks on Saturday Night Live are two of the best comic actors I ve ever seen 48 Writer and acting coach Paul Ryan noted Hartman s work ethic with his impressions He assembled a collection of video footage of the figure he was preparing to impersonate and watched this continually until he completely embodied the person Ryan concluded that what made Hartman s impressions so funny and spot on was Phil s ability to add that perfect touch that only comes from trial and error and practicing in front of audiences and fellow actors 49 Hartman described this process as technical 10 Journalist Lyle V Harris said Hartman showed a rare talent for morphing into anybody he wanted to be 50 Ken Tucker summarized Hartman s comedic style He could momentarily fool audiences into thinking he was the straight man but then he d cock an eyebrow and give his voice an ironic lilt that delivered a punchline like a fast slider you barely saw it coming until you started laughing 33 Hartman claimed that he borrowed his style from actor Bill Murray He s been a great influence on me when he did that smarmy thing in Ghostbusters then the same sort of thing in Groundhog Day I tried to imitate it I couldn t I wasn t good enough But I discovered an element of something else so in a sick kind of way I made myself a career by doing a bad imitation of another comic 11 Personal life editHartman married Gretchen Lewis in 1970 and they divorced in September 1972 51 He married real estate agent Lisa Strain in 1982 and their marriage lasted three years Strain told People magazine that Hartman was reclusive off screen and would disappear emotionally he d be in his own world That passivity made you crazy 7 In 1987 Hartman married former model and aspiring actress Brynn Omdahl born Vicki Jo Omdahl April 11 1958 May 28 1998 having met her on a blind date the previous year 3 7 They had two children Sean and Birgen Hartman The marriage had difficulties she was reportedly intimidated by his success and was frustrated that she could not find any on her own although neither party wanted a divorce She was reported to have been jealous and often verbally and or physically abusive even sending a letter to his ex wife threatening to rip Strain s eyes out if she spoke to him again 52 Hartman considered retiring to save the marriage 7 Hartman tried to get Brynn acting roles but she became progressively reliant on alcohol and narcotics entering rehab several times On multiple occasions he removed their children from the household to stay with friends or family because of her drug and alcohol fueled outbursts 3 Because of his close friendship with SNL associate Jan Hooks Brynn joked on occasion Hooks and Hartman were married on some other level 26 Brynn had written threatening letters addressed to Hooks warning her to not get close to her husband but they appeared to have never even been sent being discovered in her belongings following her death Stephen Root Hartman s NewsRadio co star said few people knew the real Phil Hartman as he was one of those people who never seemed to come out of character but he nevertheless gave the impression of a family man who cared deeply for his children 53 Hartman befriended Joe Rogan during his time on NewsRadio and confided his marital problems to him Rogan said that he encouraged Hartman to divorce Brynn five times but Hartman loved his kids and didn t want to leave 54 Hartman stated in 1997 that though a non practicing Catholic he displayed a sense of religiousness 55 In his spare time he enjoyed driving flying sailing marksmanship and playing the guitar 1 3 Death editOn May 27 1998 Hartman s wife Brynn visited the Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo in Encino California with producer and writer Christine Zander who said she was in a good frame of mind they had drinks After returning home Brynn and Hartman had a heated argument after which he went to bed 7 She entered his bedroom some time before 3 00 a m PDT on May 28 1998 and as he slept she fatally shot him once between the eyes once in the throat and once in the upper chest with a 38 caliber handgun 7 Hartman was 49 years old Brynn was taking Zoloft had been drinking alcohol and had recently used cocaine 56 Brynn then drove to the home of her friend Ron Douglas and confessed to the killing but he did not believe her They drove back to the house in separate cars and she called another friend and confessed a second time 7 57 On seeing Hartman s body Douglas called 9 1 1 at 6 20 a m Police arrived and escorted Douglas and the Hartmans two children from the premises by which time Brynn had locked herself in the bedroom Shortly afterward she died from a self inflicted gunshot wound 7 58 The police stated Hartman s death was caused by domestic discord between the couple 59 A friend said Brynn had trouble controlling her anger She got attention by losing her temper 60 A neighbor of the Hartmans told a CNN reporter that the couple had marital problems Yet actor Steve Guttenberg said they had been a very happy couple and they always had the appearance of being well balanced 58 Brynn s brother Gregory Omdahl filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 1999 against both Pfizer the manufacturer of Zoloft and her child s psychiatrist Arthur Sorosky who had provided samples of the antidepressant to Brynn 61 Pfizer later settled the lawsuit without an admission of any wrongdoing 62 Phil Hartman s friend and former SNL colleague Jon Lovitz has accused Hartman s NewsRadio co star Andy Dick of reintroducing Brynn to cocaine causing her to relapse and suffer a nervous breakdown Dick claimed to have known nothing of her condition 63 Lovitz later said he no longer blamed Dick for Hartman s murder but in 2006 Lovitz claimed Dick had approached him at a restaurant and said I put the Phil Hartman hex on you You re the next one to die Lovitz then had him ejected from the restaurant 64 65 The following year at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles Lovitz and Dick had another argument with Lovitz slamming Dick s head into the bar 65 Dick asserted he was not at fault in relation to Hartman s death 63 Brynn s sister Katharine Omdahl and brother in law Mike Wright raised the two Hartman children 57 Hartman s will stipulated each child would inherit money over several years after turning 25 The total value of Hartman s estate was estimated at 1 23 million 57 In accordance with their wishes both Hartman s and Brynn s bodies were cremated by Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary Glendale California and their ashes were scattered over Santa Catalina Island s Emerald Bay Hartman has a headstone in Thief River Falls Minnesota with wife Brynn 57 66 Response and legacy edit NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer stated that Hartman was blessed with a tremendous gift for creating characters that made people laugh Everyone who had the pleasure of working with Phil knows that he was a man of tremendous warmth a true professional and a loyal friend 58 Guttenberg expressed shock at Hartman s death and Steve Martin said he was a deeply funny and very happy person 58 Matt Groening called him a master 1 and director Joe Dante said He was one of those guys who was a dream to work with I don t know anybody who didn t like him 47 Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly concluded that Hartman was the last person you d expect to read about in lurid headlines in your morning paper and a decidedly regular guy beloved by everyone he worked with 1 In 2007 Entertainment Weekly ranked Hartman the 87th greatest television icon of all time 67 and Maxim named him the top Saturday Night Live performer of all time 68 On the day of Hartman s death rehearsals for The Simpsons and that night s performance by The Groundlings were canceled 1 The season five premiere episode of NewsRadio Bill Moves On aired September 23 the day before what would have been his 50th birthday finds Hartman s character Bill McNeal has died of a heart attack while the other characters reminisce about his life Lovitz joined the show in his place beginning with the next episode 32 A special episode of Saturday Night Live commemorating Hartman s work on the show aired on June 13 1998 69 Rather than substituting another voice actor the writers of The Simpsons retired Hartman s characters 38 His final appearance in the tenth season episode Bart the Mother is dedicated to him 32 as is his final film Small Soldiers 70 Hartman was preparing to voice Zapp Brannigan a character written specifically for him on Groening s second animated series Futurama at the time of his death 71 Even though the role was specifically made for him Hartman still insisted on trying out for the role About a week before his death he auditioned for Groening and Futurama executive producer David X Cohen Groening wrote that Hartman blew us away with his performances 72 After Hartman s death Billy West took over the role 71 Though Cohen credits West with using his own take on the character 73 West later said that he purposely tweaked Zapp s voice to better match Hartman s intended portrayal 71 Hartman was planning to appear with Lovitz in the indie film The Day of Swine and Roses scheduled to begin production in August 1998 1 In 2002 Laugh com and Hartman s brother John published the album Flat TV a selection of comedy sketches recorded by Hartman in the 1970s which had been kept in storage John Hartmann commented I m putting this out there because I m dedicating my life to fulfilling his dreams This album is my brother doing what he loved 74 Flat TV was optioned for an animated adaptation by Michael Ffish Hemschoot s animation company Worker Studio in 2013 75 76 The deal came about after Michael T Scott a partner in the company posted online a handwritten letter he had received from Hartman in 1997 leading to a correspondence between Scott and Paul Hartmann 77 A campaign was started on Facebook by Alex Stevens in 2007 and endorsed by Hartman s brother Paul to have Phil inducted to Canada s Walk of Fame 78 79 Among the campaign s numerous publicity events Ben Miner of the Sirius XM Radio channel Laugh Attack dedicated the month of April 2012 to Hartman The campaign ended in success and Hartman was inducted on September 22 2012 to the Walk of Fame with Paul accepting the award on his late brother s behalf Hartman was also awarded the Cineplex Legends Award 80 81 In June 2013 it was announced that Hartman would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which was unveiled on August 26 2014 82 83 Additionally a special prize at the Canadian Comedy Awards was named for Hartman Beginning with the 13th Canadian Comedy Awards in 2012 the Phil Hartman Award was awarded to an individual who helps to better the Canadian comedy community 84 In 2015 Rolling Stone magazine ranked Hartman as one of the ten greatest Saturday Night Live cast members throughout the show s forty year history coming in seventh on its list of all 141 members 85 Filmography editFilm edit Year Title Role Notes Ref1978 Stunt Rock Assistant 86 1980 The Gong Show Movie Man at airport with gun Credited as Phil Hartmann 87 Cheech amp Chong s Next Movie Actor being filmed in the background 87 1982 Pandemonium Reporter Credited as Phil Hartmann 88 1984 Weekend Pass Joe Chicago 89 1985 Pee wee s Big Adventure Reporter Rodeo announcer Also co writer 90 1986 Last Resort Jean Michel 91 Jumpin Jack Flash Fred Credited as Phil E Hartmann 91 Three Amigos Sam Credited as Philip E Hartmann 91 1987 Blind Date Ted Davis 92 The Brave Little Toaster Peter Lorre Hanging lamp credited Jack Nicholson air conditioner uncredited Voice 93 94 Amazon Women on the Moon Baseball announcer Voice 88 1989 Fletch Lives Bly manager 95 How I Got into College Bennedict1990 Quick Change Hal Edison1993 Loaded Weapon 1 Officer Davis 88 CB4 Virgil Robinson 96 Coneheads Marlax 96 So I Married an Axe Murderer John Vicky Johnson 96 1994 Greedy Frank McTeague 97 The Pagemaster Tom Morgan Voice 94 1995 The Crazysitter The Salesman 88 Houseguest Gary Young 98 Stuart Saves His Family Announcer Uncredited1996 Sgt Bilko Major Colin Thorn 91 Jingle All the Way Ted Maltin 99 1998 Kiki s Delivery Service Jiji Voice Disney English dub Posthumously released dedicated in memory 100 94 Small Soldiers Phil Fimple Posthumously released dedicated in memory 101 Buster amp Chauncey s Silent Night Chauncey Voice direct to video Posthumously released final film role 88 Television edit Year Title Role Notes Ref1979 Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo Additional voices 87 1980 The Six O Clock Follies Unnamed role 102 1981 The Pee wee Herman Show Captain Carl Monsieur LeCroc Television special also writer 103 The Smurfs Additional voices 87 1982 The Little Rascals Additional voices1983 The Pop N Rocker Game AnnouncerThe Dukes Various voices 7 episodes 91 1984 Challenge of the GoBots Additional voices 104 The New Scooby Doo Mysteries Additional voicesPink Panther and Sons Additional voicesMagnum P I Newsreader Episode The Legacy of Garwood Huddle 91 1985 Sara Drake Episode 27 Candles The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo Additional voices Episode It s a Wonderful Scoob 87 The Jetsons School Patrol robots Executive Vice president Voice episode Boy George 105 1986 Dennis the Menace Henry Mitchell George Wilson Various voices 91 Pee wee s Playhouse Captain Carl 6 episodes 106 1986 1994 Saturday Night Live Various characters 155 episodes also writer 88 1987 DuckTales Captain Frye Voice episode Scrooge s Pet 92 Foofur Additional voices1988 Fantastic Max Additional voices1990 Bill and Ted s Excellent Adventures Additional voices Episode One Sweet and Sour Chinese Adventure to Go On the Television Various characters Episode M Superior TaleSpin Ace London Voice episode Mach One for the Gipper 107 The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda Additional voicesGravedale High Billy Headstone Voice episode Cleo s Pen Pal Tiny Toon Adventures Octavius Voice episode Whale s Tales 107 94 1991 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Dimitri the Russian Ambassador TV Reporter Voice episode Mind Pollution 107 Sesame Street Employe of the ABC Moving Company Episode 2800Empty Nest Tim Cornell Episode Guess Who s Coming to Dinner 108 Darkwing Duck Paddywhack Voice episode The Haunting of Mr Banana Brain 88 One Special Victory Mike Rutten Television film1991 1998 The Simpsons Troy McClure Lionel Hutz Various others Voice 52 episodes 109 1991 1993 Tom amp Jerry Kids Calaboose Cal Voice 88 1992 Fish Police Inspector C Bass Voice episode A Fish Out of Water Parker Lewis Can t Lose Phil Diamond Episode Lewis and Son Eek The Cat Monkeynaut 1 Psycho Bunny Voice 2 episodes 107 1993 Daybreak Man in abstinence commercial UncreditedTelevision filmDroopy Master Detective Additional voicesAnimaniacs Dan Anchorman Voice episode Broadcast Nuisance 107 94 The Twelve Days of Christmas Additional voices Television filmThe Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode The Stalker 110 1994 How the Grinch Stole Christmas Special Edition Host TV Short 111 The Critic Various voices Episode Eyes on the Prize 88 1995 The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show Various characters Television special 112 The John Larroquette Show Otto Friedling Episode A Moveable Feast 88 Night Stand with Dick Dietrick Gunther Johann Episode Illegal Alien Star Search 1995 1998 NewsRadio Bill McNeal 75 episodes 113 1996 The Dana Carvey Show Larry King Episode The Mountain Dew Dana Carvey Show 88 Caroline in the City Host UncreditedEpisode Caroline and the Letter The Ren amp Stimpy Show Russian Filmreel Announcer Sid the Clown Voice 2 episodes 114 Seinfeld Man on phone Episode The Package uncredited 115 Saturday Night Live Himself host various roles 2 episodes 88 1996 1998 3rd Rock from the Sun Phillip Randy 2 episodes 100 1997 The Second Civil War President of the United States Television film 101 1999 Happily Ever After Fairy Tales for Every Child Game show host Voice episode The Empress s Nightingale Posthumously aired final appearance 88 Video games edit Year Title Voice roles1997 Virtual Springfield Troy McClure Lionel Hutz1998 Blasto Captain Blasto 94 Theatre edit Year Title Role1981 The Pee wee Herman Show Captain Carl Monsieur LeCroqTheme park attractions edit Year Title Voice roles1995 ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter T O M 20001998 The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management MorrisDiscography editThe following is a list of albums for which Hartman designed the covers This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items September 2021 1974 Poco Seven1975 America History America s Greatest Hits1977 America Harbor Poco Legend1979 America Silent Letter1980 Firesign Theatre Fighting ClownsReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m Snierson Dan June 12 1998 Man Of A Thousand Voices Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on October 30 2014 Retrieved October 12 2008 a b c d e f g h Profile Phil Hartman CBS News May 28 1998 Archived from the original on April 16 2009 Retrieved October 19 2008 a b c d e f g Parish James Robert 2004 The Hollywood Book of Scandals The Shocking Often Disgraceful Deeds and Affairs of More Than 100 American Movie and TV Idols McGraw Hill Professional pp 212 213 ISBN 0 07 142189 0 a b c d Harris Lyle V May 29 1998 Phil Hartman An appreciation he became anybody he wanted The Atlanta Journal Constitution p F01 U S Social Security Death Index 1935 2014 World Archipelago Book excerpt macmillan com Archived from the original on February 16 2018 Retrieved August 23 2015 a b c d e f g h i j Tresniowski Alex June 15 1998 Beneath the Surface People Vol 49 no 23 Retrieved August 25 2021 a b c Knutzen Eirik June 29 1997 TV book Boston Herald p TV 11 Mashberg Tom November 29 1992 As Clinton goes so goes Phil Hartman The Boston Globe a b c d e f g h i Rice Darcy August 1996 100 Flavors of Vanilla Orange Coast Magazine pp 34 40 a b c d e f g h i j Thompson Bob December 1 1996 The Jerky Guy Canoe Archived from the original on July 11 2012 Retrieved August 4 2008 a b c d e Rosenthal Phil November 23 1993 SNL s Grand Old Man With Friends Gone Hartman Prepares To Make His Exit Los Angeles Daily News p L1 Orndorf Brian October 26 2009 Stunt Rock 2 Disc Special Edition DVD Talk Archived from the original on November 18 2018 A young Phil Hartman cameos part of a larger group of Groundlings cadets that filled in as extras Short Christopher July 11 2006 Playhouse Party Cartoon Network reanimates Pee wee Herman Hartman then co wrote the script of the 1985 feature film The Gazette p Life 1 Thomas Bob August 22 1995 No spikes no sudden downfalls Slow and steady wins the race for Phil Hartman The Hamilton Spectator p D3 a b c d Four New Faces on Saturday Night Los Angeles Times September 30 1986 p 44 a b c d e Rohan Virginia February 24 1998 Out of the Bottle Along With Many Amusing Characters Phil Hartman of Newsradio Unleashes the Rare Exception The Record p Y 01 a b c d e f Strickler Jeff November 26 1996 Nice guy Phil Hartman loves playing weasels Star Tribune p 01E Carter Bill October 7 1998 A Hard Job to Accept A Slain Buddy s Show The New York Times Archived from the original on May 27 2015 a b Cagle Jess March 11 1994 Merry Hartman Merry Hartman Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on October 26 2015 a b c d e f g Freeman John March 8 1996 NewsRadio s McNeal livin it up as despicable cad The San Diego Union Tribune p E 1 a b c d e Bark Ed May 29 1998 Hartman was actor who put on many faces Impersonation of Clinton among most memorable The Dallas Morning News p 25A Reimink Troy October 18 2008 Political impersonations always a hit on Saturday Night Live The Grand Rapids Press p A2 Mohr Jay 2004 Gasping for Airtime Hyperion p 164 ISBN 1 4013 0006 5 Thomas 2014 p 1 a b c d Bianculli David June 12 1998 SNL Co Star Remembers Her Hartman New York Daily News Archived from the original on November 13 2010 Retrieved October 12 2008 a b Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search Primetime Emmy Awards Archived from the original on September 4 2013 Retrieved October 31 2008 a b c Hartmann John February 20 2003 Interview Larry King Live Interview Interviewed by Larry King Los Angeles California CNN a b Boss Kitt October 1 1992 Phil Hartman Makes Like A Primo Pitchman The Seattle Times Archived from the original on July 12 2015 Retrieved January 28 2010 Tribune Media Services July 31 1994 Hartman s Departure Spawns Variety Show Sun Sentinel p 10 a b c McDaniel Mike August 11 1998 Good News Phil Hartman brings back the Titanic on NewsRadio Houston Chronicle p 1 a b c Rohan Virginia September 23 1998 Tributes To A Star And His Voices The Record p Y8 a b Tucker Ken May 29 1998 Hartman Remembered Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on October 12 2008 Retrieved October 28 2008 Millman Joyce June 23 1998 Blue glow Salon com Archived from the original on July 28 2009 Retrieved June 22 2007 Groening Matt Brooks James L Jean Al Cartwright Nancy 2003 Commentary for Bart the Murderer in The Simpsons The Complete Third Season DVD 20th Century Fox No raise no big deal Houston Chronicle May 11 1998 p 1 Weinstein Josh Oakley Bill Silverman David Goldblum Jeff 2006 Commentary for A Fish Called Selma in The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD 20th Century Fox a b Groening Matt December 29 2004 Fresh Air National Public Radio Interview Interviewed by Terry Gross Philadelphia WHYY FM Archived from the original on June 10 2007 Retrieved November 9 2008 Oakley Bill 2006 Commentary for Homerpalooza in The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD 20th Century Fox Vancheri Barbara May 29 1994 Hartman Sinbad Play it for Laughs in Houseguest Pittsburgh Post Gazette p C 14 Phil Hartman Filmography Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times 2008 Archived from the original on April 17 2008 Retrieved August 16 2010 Philpot Robert December 6 1998 1998 s top closing moments Fort Worth Star Telegram p Arts 1 Millman Joyce May 28 1998 Phil Hartman 1948 1998 Salon com Archived from the original on June 4 2011 SNL Co star Looking For Studio Tribune Media Services October 9 1991 p 5E Phil Hartman Collection on Letterman 1989 1996 YouTube YouTube Retrieved October 17 2022 Cartwright Nancy 2000 My Life as a 10 Year Old Boy New York City Hyperion p 71 ISBN 0 7868 8600 5 a b Kushman Rick May 29 1998 His Intellect Humanity Set Hartman Apart The Sacramento Bee p A18 Brantley Will ed 1996 Conversations with Pauline Kael University Press of Mississippi p 137 ISBN 0 87805 899 0 Ryan Paul 2007 The Art of Comedy Getting Serious About Being Funny Watson Guptill p 168 ISBN 978 0 8230 8467 8 Harris Lyle V May 30 1998 Whatever the role he made it funny Phil Hartman 1948 1998 The Hamilton Spectator p W11 Basilan Rebelander May 4 2020 Inside Phil Hartman s All Too Brief and Incredibly Tragic Life news amomama com Retrieved August 30 2021 Thompson Valerie September 20 2019 Brynn Hartman 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Archived from the original on November 8 2019 Retrieved November 8 2019 Snauffer Douglas 2008 The Show Must Go On How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series McFarland p 162 ISBN 978 0 7864 3295 0 Fee Gayle Raposa Laura June 14 1998 Pal urged Hartman to dump loser The Boston Herald Archived from the original on February 4 2017 Retrieved February 3 2016 Pattison Mark September 2 2015 Rembering Phil Hartman Archived from the original on July 20 2020 Retrieved July 20 2020 Coroner Hartman s wife on drugs drunk CNN June 8 1998 Retrieved August 25 2021 a b c d Police say Hartman s wife told friends about shooting CNN June 2 1998 Archived from the original on August 27 2001 Retrieved June 22 2007 a b c d Phil Hartman wife die in apparent murder suicide CNN May 28 1998 Archived from the original on May 11 2007 Retrieved May 25 2007 Police Domestic discord behind Hartman slayings CNN May 28 1998 Archived from the original on May 27 2005 Retrieved June 22 2007 Hartman s friends fans ask What went wrong CNN May 29 1998 Archived from the original on October 12 2007 Retrieved August 16 2007 Makers of Antidepressant Sued In Hartman Deaths The Times Union May 29 1999 p A2 Yang Allie Gowen Gwen Lopez Ed The man behind the laughter SNL Simpsons star Phil Hartman s life off screen before his violent death ABC News Archived from the original on December 19 2019 Retrieved October 14 2023 a b Dick Andy July 23 2007 Interview Tom Green s House Tonight Interview Interviewed by Tom Green TomGreen com Hartman Hex Led to Lovitz Dick Dustup CBS News July 18 2007 Archived from the original on September 28 2010 Retrieved August 24 2010 a b Lovitz Jon July 20 2007 Interview Larry King Live Interview Interviewed by Larry King Los Angeles California CNN Family members hold private memorial for Hartmans CNN June 5 1998 Archived from the original on August 29 2013 Retrieved November 1 2008 Greatest TV Icons Nos 100 51 Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on December 3 2013 Retrieved December 19 2007 The Best Saturday Night Live Performers Maxim Archived from the original on September 30 2007 Retrieved December 19 2007 SNL Salutes Hartman The Plain Dealer June 13 1998 p 3E Bhob Stewart 2013 Small Soldiers 1998 Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times Archived from the original on January 1 2014 Retrieved May 19 2014 a b c Keller Joel June 15 2006 Billy West The TV Squad Interview TV Squad Archived from the original on July 12 2015 Retrieved September 27 2014 Groening Matt w The Bongo Beat Phil Hartman 1948 1998 Simpsons Comics no 37 June 1998 Bongo Comics David X Cohen Matt Groening 2002 Commentary for Love s Labors Lost in Space in Futurama Season 1 DVD 20th Century Fox Hartman s brother releases posthumous CD The Hamilton Spectator Associated Press December 13 2002 p D06 Adams Erik May 8 2013 Phil Hartman s Flat TV lets the late comic performer voice one final cartoon Onion Inc Archived from the original on June 6 2013 Retrieved May 8 2013 Worker Studio Phil Hartman s Flat TV Comedy Album In Development as Animated Film at Worker Studio Worker Studio LLC Archived from the original on December 3 2013 Retrieved May 8 2013 Cangialosi Jason July 29 2013 From Fan Letter to Feature Film Phil Hartman s Flat TV Yahoo Archived from the original on December 4 2013 Retrieved July 29 2013 Gamble Susan No star yet for Hartman Brantford Expositor Archived from the original on April 2 2012 Retrieved August 4 2010 Kaplan Ben Hartmann Paul March 26 2010 First Person A brother s quest to enshrine Phil Hartman on Canada s Walk of Fame National Post Retrieved September 18 2011 permanent dead link Wong Tony June 19 2012 Phil Hartman Comedian gets a star on Canada s Walk of Fame Toronto Star Archived from the original on April 17 2021 Retrieved June 19 2012 Patch Nick September 23 2012 Randy Bachman Sarah McLachlan Phil Hartman get stars on Canada s Walk of Fame Global News permanent dead link Tepper Allegra June 20 2013 Walk of Fame Announces 2014 Honorees Variety Archived from the original on September 25 2014 Retrieved August 20 2014 Hartman To Get Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame CBS August 23 2014 Archived from the original on August 12 2015 Retrieved August 26 2014 Phan Rachel June 7 2012 Cancelled series Michael Tuesdays amp Thursdays leads Canadian Comedy Awards nominees National Post Archived from the original on January 29 2013 Retrieved June 8 2012 7 Phil Hartman Rolling Stone February 11 2015 Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved August 23 2015 Thomas 2014 p 74 a b c d e Thomas 2014 p 75 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Phil Hartman Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved June 13 2021 Weekend Pass MUBI retrieved August 26 2021 Thomas 2014 p 115 a b c d e f g Thomas 2014 p 117 a b Thomas 2014 p 135 Thomas 2014 p 114 a b c d e f Phil Hartman visual voices guide Behind The Voice Actors Retrieved November 30 2023 A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot or collage of screenshots of a title s list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and or closing credits and or other reliable sources of information Thomas 2014 p 147 a b c Thomas 2014 p 176 Thomas 2014 p 191 Thomas 2014 p 201 Thomas 2014 p 232 a b Thomas 2014 p 235 a b Thomas 2014 p 233 The Six O Clock Follies with Laurence Fishburne amp Phil Hartman Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries www sitcomsonline com Retrieved August 24 2021 Thomas 2014 p 88 Gencarelli Mike May 14 2014 DVD Review Challenge of the Gobots The Series Volume One MediaMikes Retrieved August 24 2021 The Jetsons Metacritic retrieved August 24 2021 Thomas 2014 p 118 a b c d e Ritzen Stacey September 24 2014 All The Times You May Have Seen Or Heard Phil Hartman On TV As A Kid And Not Even Known It UPROXX Retrieved August 24 2021 Episode Guide Season 3 Empty Nest TV Empty Nest TV Retrieved August 24 2021 Thomas 2014 p 2 The Larry Sanders Show The List The Stalker The A V Club November 8 2011 Retrieved August 24 2021 Dr Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas Horton Hears A Who Special Edition 1966 www dvdmg com Retrieved August 24 2021 Ess Ramsey June 29 2012 Watching Steve Martin and Martin Short Reunite Again on The Martin Short Show Vulture Retrieved August 24 2021 Thomas 2014 p 209 Thomas 2014 p 208 Seinfeld Season 8 Notes About Nothing The Package DVD Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2007 Book sources edit Thomas Mike 2014 You might remember me the life and times of Phil Hartman New York St Martin s Press ISBN 9781250027962 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phil Hartman nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Phil Hartman Phil Hartman at IMDb Phil Hartman at Yahoo Movies Phil Hartman at The New York Times Hartman s autopsy and death certificate Phil Hartman s final night The tragic death of a Saturday Night Live genius Mike Thomas Salon September 21 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Phil Hartman amp oldid 1187891582, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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