Comprehensive information and links about Phil Hartman

Phil Hartman (September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-born American graphic artist, writer, actor and comedian.

table was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada to Rupert and Doris Hartmann; the family was of German Catholic descent.

Hartman's family migrated to the United States in the 1950s, and Hartman attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in the early 1990s.

The exact timing of his switch from "Hartmann" to "Hartman" is unknown, but all of his acting credits after 1986 were billed under the surname "Hartman".

Hartman and his wife Brynn had two children,

Early career

Looking for what he described as "a psychological release valve", he joined the California-based comedy group The Groundlings in 1975. Hartman met comedian Paul Reubens while working with the group and the two became friends, often writing and working on material together.

One such collaboration was the character of Pee-wee Herman and the . Hartman also met Jon Lovitz while with The Groundlings.

Hartman worked part time as a graphic artist, including designing album covers for popular rock bands. Hartman's covers include:

and stayed for eight seasons, which was a record at the time. Hartman was known for his impressions, which included Ronald Reagan, Charlton Heston, Frank Sinatra, Telly Savalas, Ed McMahon, Michael Caine, Jack Nicholson, Barbara Bush, Burt Reynolds, Phil Donahue, and former president Bill Clinton, which was perhaps his best-known impression. His other characters included Frankenstein and Unfrozen Cave Man Lawyer. He returned twice to host the show following his 1994 departure and was honored at the show's 25th anniversary special in 1999 by the members of the cast who had started their careers on the show the same year: Jan Hooks, Mike Myers, Nora Dunn, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz, and Victoria Jackson.

Also in 1986, Hartman was chosen to play the role of Captain Carl, one of Pee-Wee Herman's close friends and famed sea captain in the first season of .

From 1991 to 1998, Hartman also provided the voices for a number of characters on the popular animated series, , including dubious attorney Lionel Hutz and B-movie actor Troy McClure; Hartman expressed interest in making a live action version of this character, but the film was never made. In the episode "Selma's Choice," he lent his voice to three different characters, one of which being the aforementioned Hutz.

Shortly before his death he was offered the job of voicing the character of Zapp Brannigan on similar to Hartman's, although on the DVD commentary in a first season episode it is revealed that West's rendition was not influenced by Hartman's.

In 1994, Hartman left . His last scene on Saturday Night Live consisted of him consoling Chris Farley (who was in character as motivational speaker Matt Foley).

In 1995, he became one of the stars of the NBC sitcom , where he portrayed fatuous radio news anchor Bill McNeal. Many have credited the cancellation of the show with Hartman's passing, citing that the humor was thrown off balance despite the casting of Jon Lovitz (who replaced Hartman). He was also the voice behind Video Game hero Blasto.

Movies

Hartman's filmography includes often secondary or supporting roles in such feature films as , the last of which would become his final silver screen appearance and was thus dedicated to him.

His last role was in the English version of Hayao Miyazaki's

Murder

Hartman was murdered on May 28, 1998, in his Encino, California home, at the age of 49. As he slept, Hartman was shot twice in the head by his wife, Brynn, who, hours later, turned the gun on herself with a shot to the left temple. The reasons for the murder-suicide are unknown, although friends of the Hartmans speculated in the press that the combination of their marriage problems and Brynn's drug addictions probably contributed.

Hartman's murder caused considerable mourning in Hollywood. produced a special episode where the cast sincerely and tearfully mourned the death of Hartman's on-screen counterpart. After his death, comedian Jon Lovitz joined the show in his place and stayed with it until its ultimate cancellation. Lovitz had been a retired his characters, rather than finding another voice actor. At the time of his death, he was preparing to do the voice of several characters on Matt Groening's animated series , among them Zapp Brannigan. After he died, the lead character, Philip J. Fry, was named in his honor. to him. It was his final appearance on the show.

Hartman was posthumously nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Bill McNeal in