Phil Hartman

Philip Edward Hartmann (September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian–American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic designer. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States in 1958. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with a degree in graphic arts, he designed album covers for bands including Poco and America. Hartman joined the comedy group the Groundlings in 1975 and there helped comedian 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. In 1986, Hartman joined the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. He won fame for his impressions, particularly of President Bill Clinton, and stayed on the show for eight seasons. Nicknamed the "Glue" for his ability to hold the show together and help other cast members, Hartman won a Primetime Emmy Award for his SNL work in 1989. In 1995, after scrapping plans for his own variety show, he starred as Bill McNeal in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio. He voiced various roles on The Simpsons, most notably Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure. He also had roles in the films Houseguest, Sgt. Bilko, Jingle All the Way, Small Soldiers, and the English dub of Kiki's Delivery Service. Hartman divorced twice before he married Brynn Omdahl in 1987, with whom he had two children. Their marriage was troubled by Brynn's drug use and Hartman's emotional distance, which was a factor in his previous marriages ending. On May 28, 1998, Brynn shot and killed Hartman while he slept in their Encino, Los Angeles home, then died by suicide. In the weeks following his death, Hartman was celebrated in a wave of tributes. Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly opined 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." He was posthumously inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2012 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014.