Phil Hartman Biography Quotes 8 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Philip Edward Hartman was born on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. His family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he grew up in Southern California. Interested in art from an early age, he studied graphic design at California State University, Northridge. Before he was widely known as a performer, he built a successful career in visual design, launching his own business and creating logos and album artwork for rock bands, including Poco and America. He later streamlined the spelling of his surname from Hartmann to Hartman, a change he adopted as his entertainment career took shape.

Comedy Beginnings and The Groundlings
Hartman found his calling in improvisational comedy with the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the mid-1970s. He became a central figure there, writing, performing, and mentoring newer members. At The Groundlings he formed lasting creative partnerships, especially with Paul Reubens and Jon Lovitz. Hartman helped Reubens develop the Pee-wee Herman persona, co-writing and appearing in The Pee-wee Herman Show and later co-writing the screenplay for the feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure. On stage and in early television appearances related to the character, Hartman played the sailor Captain Carl, blending his calm authority with absurdist humor.

Saturday Night Live
In 1986 Hartman joined Saturday Night Live, where he remained through 1994 and established himself as one of the most versatile performers in the show's history. Colleagues and producers, including Lorne Michaels, valued his reliability, range, and willingness to support others, a combination that earned him the affectionate nickname The Glue. He anchored sketches with an unflappable presence, whether playing original characters such as the Anal Retentive Chef and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer or delivering deft impressions. His portrayal of Bill Clinton became a hallmark of the early 1990s SNL era, and he also took on figures including Ronald Reagan. During his tenure he worked alongside Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and others, often serving as the steady counterweight that made more chaotic performances shine.

Voice Acting and The Simpsons
Hartman's distinctive speaking voice and timing made him a natural for animation. Beginning in 1991 he voiced recurring fan favorites on The Simpsons, most notably the blustery actor-host Troy McClure and the slippery attorney Lionel Hutz. These roles showcased his gift for inhabiting archetypes with both satire and warmth, turning brief appearances into memorable television moments. After his death, the production retired those characters in tribute to his contributions. He also provided the voice of Jiji in the English-language release of Kiki's Delivery Service, further evidence of his adaptability across mediums.

Film and Television Beyond SNL
After leaving SNL, Hartman joined the ensemble cast of the NBC sitcom NewsRadio in 1995, playing bombastic news anchor Bill McNeal. His chemistry with co-stars Dave Foley, Maura Tierney, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Khandi Alexander, Andy Dick, and Joe Rogan helped define the series' tone, with Hartman's character providing a satirical portrait of ego and insecurity wrapped in effortless bravado. He also appeared in a range of films, often as the wry neighbor or officious authority figure, including Houseguest, Sgt. Bilko, and Jingle All the Way. In Small Soldiers he appeared as a suburban dad, again leveraging his unshakeable delivery to heighten the comedy around him. His ability to project assuredness while undercutting it with perfectly timed asides became a signature style.

Personal Life
Hartman's personal life included marriages that preceded his rise to national fame, including unions with Gretchen Lewis and Lisa Strain. In 1987 he married Brynn Omdahl, known as Brynn Hartman, with whom he had two children, Sean and Birgen. Friends and colleagues frequently described him as generous and protective, someone who provided stability in the often tumultuous world of sketch comedy and television production. His enduring friendships with collaborators such as Paul Reubens and Jon Lovitz, and the mutual respect he shared with SNL peers like Dana Carvey and Jan Hooks, were central to both his work and his identity. Away from the spotlight he carried forward his lifelong connection to visual arts, an early vocation that informed the precision and craftsmanship of his comedy.

Death and Legacy
On May 28, 1998, Hartman died in his home in Encino, California, in a tragic incident in which he was shot by his wife, Brynn Hartman, who later died by suicide. Their children were in the residence but were not physically harmed. The news stunned audiences and colleagues, prompting tributes across the industry. NewsRadio addressed his passing with a memorial episode that honored both the character Bill McNeal and the colleague who had shaped the show's ensemble. The Simpsons retired Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz, preserving them as artifacts of his voice and wit rather than recasting them. Saturday Night Live and the broader comedy community remembered him as the consummate ensemble player, a craftsman whose writing sense and performance instincts elevated everyone around him.

Hartman's legacy rests on the breadth of his contributions: the meticulous character work honed at The Groundlings; the foundational role he played in the rise of Pee-wee Herman alongside Paul Reubens; the era-defining sketches and impressions on SNL under Lorne Michaels; the indelible voices on The Simpsons; and the layered, laugh-generating arrogance of Bill McNeal on NewsRadio. For fans, his catchphrase-infused turns as Troy McClure and his presidential send-ups remain cultural touchstones. For fellow performers, he exemplified how intelligence, preparation, and generosity can make collaborative comedy feel effortless. Born in Canada and raised in the United States, Phil Hartman became a central figure in American comedy, and the body of work he left behind continues to influence sketch, voice acting, and ensemble sitcoms long after his life was cut short.

Our collection contains 8 quotes who is written by Phil, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Funny - Writing - Success - Career.

Other people realated to Phil: Dennis Miller (Comedian), Victoria Jackson (Comedian), Joe Rogan (Comedian), Nora Dunn (Actress), Edie McClurg (Actress)