Phil Hartman

Early Life and Graphic Design Career

Phil Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, the fourth of eight children in a Catholic family. His father, Rupert Hartmann, sold building materials. When Hartman was ten years old, his family relocated to the United States, living in Lewiston, Maine, and Meriden, Connecticut, before settling in Los Angeles, California. He attended Westchester High School, where he frequently acted as the class clown, and later studied art at Santa Monica City College. Hartman dropped out in 1969 to work as a roadie for a rock band but returned to formal education in 1972, graduating from California State University, Northridge with a degree in graphic arts. He subsequently established his own successful graphic art business, creating advertising materials and more than 40 album covers for prominent musical acts. His notable design work included logos and covers for bands such as Poco, America, Steely Dan, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, earning him a Grammy Award in 1978 for his cover art for the Poco album Poco 7.

Breakthrough with The Groundlings and Pee-wee Herman

While building his graphic design business, Hartman sought a more social creative outlet and began taking evening classes with the Los Angeles improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings in 1975. He formally joined the cast and by 1979 was considered one of its stars. It was there he forged a creative partnership with fellow performer Paul Reubens. Together, Hartman and Reubens developed the character Pee-wee Herman, co-creating the live stage show The Pee-wee Herman Show, which aired on HBO in 1981. Hartman played the recurring role of Captain Carl, a shy pirate, which he later reprised on the children's television series Pee-wee's Playhouse. His major contribution to the franchise was co-writing the script for the 1985 feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, in which he also had a cameo as a reporter. During this period, Hartman also established himself as a prolific voice actor, providing voices for animated series like The Smurfs, Challenge of the GoBots, and Dennis the Menace, where he voiced Henry Mitchell and George Wilson for the show's first season before being replaced by Maurice LaMarche after he joined Saturday Night Live.

Saturday Night Live and the "Glue"

After film appearances in Jumpin' Jack Flash and Three Amigos in 1986, Hartman successfully auditioned for the cast and writing staff of NBC's Saturday Night Live, joining for its 12th season. He remained on the show for eight seasons, becoming one of its most reliable and versatile performers. Hartman was nicknamed "The Glue" by his colleagues for his ability to hold the show together and support other cast members, a quality praised by creator Lorne Michaels. He was renowned for his sharp impressions and original characters, performing as over 70 distinct personas during his tenure. His most famous impersonation was of President Bill Clinton, which he first performed on The Tonight Show before bringing it to SNL, and he met the president in 1993, receiving a signed photo from him. Hartman's Clinton was noted for its technical accuracy, capturing the president's vocal mannerisms and open hand gestures without relying on excessive prosthetics. Other standout impressions included Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Charlton Heston. His original SNL characters, such as the Anal Retentive Chef and the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, became fan favourites. Hartman's disciplined work ethic and team-first attitude were highlighted by castmate Jan Hooks, who noted he was "more of an actor than a comedian." For his work on the show, he shared the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 1989 and received additional Emmy nominations in 1987 and 1994.

• 1986: Joins Saturday Night Live cast and writing staff.
• 1987: Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for writing on SNL.
• 1989: Wins Primetime Emmy Award for writing on SNL.
• 1994: Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for individual performance on SNL. Leaves the show after eight seasons.

Hartman cited cast turnover as a reason for his departure from Saturday Night Live in 1994. He noted that almost every cast member from his first year had left, which made him feel like part of a team that had been traded away. He also felt the show's comedy was becoming less sophisticated and that his style did not fit with newer cast members. NBC had promised him his own comedy variety program called The Phil Show to persuade him to stay, but the network cancelled it before production began. In a later interview, Hartman said he was glad about this cancellation as he would have struggled to make it work each week.

Television Stardom with NewsRadio and The Simpsons

Following his exit from SNL, Hartman immediately found a new television home as a star of the NBC sitcom NewsRadio, which premiered in 1995. He played the pompous, self-centred radio news anchor Bill McNeal, a role he joked was based on himself "with any ethics and character removed." The show was critically acclaimed, with reviewer Ken Tucker praising the "infinite variety" Hartman brought to the character, but it struggled in the ratings and faced repeated threats of cancellation. Hartman was earning approximately $50,000 per episode and was publicly critical of NBC's habit of moving the show's timeslot, though he later expressed regret for those comments. He was posthumously nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1998 for his work on the show, which was renewed for a fifth season shortly before his death. Concurrently, Hartman had become a fixture on the animated series The Simpsons, providing voices for 52 episodes from 1991 until his death. He was best known for his recurring roles as the ethically challenged lawyer Lionel Hutz and the narcissistic, Z-list actor Troy McClure. Hartman cited McClure as his favourite character to perform, often using the voice to entertain the NewsRadio cast between takes, and he remarked that his favourite fans were Troy McClure fans. The show's staff, including creator Matt Groening and showrunners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, held him in high esteem, developing the Troy McClure-centric episode "A Fish Called Selma" to give him a larger role. Hartman had expressed serious interest in developing and starring in a live-action film featuring the Troy McClure character before his passing.

Film Work and Unproduced Projects

While Hartman preferred television, he maintained a steady film career throughout the 1990s, often in supporting roles. His first starring film role came in 1995's Houseguest, where he played a harried father opposite comedian Sinbad. He appeared in a series of popular comedies, typically playing what he described as "jerky guy" or "weasel parade" characters. These roles included a greedy relative in Greedy, a military officer in Sgt. Bilko, a hostile neighbour in Jingle All the Way, and a toy company executive in his final theatrically released film, Small Soldiers (1998). He also provided the voice for Kiki's mentor, Fukuo, in the English dub of the Studio Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service and performed automated dialogue replacement work on films like Spaceballs. Hartman also wrote several screenplays that never reached production, including a dark comedy-horror script titled Mr. Fix-It, which was to be produced by Robert Zemeckis and directed by Gil Bettman, but the project collapsed when studio backing could not be secured.

Personal Life and Death

Hartman was married three times. His first two marriages, to Gretchen Lewis and Lisa Jarvis, ended in divorce. In 1987, he married flight attendant Brynn Omdahl, with whom he had two children. Colleagues and friends described Hartman's real-life personality as low-key, decent, and professional, a stark contrast to the often vain or seedy characters he portrayed. His marriage to Omdahl was reported to be troubled, strained by his demanding work schedule and her struggles with substance abuse and incidents of domestic violence. On May 28, 1998, while Hartman was asleep in the bedroom of their home in Encino, Los Angeles, Brynn Omdahl shot him three times, killing him instantly. She then drove to a friend's house, confessed to the crime, and returned to the home with the friend, who called the police. After officers arrived, Omdahl locked herself in a bedroom and died by suicide. Toxicology reports later indicated she had alcohol, cocaine, and antidepressants in her system at the time of the murder-suicide. Hartman was 49 years old. His death sent shockwaves through the entertainment community and among his fans, occurring just as NewsRadio had been renewed for a fifth season.

Honours and Posthumous Recognition

Phil Hartman's contributions to comedy have been recognized with several posthumous honours. In 1997, he was inducted into the Brantford Walk of Fame in his Ontario birthplace. In 2012, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto, a recognition of his work as a Canadian-born entertainer. That same year, the Canadian Comedy Awards established the Phil Hartman Award, given to a person or group who enriches the comedy community. In 2014, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His work continues to be celebrated by fans and colleagues for its versatility, precision, and the steadying presence he brought to every project.

• 1997: Inducted into the Brantford Walk of Fame.
• 2012: Posthumously inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
• 2012: The Phil Hartman Award is established by the Canadian Comedy Awards.
• 2014: Receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Questions about Phil Hartman

How did Phil Hartman die?

Phil Hartman was killed on May 28, 1998, in a murder-suicide at his home in Encino, Los Angeles. While he was sleeping, his wife, Brynn Omdahl, shot him three times, causing instant death. Later that night, Omdahl died by suicide. Toxicology reports indicated she had alcohol, cocaine, and antidepressants in her system at the time of the incident.

What characters did Phil Hartman voice on The Simpsons?

On The Simpsons, Phil Hartman voiced the recurring characters Lionel Hutz, a shamelessly incompetent lawyer, and Troy McClure, a vain Z list actor. He provided these voices in 52 episodes from his first appearance in 1991 until his death in 1998. Hartman stated that Troy McClure was his favourite role, and he often used the voice to entertain the NewsRadio cast between takes. Before his death, he had expressed serious interest in developing a live action film featuring the McClure character.

What was Phil Hartman's role on NewsRadio?

On the NBC sitcom NewsRadio, Phil Hartman starred as Bill McNeal, a pompous, unethical, and self centred radio news anchor. He played this role from the show's premiere in 1995 through its fourth season, earning roughly $50,000 per episode. Hartman joked that he based the character on himself but with 'any ethics and character' removed. His performance was critically acclaimed, and he received a posthumous Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1998 for this work.

Where was Phil Hartman born and what was his early life like?

Phil Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He was the fourth of eight children in a Catholic family. His family moved to the United States when he was ten years old, living in several locations before settling on the West Coast. Hartman later described his childhood by saying he did not get what he wanted from his family life, so he sought love and attention elsewhere. He attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles and frequently acted as the class clown.

What was Phil Hartman's involvement with the Groundlings and Pee-wee Herman?

Phil Hartman joined the comedy group The Groundlings in 1975, seeking a social outlet for his talents. There, he befriended Paul Reubens and helped him develop the character Pee-wee Herman. Hartman co-wrote the 1985 feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and played Captain Carl in the live stage show and subsequent children's TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse. He considered quitting acting at age 36 due to lack of work, but the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure changed his mind. After a creative disagreement with Reubens, he left the project to pursue other roles.

Why was Phil Hartman called 'The Glue' on Saturday Night Live?

Phil Hartman earned the nickname 'Glue' for his ability to hold the show Saturday Night Live together and help other cast members. SNL creator Lorne Michaels explained that Hartman kind of held the show together, gave to everybody, and demanded very little. He was known as a team player and a utility man, often playing support roles in sketches. For example, he helped fellow cast member Jan Hooks overcome her stage fright. His disciplined work ethic and ability to play many distinct roles made him a foundational part of the cast during his eight seasons.

Sources and further reading

• Phil Hartman (Wikipedia)
• Who Killed Phil Hartman? Inside Comedian's Bumpy ... (aetv.com)
• Phil Hartman (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca)
• The SNL Star Who Died Tragically 28 Years Ago Today (yahoo.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-26.