Phil Hartman Appreciation Thread

Wow, it’s just hard to believe that this great talent been gone for twenty years. A huge loss to the comedy world, the Glue On SNL during his time, and what better way than to remember all his great work?

 

Very happy so many clips are on YouTube. Hartman together with Chris Farley is comedy gold.

 

Defintely, He was such a great foil to Chris on screen

 

His voice is also quite characteristic. When reading certain things I tend to channel his voice into the words. Brilliant man. Twenty years... Sad he went out the way he did.

 

His "fake announcer voice" was stellar...

"Toonces! The cat that could drive a car!"

Phil Hartman is on my list of the top 3 entertainment-industry deaths that shocked me and had the biggest effect on me. Hartman, Sam Kinison, and John Lennon were all very talented people whose lives were snuffed out for b******t reasons. All destined for greater success, all deserving of much longer lives, and all killed by stupid people for stupid reasons. Just horrible.

 

Rest In Peace Phil... your legacy and comedy will always never be forgotten.

 

I like the youtube video that is reported to be his initial audition for SNL. It is a whirlwind tour of comedy brilliance:

I still miss him . . .

 

Especially impressive compared to a lot of other SNL auditions.

 

Phil Hartman is one of my favourite comedians/actors of all time. I just love the guys work right from the first time I saw him on SNL. He was the one I looked forward to seeing the most.

I was so sad to hear about his death.

My co-worked was working with him the day, or perhaps the day before, he was murdered by his wife. He was hired to do a voice over for a commercial. She even has this little doodle he did during the record that he gave to her. The commercial was meant to air on the 29th and they decided to pull it after hearing the news.

When I returned to Canada and discovered New Radio I was so happy to be able to see him acting again. I thought he was brilliant in it and watch it often. I find it hard to watch season 5 though.

 

He could play that smarmy obnoxious guy very well, which seemed to be a polar opposite of his real personality from what I saw in interviews. Talented visual artist too, he illustrated several record album covers including Poco's Legend and America's History.

 

I really wish there was a best of video with his NewsRadio character.

 

my fave was when he installed a piano in the office so he could do his capitol steps routine

 

NewsRadio was (and is) the best, and Phil was a big part of its greatness:

 

20 years ago today. Wow. Such a tragedy.

He was massively talented and deserved to be as big as some of his SNL colleagues.

 

A comedy legend- among the very best SNL cast members.

 

I've posted this bit in other threads, but any scene with Phil Hartman, Maura Tierney, and Lauren Graham deserves multiple postings. Plus, I'm 12, so Bill McNeal saying "anatomically-correct bra" makes me giggle.

 

Rocket fuel malt liquor. DAMN!

 

I worked with him quite a bit; weeks before he was shot. And we both lived in the same neighborhood. I'll never forget that day...

 

He also created the logo for Crosby, Stills and Nash.

On SNL, I liked his Anal Retentive Chef and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer characters, as well as his impersonations of Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra. I was shocked when I heard the news of his murder 20 years ago. So sad.

 

I thought the Tarzan, Tonto and Frankenstein sketches were pretty funny. Phil played a good Frankie.

 

Loved that guy! Troy McClure was classic.