Phil Hartman
A comedic genius with a deceptively calm delivery, he was the ultimate utility player whose characters became the unforgettable backbone of classic 'Saturday Night Live' sketches.
1948–1998 (age 50)·Canadian-American actor·Birthday: September 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Phil Hartman's comedy was built on a foundation of solid, unshakeable normalcy. Before fame, he used his graphic design skills to create album covers for bands like Poco and America, a craftsmans's eye he brought to comedy. At the Groundlings theatre, his talent for creating fully-realized characters shone, most notably when he helped Paul Reubens refine the manic Pee-wee Herman, co-writing the cult film 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure.' This led to 'Saturday Night Live,' where his eight-season tenure made him the show's 'glue.' Hartman never broke; he was the straight man who made the absurd around him believable, from the sleazy lawyer Unfrozen Caveman to the import/export expert Eugene Talmadge. His voice then animated a generation as smarmy characters like Troy McClure on 'The Simpsons.' Hartman's everyman presence was his superpower, allowing him to disappear into roles that have outlasted his tragic, untimely death.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Phil was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Phil Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Phil's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Was a featured cast member on 'Saturday Night Live' for eight seasons (1986-1994), creating iconic characters like the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer and Frankenstein's monster.
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the cult classic film 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' and originated the role of Captain Carl on 'Pee-wee's Playhouse.'
- Provided the voice for several memorable characters on 'The Simpsons,' most notably the self-absorbed actor Troy McClure.
- Won an Emmy Award in 1989 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program as part of the 'Saturday Night Live' writing staff.
Did You Know?
He designed the iconic album cover for the band America's 1975 album 'Hearts.'
His first major television acting role was as Captain Carl on 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' a character he helped develop at The Groundlings.
He was the voice of the 'I'm from Hollywood' announcer in the 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' film.
He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014.
“I was the guy who could do anything they needed. I was the utility infielder.”
