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You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
Beloved TV comedic actor Phil Hartman is best known for his eight brilliant seasons on Saturday Night Live , where his versatility and comedic timing resulted in some of the funniest and most famous sketches in the television show's history. Besides his hilarious impersonations of Phil Donahue, Frank Sinatra and Bill Clinton, Hartman's other indelible characters included Cirroc the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Eugene the Anal Retentive Chef and, of course, Frankenstein. He also starred as pompous radio broadcaster Bill McNeal in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio and voiced numerous classic roles ― most memorably washed-up actor and commercial pitchman Troy McClure ― on Fox's long-running animated hit The Simpsons . But Hartman's seemingly charmed life was cut tragically short when he was fatally shot by his troubled third wife, Brynn, who turned a gun on herself several hours later. The shocking and headline-generating turn of events stunned those closest to the couple as well as countless fans who knew Phil only from afar.
Now, for the first time ever, the years and moments leading up to his untimely end are described in illuminating detail through information gleaned from exclusive interviews with scores of famous cast mates, close friends and family members as well as private letters, audio/video recordings, extensive police records, and more. Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life―a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
Now, for the first time ever, the years and moments leading up to his untimely end are described in illuminating detail through information gleaned from exclusive interviews with scores of famous cast mates, close friends and family members as well as private letters, audio/video recordings, extensive police records, and more. Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life―a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 2014
54 people are currently reading
1195 people want to read
About the author
Mike Thomas
3 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Mike Thomas served as an arts and entertainment writer at the Chicago Sun-Times for almost 15 years. He has written The Second City Unscripted: Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater and You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman. He completed Bill Zehme's Carson the Magnificent after Zehme's 2023 death.
Mike Thomas served as an arts and entertainment writer at the Chicago Sun-Times for almost 15 years. He has written The Second City Unscripted: Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater and You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman. He completed Bill Zehme's Carson the Magnificent after Zehme's 2023 death.
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July 5, 2023
"There's nothing that makes an audience more comfortable than a committed performer, and [Phil Hartman] was the most extreme committed performer. It also made him really desirable in terms of being onstage with him, because it didn't really matter what you did. He never said 'no' onstage and he always made you look good." -- comedy writer and friend Tracy Newman, page 76
Saturday Night Live cast-mates called him 'The Glue,' as his scene-bolstering presence could help a sketch stay together. Other co-stars referred to him as 'a utility player,' a term borrowed from baseball that denoted his multi-talented status. He self-deprecatingly labeled himself with the unflattering nickname 'Mr. Potato Head' for the everyman quality he brought to his roles. But whatever moniker he's adorned with, it is pretty much beyond dispute that Canadian-American thespian Phil Hartman had an aptitude for comedy which he displayed in his various roles during eight seasons (1986-1994) on SNL and a similar number (1990-1998) on The Simpsons. (Even in catching reruns, I still crack up laughing at his SNL sketch as President Bill Clinton visiting a McDonald's - with the indelible punch line 'Intercepted by WARLORDS!' as he purloins food from hapless customers - or his various introductory scenes on The Simpsons as former B-movie actor Troy McClure, intoning all sorts of extremely ridiculous information but in a serious and staccato voice.) Sadly, Hartman exited the world's stage much too soon when he was murdered by his severely troubled wife in 1998. However, author Thomas does a wonderful job with the Hartman bio You Might Remember Me (title from the aforementioned Troy McClure's catchphrase), which offers a full portrait of a talented man (he was also a comedy writer, plus was an established graphic artist - designing album covers for 70's rock groups such as Poco and America - way before his television stardom) who was adept at making audiences laugh. While Hartman suffered a tragic ending, this book offers both a detailed recounting of his life and is a heartwarming tribute to his comedic work.
Saturday Night Live cast-mates called him 'The Glue,' as his scene-bolstering presence could help a sketch stay together. Other co-stars referred to him as 'a utility player,' a term borrowed from baseball that denoted his multi-talented status. He self-deprecatingly labeled himself with the unflattering nickname 'Mr. Potato Head' for the everyman quality he brought to his roles. But whatever moniker he's adorned with, it is pretty much beyond dispute that Canadian-American thespian Phil Hartman had an aptitude for comedy which he displayed in his various roles during eight seasons (1986-1994) on SNL and a similar number (1990-1998) on The Simpsons. (Even in catching reruns, I still crack up laughing at his SNL sketch as President Bill Clinton visiting a McDonald's - with the indelible punch line 'Intercepted by WARLORDS!' as he purloins food from hapless customers - or his various introductory scenes on The Simpsons as former B-movie actor Troy McClure, intoning all sorts of extremely ridiculous information but in a serious and staccato voice.) Sadly, Hartman exited the world's stage much too soon when he was murdered by his severely troubled wife in 1998. However, author Thomas does a wonderful job with the Hartman bio You Might Remember Me (title from the aforementioned Troy McClure's catchphrase), which offers a full portrait of a talented man (he was also a comedy writer, plus was an established graphic artist - designing album covers for 70's rock groups such as Poco and America - way before his television stardom) who was adept at making audiences laugh. While Hartman suffered a tragic ending, this book offers both a detailed recounting of his life and is a heartwarming tribute to his comedic work.
October 8, 2014
2 1/2 stars, really.
A perfect example of "good research doesn't make a good book." It's clear author Mike Thomas read some books and magazine articles and conducted some interviews. But he is completely unable to take that information and use it to breathe life into his subjects. Admittedly, Phil Hartman had a bit of that cliched comedian personality, where he was only himself when he was being someone else, a bit of a cipher and hard to reach offstage, but Thomas' writing abilities render him unable to make Hartman a real character in his own story.
This book reads like reportage, and rather dull and off-target at that: "...he spent high five to low six figures on a French-made TB200 Tobago XL GT by Socata. With its white top, gray bottom, and dark-orange body stripes, the handsome single-prop model--tail number N3057D--had a 200-horsepower Lycoming 10-360AIB6 piston engine, fixed tricycle landing gear, and room for four in its spacious cabin." Zzzzzzzzzzz. Unless you're an airplane geek, who cares? Why not just say, "Phil bought a single-engine airplane, which he used to fly to Catalina Island?" As for the off-target, later, after Hartman's death, there is a chapter that is divided out with the reminiscences of people's reactions to the news. His brothers? Sure; they were close. Celebrity friends? Definitely; one doesn't read a celebrity biography unless one likes celebrities. But call me callous, I'm not really interested in a long story about his NIECE driving to Arizona and having to pull over and freak out. Of course she was upset, as I'm sure ALL of his family was. But I don't need to hear the reactions of every cousin and ex-sister-in-law, especially when they have not figured prominently in the narrative up to this point.
Thomas does an equally poor job of characterizing Brynn Hartman. Some people liked her, some did not. She barely figures, except for several stories in which Phil comments on the problems in their marriage. Julia Sweeney is the only person who seems to have interacted with them as a couple on multiple occasions and can talk about their relationship from an insider's perspective, and she's Team Brynn, for the most part, which is unsettling at times. Others tell stories of Phil fighting with her, but only what Phil told them second-hand. Where are all the people who could give a more complete picture? Would no one talk on the record? Not until the story of the night of the murder-suicide do any of Brynn's friends come into it.
There are too many chapters after the deaths, as well. One chapter summarizing the multiple memorial services and ashes scatterings would have more than sufficed. And what a shabby lack of epilogue! Is Doris, Phil's mother, still alive? And what about the children? I'm all for respecting their privacy, but not even a sentence that says, "Sean, now 25 (or whatever), still lives in Wisconsin and is a blah blah blah. Birgen, now 21, recently graduated from a California college." But there's nothing. I wonder if no one from the family but Phil's seemingly "eccentric" brother cooperated.
So overall, a disappointing book on a beloved subject. And why are my negative reviews always so much longer than my positive ones?
A perfect example of "good research doesn't make a good book." It's clear author Mike Thomas read some books and magazine articles and conducted some interviews. But he is completely unable to take that information and use it to breathe life into his subjects. Admittedly, Phil Hartman had a bit of that cliched comedian personality, where he was only himself when he was being someone else, a bit of a cipher and hard to reach offstage, but Thomas' writing abilities render him unable to make Hartman a real character in his own story.
This book reads like reportage, and rather dull and off-target at that: "...he spent high five to low six figures on a French-made TB200 Tobago XL GT by Socata. With its white top, gray bottom, and dark-orange body stripes, the handsome single-prop model--tail number N3057D--had a 200-horsepower Lycoming 10-360AIB6 piston engine, fixed tricycle landing gear, and room for four in its spacious cabin." Zzzzzzzzzzz. Unless you're an airplane geek, who cares? Why not just say, "Phil bought a single-engine airplane, which he used to fly to Catalina Island?" As for the off-target, later, after Hartman's death, there is a chapter that is divided out with the reminiscences of people's reactions to the news. His brothers? Sure; they were close. Celebrity friends? Definitely; one doesn't read a celebrity biography unless one likes celebrities. But call me callous, I'm not really interested in a long story about his NIECE driving to Arizona and having to pull over and freak out. Of course she was upset, as I'm sure ALL of his family was. But I don't need to hear the reactions of every cousin and ex-sister-in-law, especially when they have not figured prominently in the narrative up to this point.
Thomas does an equally poor job of characterizing Brynn Hartman. Some people liked her, some did not. She barely figures, except for several stories in which Phil comments on the problems in their marriage. Julia Sweeney is the only person who seems to have interacted with them as a couple on multiple occasions and can talk about their relationship from an insider's perspective, and she's Team Brynn, for the most part, which is unsettling at times. Others tell stories of Phil fighting with her, but only what Phil told them second-hand. Where are all the people who could give a more complete picture? Would no one talk on the record? Not until the story of the night of the murder-suicide do any of Brynn's friends come into it.
There are too many chapters after the deaths, as well. One chapter summarizing the multiple memorial services and ashes scatterings would have more than sufficed. And what a shabby lack of epilogue! Is Doris, Phil's mother, still alive? And what about the children? I'm all for respecting their privacy, but not even a sentence that says, "Sean, now 25 (or whatever), still lives in Wisconsin and is a blah blah blah. Birgen, now 21, recently graduated from a California college." But there's nothing. I wonder if no one from the family but Phil's seemingly "eccentric" brother cooperated.
So overall, a disappointing book on a beloved subject. And why are my negative reviews always so much longer than my positive ones?
April 10, 2015
For a perfect example of Phil Hartman's genius on "Saturday Night Live," look no further than the 105-second 1989 commercial parody Colon Blow . As the off-screen announcer tells him about the insanely high-fiber cereal, Hartman reacts with several dozen facial expressions, all of them effective, none of them overwrought.
Hartman, for my money, was one of the three best cast members in SNL history, a man of a thousand voices and characters. He made mediocre material look good, and he made great material instantly classic. If you watch any sketch from 1986-90 that doesn't have Hartman in it, and the sketch is dying, I can almost guarantee you Hartman will show up at the three-minute mark to save it.
It wasn't until I read You Might Remember Me , though, that I realized Hartman felt insecure and underappreciated while at SNL. He longed for a breakout marquee character that could launch a $200 million movie like Wayne's World . He was such a good mimic, he could disappear so deeply into a character, and he had such strong utility skills in the service of any given scene, that his star power was deceptively muted.
Viewers felt as if they didn't exactly know Phil. Many of Hartman's friends and family felt the same way, including an ex-wife or two. Hartman was distant and always somewhat in character. There was a mysterious dark side, etc., but he still came off like such a decent guy.
In May 1998, at age 49, while sleeping, Hartman was murdered by his third wife, Brynn, who shortly after turned the gun on herself. You Might Remember Me devotes its final act to an extensively recreated play-by-play of the hours surrounding the murder itself.
Author Mike Thomas has done extensive legwork to put together a detailed time-frame and a list of possible rationales and words spoken by both parties. The fact remains, though, and it dominates - both participants have been dead for 17 years now. This book's stories can only be told from the outside. The best you'll get from any chapter is detailed speculation.
With the last third focusing on Hartman's murder, and the first third devoted to his pretty-normal childhood and pre-acting career (he designed album covers for Poco and Santana, among others), the middle third for me was where the meat was. And, really, the stuff that interested me most was the kind of stuff you hear on DVD audio commentaries.
Like, I knew Hartman co-wrote Pee Wee's Big Adventure (one of the few movies I can quote practically from start to finish), but I didn't know Reubens and Hartman had a falling out after Reubens became famous and ditched the entire ensemble that helped him create the character.
And, back to Colon Blow, I'd always wondered how the special effects were created for the shot that has Hartman sitting atop two-and-a-half million bowls of cereal. Now I know... actually, I've already forgotten, but for a second, I knew, and it was pretty fascinating stuff.
Author Thompson assembles a fairly exhaustive representation of castmates and producers from "The Simpsons," where Hartman did seven seasons of utility guest-cast voice work, and "Newsradio," which was three seasons old at the time of Hartman's death.
He was a crackerjack ensemble guy, but Hartman's career adds up to a lot of wandering and a lot of unrealized potential. Toward the end of the book, I started both to empathize with Hartman's frustration, and remember the sadness I felt in realizing his best work would've still been yet to come. I mean, Hartman was the best thing about Small Soldiers, Jingle All the Way and Houseguest , but they were all shitty movies, so what does that really even amount to?
Likewise, what does it amount to when you read a dozen interviews with people from a dozen movies and TV shows, all telling you Hartman was great but unknowable? The point of me reading the book is, I wanna know, y'know? There were some sparkling pieces in the puzzle that was Phil Hartman, but so many pieces will always be missing, and You Might Remember Me feels much the same.
August 20, 2015
"You Might Remember Me.." (Troy McClure: "The Simpsons") this very long awaited biography authored by Mike Thomas, that the fans of the late comic genius Phil Hartman (1948-1998) will appreciate! Thomas portrays this brilliant funny man from a journalistic angle, through research, interview, and quotes of family, friends, colleagues. Thomas noticeably avoids judgment or personal opinion of Hartman's life so overshadowed by his tragic death.
From Brantford, Ontario, Canada his faithful Catholic parents moved their large family (eight children) to the US (1957) when Phil was eight, eventually settling in Westchester, Maine. Attention from his hardworking parents was scarce, Phil thrived imitating the famous John Wayne, and LBJ. He was popular, known and loved as a class clown, also "Mr. Personality". Phil loved cars, his father encouraged him to learn the reliable trade of autobody work. After HS graduation in 1966, he enrolled in Santa Monica City College as an art major. Phil was draft eligible, and opposed the War in Vietnam, which he felt was motivated by corporate greed, the propaganda involving the fear of communism seemed irrational and senseless.
After achieving much success as a graphic designer (working for his brother at Hartmann and Goodman), he joined the Groundlings acting troupe in 1975, craving the chance to entertain on stage as a social creative outlet. Phil highly charged, costumed, portraying "Lightman" or "Chick Hazzard" (1978), he also enjoyed success achieving small parts in various movies.
Phil played a large part in the creation/success of Pee Wee Herman/Playhouse (1985). Insiders (including Howard Stern) were puzzled over Phil's inaction (for reasons unknown) to file a legal suit for damages and loss of rightful income. In 1991 when Ruben was involved in a huge public scandal, Phil distanced, did offer public comment.
In (1986-1994) Phil's career took off when he joined SNL, and he continued to appear in several movies. Phil could do the voice impersonating any character, (Frank Sinatra, Ed McMahon, Bill Clinton) his popularity increased to having millions of fans. In 1990 he joined the Fox "Simpsons" doing the voices for many colorful characters.
"This prime-time life has made me a multimillionaire, I have a great career going!" Phil said when interviewed. He was starring on the NBC series "NewsRadio" (1995-1999) earning $50,000 per episode. Phil loved acting, more committed to his work then ever, doing multiple projects including one for HBO, he planned to write a screenplay.
Phil married his beautiful third wife Brynn Omadahl, ten years his junior, in 1986. By then, Phil had an established pattern of remaining distant, parts of himself closed off and inaccessible, needing time for solitude, perhaps to recharge and maintain his creativity. The fact that Phil eventually lost interest in his wives was telling, unusual, and confirmed, as were the conflicts and public fights with Brynn, which seemed as dramatic as the characters he portrayed. Substance abuse combined with Brynn's fragile emotional state that may have involved mental illness, combined with accessibility to a firearm was lethal and deadly for Phil and Brynn Hartman. Phil will be missed and remembered by thousands of fans. There are pages of excellent photos included.
Mike Thomas is an arts and entertainment staff writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, he has interviewed numerous famous celebrities, this is his second book. He lives in Chicago with his wife and family.
From Brantford, Ontario, Canada his faithful Catholic parents moved their large family (eight children) to the US (1957) when Phil was eight, eventually settling in Westchester, Maine. Attention from his hardworking parents was scarce, Phil thrived imitating the famous John Wayne, and LBJ. He was popular, known and loved as a class clown, also "Mr. Personality". Phil loved cars, his father encouraged him to learn the reliable trade of autobody work. After HS graduation in 1966, he enrolled in Santa Monica City College as an art major. Phil was draft eligible, and opposed the War in Vietnam, which he felt was motivated by corporate greed, the propaganda involving the fear of communism seemed irrational and senseless.
After achieving much success as a graphic designer (working for his brother at Hartmann and Goodman), he joined the Groundlings acting troupe in 1975, craving the chance to entertain on stage as a social creative outlet. Phil highly charged, costumed, portraying "Lightman" or "Chick Hazzard" (1978), he also enjoyed success achieving small parts in various movies.
Phil played a large part in the creation/success of Pee Wee Herman/Playhouse (1985). Insiders (including Howard Stern) were puzzled over Phil's inaction (for reasons unknown) to file a legal suit for damages and loss of rightful income. In 1991 when Ruben was involved in a huge public scandal, Phil distanced, did offer public comment.
In (1986-1994) Phil's career took off when he joined SNL, and he continued to appear in several movies. Phil could do the voice impersonating any character, (Frank Sinatra, Ed McMahon, Bill Clinton) his popularity increased to having millions of fans. In 1990 he joined the Fox "Simpsons" doing the voices for many colorful characters.
"This prime-time life has made me a multimillionaire, I have a great career going!" Phil said when interviewed. He was starring on the NBC series "NewsRadio" (1995-1999) earning $50,000 per episode. Phil loved acting, more committed to his work then ever, doing multiple projects including one for HBO, he planned to write a screenplay.
Phil married his beautiful third wife Brynn Omadahl, ten years his junior, in 1986. By then, Phil had an established pattern of remaining distant, parts of himself closed off and inaccessible, needing time for solitude, perhaps to recharge and maintain his creativity. The fact that Phil eventually lost interest in his wives was telling, unusual, and confirmed, as were the conflicts and public fights with Brynn, which seemed as dramatic as the characters he portrayed. Substance abuse combined with Brynn's fragile emotional state that may have involved mental illness, combined with accessibility to a firearm was lethal and deadly for Phil and Brynn Hartman. Phil will be missed and remembered by thousands of fans. There are pages of excellent photos included.
Mike Thomas is an arts and entertainment staff writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, he has interviewed numerous famous celebrities, this is his second book. He lives in Chicago with his wife and family.
April 28, 2021
Painstakingly detailed and very sad.
September 11, 2019
I didn't know a lot about Phil Hartman before I read this book. Mostly I remember him from Saturday Night Live and his impersonations of Bill Clinton and I remember he was killed by his wife. I was mostly curious about what happened with his wife. Interesting book and I would recommend it to his fans.
February 25, 2025
Just finished:
New York: St. Martin's Press, 2014.
A biography about Phil Hartman (1948-1998) from his personal life to his time on SNL.
Born in Canada. Phil and his family (he had a lot of siblings) eventually immigrated to the United States and eventually moved to California. Phil took art classes and was a Graphic Design from 1973-1980. He was a member of The Groundlings and did ads and voice over work before being invited to audition for Saturday Night Live in 1986. Dubbed "The Glue" by SNL castmate Jan Hooks, Phil filled in wherever he was needed. Although he never created characters like Dana Carvey or Mike Myers, he got the most attention as Bill Clinton in the iconic McDonald's sketch (in my opinion the only SNL sketch that can rival it is Matt Foley, motivational speaker that also includes Phil Hartman). He left SNL after eight seasons to do other work.
However, outside of Phil's ability to make people laugh, he's remembered for how his life ended. Married to his third wife Brynn Omdahl for nearly ten years (they had two children), they had a very rocky marriage. Brynn was very controlling and jealous of Phil. She felt that he had a habit of checking out while he was at home (which was true). She also had drug addictions. The big thing to me was the fact that both Phil and Brynn thought their relationship was getting better when the murder suicide occurred. Brynn had cocaine and alcohol in her system and Zoloft according to the autopsy report.
Although it's a sad ending, I loved Phil's characters on SNL and the Simpsons.
New York: St. Martin's Press, 2014.
A biography about Phil Hartman (1948-1998) from his personal life to his time on SNL.
Born in Canada. Phil and his family (he had a lot of siblings) eventually immigrated to the United States and eventually moved to California. Phil took art classes and was a Graphic Design from 1973-1980. He was a member of The Groundlings and did ads and voice over work before being invited to audition for Saturday Night Live in 1986. Dubbed "The Glue" by SNL castmate Jan Hooks, Phil filled in wherever he was needed. Although he never created characters like Dana Carvey or Mike Myers, he got the most attention as Bill Clinton in the iconic McDonald's sketch (in my opinion the only SNL sketch that can rival it is Matt Foley, motivational speaker that also includes Phil Hartman). He left SNL after eight seasons to do other work.
However, outside of Phil's ability to make people laugh, he's remembered for how his life ended. Married to his third wife Brynn Omdahl for nearly ten years (they had two children), they had a very rocky marriage. Brynn was very controlling and jealous of Phil. She felt that he had a habit of checking out while he was at home (which was true). She also had drug addictions. The big thing to me was the fact that both Phil and Brynn thought their relationship was getting better when the murder suicide occurred. Brynn had cocaine and alcohol in her system and Zoloft according to the autopsy report.
Although it's a sad ending, I loved Phil's characters on SNL and the Simpsons.
October 24, 2014
I wanted to give this biography 5 stars, just because of the subject, but this book was in better need of an editor or proofreader. Obviously extensive research was done, but it still didn't flesh out the essence of Phil Hartman. If I hadn't had previous knowledge of him and his work, I don't think I would have been moved by his story and how he died, just by reading this bio.
I believe the author didn't want to attack Brynn Hartman too much, but in doing so, left us with a skeleton of a character - vapid, jealous and vain.
This particular paragraph bothered me because it repeats itself: ".....Often he floated at a remote spot called Lover's Cove, at the island's more developed east end, and fed spray cheese to swarms of Calico bass in a protected portion of Avalon Harbor. Just off shores where pirates, Spaniards, and Chumash Indians had dwelled in the 1700's, Phil also liked to moor his boat, kick back and chill out while blasting Neil Young's 1992 album Harvest Moon from the boat's speakers. Or he'd buy a can of spray cheese and feed it to swarms of Calico bass in a protected portion of Avalon Harbor...." I remember thinking, "did I lose my place and read that again by accident?"
Also, an epilogue is supposed to tie up all the loose ends and I didn't feel that was achieved. What happened to the Hartman children? A cursory, one sentence update would have been fine, all the while protecting their privacy and not giving out too many personal details. These children are now adults, so it would have put a nice capper on the story. The omission of the status of the children was kind of disturbing - like they simply evaporated after their parents died.
The Phil Hartman case is incredibly fascinating and I feel there could have been more "meat" to this narrative.
I believe the author didn't want to attack Brynn Hartman too much, but in doing so, left us with a skeleton of a character - vapid, jealous and vain.
This particular paragraph bothered me because it repeats itself: ".....Often he floated at a remote spot called Lover's Cove, at the island's more developed east end, and fed spray cheese to swarms of Calico bass in a protected portion of Avalon Harbor. Just off shores where pirates, Spaniards, and Chumash Indians had dwelled in the 1700's, Phil also liked to moor his boat, kick back and chill out while blasting Neil Young's 1992 album Harvest Moon from the boat's speakers. Or he'd buy a can of spray cheese and feed it to swarms of Calico bass in a protected portion of Avalon Harbor...." I remember thinking, "did I lose my place and read that again by accident?"
Also, an epilogue is supposed to tie up all the loose ends and I didn't feel that was achieved. What happened to the Hartman children? A cursory, one sentence update would have been fine, all the while protecting their privacy and not giving out too many personal details. These children are now adults, so it would have put a nice capper on the story. The omission of the status of the children was kind of disturbing - like they simply evaporated after their parents died.
The Phil Hartman case is incredibly fascinating and I feel there could have been more "meat" to this narrative.
October 29, 2014
Phil Hartman has always been a big part of my pop culture consumption; I watched SNL faithfully while he was on the show, and NewsRadio is one of the best sitcoms of the last two decades. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (which he helped write) is one of my all-time favorite movies. In my opinion, SNL has never recovered since he left it.
I also vividly remember where I was when I heard that he died. I was 16 and I was in my high school library. I was in shock and didn't recover for some time. It seemed unimaginable that his wife would kill him.
I'm glad that someone finally wrote a book about Phil. I've had this irrational fear in the last few years that he would just slip through the cracks somehow, that people would forget about him. I hope that this book helps bring him back into the public memory.
The book is good. It could benefit from more interviews, I think. There were a few distracting typos, too. I appreciated Julia Sweeney's voice in it, though her statements are bound to be controversial. She clearly tries to provide a counter-narrative about Brynn toward all of the clamoring voices who hate Phil's wife (and murderer), Brynn. It was nice to hear another side of the story. However, I think her efforts to rehabilitate Brynn's image go a bit too far in this book.
It was nice to hear from Jan Hooks here, just a year or so before she passed on.
RIP Phil.
I also vividly remember where I was when I heard that he died. I was 16 and I was in my high school library. I was in shock and didn't recover for some time. It seemed unimaginable that his wife would kill him.
I'm glad that someone finally wrote a book about Phil. I've had this irrational fear in the last few years that he would just slip through the cracks somehow, that people would forget about him. I hope that this book helps bring him back into the public memory.
The book is good. It could benefit from more interviews, I think. There were a few distracting typos, too. I appreciated Julia Sweeney's voice in it, though her statements are bound to be controversial. She clearly tries to provide a counter-narrative about Brynn toward all of the clamoring voices who hate Phil's wife (and murderer), Brynn. It was nice to hear another side of the story. However, I think her efforts to rehabilitate Brynn's image go a bit too far in this book.
It was nice to hear from Jan Hooks here, just a year or so before she passed on.
RIP Phil.
January 24, 2023
Just an incredibly bittersweet read. Phil Hartman (who I believe to be the most gifted and valuable performer SNL has ever had) was so many things to do many people. His end was so very tragic. The bio does a great job with teaching you so many things about him and his life. It certainly makes me want to go back and watch his SNL seasons.
May 6, 2019
Ok book with little of his background in youth,beginnings into the celebrity life, work life and a little of home life. I found myself ok with the book. I did not found out anything new nor did I just want to keep reading. It was a good go back to and read a little here and there book. He was such a funny man and the way his life ended was so unfair.
February 2, 2025
This book had information about Phil Hartman that I did not know before reading it; this is the end of the list of things I liked about this book.
"You Might Remember Me" spends a disproportionate amount of time talking about and rehashing schetches and bits that are available for anyone to watch on home media or the internet. We get it, Phil was funny. I know this already, I've seen his performances, that's why I am reading this book.
It gives us a very minimal look into the life of the life and times of Phil Hartman while somehow also simultaneously being grossly intimate, specifically with regards to the details of his murder and subsequent reactions of his friends and family.
Like I mentioned, I did learn some things about Phil Hartman. For instance, his real last name has two "N"s, I read details about his close friendship with John Lovitz going back to their stage days, and I found that he allegedly had a tumultuous professional relationship with the late Paul Ruben.
I skimmed a lot of this book once I got to the 50 page mark for a number of reasons..
The writing style was painfully descriptive of irrelevant details and woefully vague about interesting ones.
The name dropping was over the top. There were quotes from sources that were difficult to discern who had made them. Worst of all, there was no storytelling to be found.
If you had never heard of Phil Hartman, upon finishing this slog of a biography you'd think he was a talented impressionist who could make anything funny. You'd also think he was a man without a backbone who never stood up for himself professionally or in his marriage.
This is far from an accurate portrait of Phil Hartman, according to his closest personal friends and relatives.
What a let down of a book.
"You Might Remember Me" spends a disproportionate amount of time talking about and rehashing schetches and bits that are available for anyone to watch on home media or the internet. We get it, Phil was funny. I know this already, I've seen his performances, that's why I am reading this book.
It gives us a very minimal look into the life of the life and times of Phil Hartman while somehow also simultaneously being grossly intimate, specifically with regards to the details of his murder and subsequent reactions of his friends and family.
Like I mentioned, I did learn some things about Phil Hartman. For instance, his real last name has two "N"s, I read details about his close friendship with John Lovitz going back to their stage days, and I found that he allegedly had a tumultuous professional relationship with the late Paul Ruben.
I skimmed a lot of this book once I got to the 50 page mark for a number of reasons..
The writing style was painfully descriptive of irrelevant details and woefully vague about interesting ones.
The name dropping was over the top. There were quotes from sources that were difficult to discern who had made them. Worst of all, there was no storytelling to be found.
If you had never heard of Phil Hartman, upon finishing this slog of a biography you'd think he was a talented impressionist who could make anything funny. You'd also think he was a man without a backbone who never stood up for himself professionally or in his marriage.
This is far from an accurate portrait of Phil Hartman, according to his closest personal friends and relatives.
What a let down of a book.
July 24, 2021
I have been meaning to get to this for years and am glad I finally did. I enjoyed Phil on News Radio and was shocked when he was murdered. This was well written and gives a good look at his life and death. Despite the tragedy, it ends on a surprisingly positive sentiment.
July 14, 2023
This is a well-written biography of the fabulous and funny Phil Hartman, comedian and actor. Author, Mike Thomas does a great job of chronicling the life and career of Hartman and the tragic outcome of his life.
February 8, 2016
Mike Thomas's "You Might Remember Me" is a book I wanted to enjoy a lot more than I actually did. Phil Hartman is one of my all-time favorite "Saturday Night Live" cast members; I might put his "The Sinatra Group" in my top ten favorite sketches ever from that show. I am also an enormous fan of "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," which I believe many people probably forget he co-wrote. Thomas's book, which is admittedly snappily written and extremely fast-paced, does touch on all of these works, but it never does quite enough to delve into the real nature of Hartman's creative contributions to these works. It pays a lot of lip service to his comic acting skills, but never says quite enough to make it clear WHY he was a creative comedy giant.
Part of this is because the book, for all its obvious affection for and appreciation of its subject matter, never quite transcends the feeling that the only reason for the book's existence is the sad 1998 murder-suicide that took the life of Hartman and his wife Brynn. Virtually the last quarter of the book is devoted to this incident and its aftermath, and though it is indeed a dramatic and tragic ending to his story, it feels like his life deserves to be remembered beyond the simple, sordid reality of the way it ended. (That said, I do give credit to Thomas for not simply excoriating Brynn as a substance abuser and mental case, and being willing to call Hartman on his aloof distance and inattentiveness to her unhappiness, factors which may have led her down her ultimately fatal road.)
I would recommend reading "You Might Remember Me" simply because it's likely the only life of Hartman we're ever going to get. But for bios of fallen "SNL" greats, "The Chris Farley Show" is a superior volume.
Part of this is because the book, for all its obvious affection for and appreciation of its subject matter, never quite transcends the feeling that the only reason for the book's existence is the sad 1998 murder-suicide that took the life of Hartman and his wife Brynn. Virtually the last quarter of the book is devoted to this incident and its aftermath, and though it is indeed a dramatic and tragic ending to his story, it feels like his life deserves to be remembered beyond the simple, sordid reality of the way it ended. (That said, I do give credit to Thomas for not simply excoriating Brynn as a substance abuser and mental case, and being willing to call Hartman on his aloof distance and inattentiveness to her unhappiness, factors which may have led her down her ultimately fatal road.)
I would recommend reading "You Might Remember Me" simply because it's likely the only life of Hartman we're ever going to get. But for bios of fallen "SNL" greats, "The Chris Farley Show" is a superior volume.
September 29, 2014
For anyone who watched Saturday Night Live or The Simpsons in the early to mid 1990's, it's impossible to hear the name Phil Hartman and not feel a sharp pang of heartbreak for the loss of such a great talent - and a sharp pang of anger for the person who caused that loss.
Even though a sense of dread permeates this book, it's a terrific portrait of a creative, proud, ambitious man with a couple fatal flaws - a habit for picking the wrong women, and a selfish streak that unnecessarily antagonized them. Had Phil lived at least another decade, we might not think back on him with such reverence - he had, after all, already missed the train to stardom that many of his fellow SNL mates had caught. But he's gone, so anything to keep his memory alive, like this well-written book, is welcome.
Even though a sense of dread permeates this book, it's a terrific portrait of a creative, proud, ambitious man with a couple fatal flaws - a habit for picking the wrong women, and a selfish streak that unnecessarily antagonized them. Had Phil lived at least another decade, we might not think back on him with such reverence - he had, after all, already missed the train to stardom that many of his fellow SNL mates had caught. But he's gone, so anything to keep his memory alive, like this well-written book, is welcome.
August 30, 2019
Phil Hartman was one of my all-time favorite comedians. He was a genius! For years, I have looked for a book so I could learn more, and was thrilled to see "You Might Remember Me". Some reviewers listed editorial errors and others remarked that a lot of the content came from other print sources...I can only say this reader thoroughly enjoyed learning more about someone I've admired for so long. It helped me re-live the enjoyment Phil Hartman brought me.
Learning of Hartman's friendships, especially with Jon Lovitz, were touching, and I had no idea he was such a talented graphic artist. A book I'd certainly recommend to fans of the late, great Phil Hartman.
Learning of Hartman's friendships, especially with Jon Lovitz, were touching, and I had no idea he was such a talented graphic artist. A book I'd certainly recommend to fans of the late, great Phil Hartman.
October 24, 2014
I feel like this book was written specifically for me. Hartman's death in 1998 was the first time I can remember being really saddened by the death of someone I'd never met. This book tries to paint a full picture of Harmtman, flaws and all, as told through his careers and three marriages and overall succeeds in doing so. A little disappointed at the surface level overviews of his time at SNL, Simpsons, and News Radio (it focuses much more on his personal life). I could have read 5,000 pages of stories from those three gigs. That said, it was nice to revisit Phil. I'm glad I read it.
October 5, 2014
I was interested to read about the life of Phil Hartman. His murder at the hands of his wife was so painful and shocking, that it was somehow comforting to read about all the triumphs and failings that preceded that moment. Hartman deserves to be remembered for all of his talents, not just for his time at SNL or the violent way he died. The author did a good job of examining Hartman's virtues and foibles, putting his life in context. He was not a perfect man, but was an extremely talented actor, artist, and comedian, and should be remembered as such.
April 5, 2015
In all of Saturday Night Live, Phil Hartman was my favorite. I went on to watch News Radio partially because he was on it. I was subsequently deeply saddened when he died so young and unexpectedly.
This book is a well researched explanation of his life but no adequate explanation of his death. Hartman comes across as mostly a decent, contented man.
This book is a well researched explanation of his life but no adequate explanation of his death. Hartman comes across as mostly a decent, contented man.
January 31, 2016
I enjoyed remembering the focus that I enjoyed in Hartman's performances. This fine book gives more detail than we might need or want to enjoy his comedy. But I loved being reminded of his work, partly because I could not watch the SNL 40th special on TV.
Hartman's flaws are well documented here. For his genius, we found the SNL skits all on Yahoo.
Recommended.
Hartman's flaws are well documented here. For his genius, we found the SNL skits all on Yahoo.
Recommended.
January 1, 2015
Other readers have mentioned that they felt like Thomas didn't really capture the essence of Phil Hartman despite great research. I think Thomas got every nuance Hartman was willing to share. So often great comedians are unknowable ciphers when you get past the laughter. Hartman was a genius, not an open book.
June 9, 2016
Interesting bio about Phil Hartman about his life and how he came to be on SNL and beyond. Anyone who is a fan would enjoy reading this book. I found out somethings that I didn't know so I felt it was worthwhile for me to read.
December 19, 2014
This book desperately needed an editor!
April 1, 2015
This would have been 5 stars if it had been an oral history from page 1. Someone needs to put THAT book together!
Read
January 14, 2016I'm going to cry at the end. I know I will.
May 12, 2018
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since Phil Hartman's tragic death. He was one of my all-time favorites on SNL and one of my favorite actors in general. In "You Might Remember Me," however, author Mike Thomas presents Hartman's life as devoid of the humor he portrayed on screen. Instead, Hartman is depicted as a troubled soul who struggled to truly connect with others and whose marital choices proved not only a detriment to his career, but ultimately the reason for his untimely death as well.
It is heartbreaking to think that someone who brought so much joy to others, both as an actor and as a friend, suffered so much in his personal life. Although he had seasons of fun and certainly had a life of financial ease, the personal accounts of his struggles with each of his three wives is more than just a lesson on the importance of choosing the right mate. His story also resonates with anyone who is searching for personal fulfillment through a marital or romantic relationship. Marriage notwithstanding, Hartman's story is also one of a continuous search for peace and happiness in general. Unfortunately, his life ended before he found what he was looking for.
One of the things about Hartman that I enjoyed reading was his heart for the success of his friends. This was a constant from childhood until his death. Even in the days before he was discovered, he was a constant encourager to those he worked with, and he was always willing to play a supporting role for the good of those he cared about. This facet of his personality was a hallmark to his success later, both on Saturday Night Live and News Radio.
And in those supporting roles, he poured himself into the personalities of the characters he played. Those roles were an escape for him. Some of his friends and colleagues reported that he spoke in character to them, even off the screen. He struggled to connect with even those who were around him the most. His life brings to mind the lyric from an old Lionel Richie song, "As we go down life's lonesome highway, seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two. That helping hand, someone who understands. And when you feel you've lost your way, you've got someone there to say, I'll show you." Though Hartman tried to be that friend for others, he never seemed to find it for himself.
I can't help but wonder what Hartman would have become had he not been victim to the tragedy that took his life. His successes throughout the 1990s seemed to be a sign for even greater things ahead. September 2018 would have marked his 70th birthday and it is a shame that we've all missed out on 20+ years of his comedic talent and influence.
It is heartbreaking to think that someone who brought so much joy to others, both as an actor and as a friend, suffered so much in his personal life. Although he had seasons of fun and certainly had a life of financial ease, the personal accounts of his struggles with each of his three wives is more than just a lesson on the importance of choosing the right mate. His story also resonates with anyone who is searching for personal fulfillment through a marital or romantic relationship. Marriage notwithstanding, Hartman's story is also one of a continuous search for peace and happiness in general. Unfortunately, his life ended before he found what he was looking for.
One of the things about Hartman that I enjoyed reading was his heart for the success of his friends. This was a constant from childhood until his death. Even in the days before he was discovered, he was a constant encourager to those he worked with, and he was always willing to play a supporting role for the good of those he cared about. This facet of his personality was a hallmark to his success later, both on Saturday Night Live and News Radio.
And in those supporting roles, he poured himself into the personalities of the characters he played. Those roles were an escape for him. Some of his friends and colleagues reported that he spoke in character to them, even off the screen. He struggled to connect with even those who were around him the most. His life brings to mind the lyric from an old Lionel Richie song, "As we go down life's lonesome highway, seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two. That helping hand, someone who understands. And when you feel you've lost your way, you've got someone there to say, I'll show you." Though Hartman tried to be that friend for others, he never seemed to find it for himself.
I can't help but wonder what Hartman would have become had he not been victim to the tragedy that took his life. His successes throughout the 1990s seemed to be a sign for even greater things ahead. September 2018 would have marked his 70th birthday and it is a shame that we've all missed out on 20+ years of his comedic talent and influence.
March 28, 2024
In 1998, I was only 3 or 4 years old when the world heard the news of comic actor Phil Hartman's tragic passing.
Like most children in my generation, I had seen this man work a scene from his voice work in The Simpson's to starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Martin and Mike Myers, just to name a few. Even decades later, revisiting his work seeing how much Phil Hartman just steal a scene with a look or dialogue.
I've owned a copy of "You Might Remember Me" for quite some time and up until recently never got around to reading it.
Reading this reminds me of reading Bert Newton's biography,where it's not direct from the source (the celebrity) but rather from someone who took the research and put it all in a book. So it reads more like an article or school paper rather than feeling like the source is speaking themselves.
By page 32, I was getting frustrated with this biography. I felt like the writer wanted to name drop and cram too much in of Hartman's childhood. I understood the point of biographies is too learn about a celebrity but this just didn't feel like it was needed to be written.
Within the first 100 pages, it name drops so many celebrities. I get it with the world that Phil Hartman was in, name drops are gonna happen BUT my God.. there should be a limit to naming dropping and their careers. I thought this was Phil's story not everyone else's story.
This book tried to paint Phil Hartman as some sort of creep, who loved sex and woman, and woman let them do things to them that other men would get slapped for.
I feel like reading this was a mistake.
Sure, I don't know Phil Hartman. Sure, I only know Hartman from the movies but this just felt like let's talk negative about a dead man who can't fight back.
As a reader of biographies, this was the worst I've ever read. It felt like it skimmed so much about the man that many remembers, and when it did mention his personal life, it painted Phil as a "pervy shy go with the flow" type of guy.
Than we spent 3-4 chapters detailing his murder and his wife suicide. No. That was just pure wrong. I didn't need the police reports. I didn't need the details of what Brynn did before or who she hung out with during her spiralling mindset. No.
This book shouldn't of existed.
Like most children in my generation, I had seen this man work a scene from his voice work in The Simpson's to starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Martin and Mike Myers, just to name a few. Even decades later, revisiting his work seeing how much Phil Hartman just steal a scene with a look or dialogue.
I've owned a copy of "You Might Remember Me" for quite some time and up until recently never got around to reading it.
Reading this reminds me of reading Bert Newton's biography,where it's not direct from the source (the celebrity) but rather from someone who took the research and put it all in a book. So it reads more like an article or school paper rather than feeling like the source is speaking themselves.
By page 32, I was getting frustrated with this biography. I felt like the writer wanted to name drop and cram too much in of Hartman's childhood. I understood the point of biographies is too learn about a celebrity but this just didn't feel like it was needed to be written.
Within the first 100 pages, it name drops so many celebrities. I get it with the world that Phil Hartman was in, name drops are gonna happen BUT my God.. there should be a limit to naming dropping and their careers. I thought this was Phil's story not everyone else's story.
This book tried to paint Phil Hartman as some sort of creep, who loved sex and woman, and woman let them do things to them that other men would get slapped for.
I feel like reading this was a mistake.
Sure, I don't know Phil Hartman. Sure, I only know Hartman from the movies but this just felt like let's talk negative about a dead man who can't fight back.
As a reader of biographies, this was the worst I've ever read. It felt like it skimmed so much about the man that many remembers, and when it did mention his personal life, it painted Phil as a "pervy shy go with the flow" type of guy.
Than we spent 3-4 chapters detailing his murder and his wife suicide. No. That was just pure wrong. I didn't need the police reports. I didn't need the details of what Brynn did before or who she hung out with during her spiralling mindset. No.
This book shouldn't of existed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2017
Phil Hartman (1948 - 1998) was an actor. He was born and lived in Brantford, Ontario, until his family moved to the States when he was about ten. He graduated from university with a graphic arts degree and designed album covers for bands like Poco and America.
Hartman joined the comedy group The Groundlings in 1975, where he met Paul Reubens and helped him develop his Pee-wee Herman character (he co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and was Captain Carl on Pee-wee's Playhouse). In 1986, he joined Saturday Night Live and was on the show for eight years. In 1995, he starred as Bill McNeal in NewsRadio. He also had voice roles on The Simpsons, from seasons two to ten, in addition to being in movies.
Hartman was married three times (and divorced twice) and had two children with his third wife, Britt, who he married in 1987. In May 1998, while drunk and on drugs, Britt shot Phil while he was asleep and a couple hours later killed herself. Their two young children were raised by Britt's sister.
This book covers Hartman's life from the time his family was living in Brantford to his death, and includes the aftermath of his death with the investigation, tributes from his friends and family, and his memorials.
I liked Phil Hartman and thought his death was tragic. I liked the writing style of this book and found his story interesting. There was a lot of information and I found it was at a good level (detailed but not too detailed). At the end of the book, there are lots of pictures of Hartman throughout the years and a bibliography.
If you are a Phil Hartman fan, I think you will enjoy this book.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/11...
Hartman joined the comedy group The Groundlings in 1975, where he met Paul Reubens and helped him develop his Pee-wee Herman character (he co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and was Captain Carl on Pee-wee's Playhouse). In 1986, he joined Saturday Night Live and was on the show for eight years. In 1995, he starred as Bill McNeal in NewsRadio. He also had voice roles on The Simpsons, from seasons two to ten, in addition to being in movies.
Hartman was married three times (and divorced twice) and had two children with his third wife, Britt, who he married in 1987. In May 1998, while drunk and on drugs, Britt shot Phil while he was asleep and a couple hours later killed herself. Their two young children were raised by Britt's sister.
This book covers Hartman's life from the time his family was living in Brantford to his death, and includes the aftermath of his death with the investigation, tributes from his friends and family, and his memorials.
I liked Phil Hartman and thought his death was tragic. I liked the writing style of this book and found his story interesting. There was a lot of information and I found it was at a good level (detailed but not too detailed). At the end of the book, there are lots of pictures of Hartman throughout the years and a bibliography.
If you are a Phil Hartman fan, I think you will enjoy this book.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/11...
January 15, 2015
[FYI: TONS OF SPOILERS.]
I started watching Saturday Night Live back in 1987. It was a big deal, I was only 11, and I had to ask my mother if I could stay up for it. Glad I did, because it pretty much changed my life and rocked my world. From that night, I fell in love with the show, particularly the comedy trifecta of Phil Hartman, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. They created some of the best characters on that show, and I think they're SO underrated every time SNL history is mentioned. (Just this year, Myers was called back to revive Dr. Evil and it was the year's best skit.)
Phil Hartman quickly became my favorite of the three. To just look at him was to laugh. It's hard to describe but I don't have to because you can just watch his brilliance on YouTube and Yahoo Screen. His take on Frank Sinatra was one of the funniest things ever put on the show, so much better than Piscopo's version, and I dare you to watch Telly Salvalas' Player-with-Yourselves Club without wetting yourself. (One of his best skits that isn't mentioned in this book.) There was also the Anal Retentive Chef, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Bill Clinton, etc. etc. That would have been enough to call him a legend, but then he also went and did the Simpsons as washed-up actor Troy McClure, whose catchphrase "You Might Remember Me" serves as the title for this book, and had a nice run on NewsRadio as Bill McNeal, plus some movie roles. Although he was underated and never got a breakout original character like Mike Myers' Wayne or Carvey's Church Lady, he was vital to the success of the show, so much so that cast members referred to him as the glue that held them together. He stayed on for an amazing 8 years before moving on to NewsRadio and then...
And then in 1998 he was murdered. By his wife.
It was one of the most shocking Hollywood tragedies. Why she did it has never really been figured out. She had a drug and alcohol addiction, that was clear. She was on Zoloft at the same time, and Zoloft with alcohol is known to trigger a crazy psychotic reaction. She was also (as described in this book) supremely jealous of both Phil's talent and worried he would cheat on her. Brynn Hartman was a woman who couldn't find herself. But was she a cold-hearted murderer or merely a victim of a bad chemical combination?
When I heard this book was being released, I knew I wanted to read it. I wanted to learn more about Hartman's life and also perhaps find out if his wife was motivated by a drug reaction.
Thomas is an experienced arts reporter and an author of a previous book on comedy. As a result, this book is pretty well-researched with a few exceptions. It starts at the beginning of his life and takes us through that terrible last night. Much was not known about Phil's personal life while he was alive, so this is interesting in the sense that it talks about his mentally challenged sister, his job designing record covers for the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash and America, his time in the Groundlings, spending years perfecting his craft, his work with Paul Reubens on the Pee-Wee character (and how Paul pretty much screwed him over). We learn about near-misses like a musical based on his excellent Chick Hazard character and The Phil Show, which never saw light on NBC. We hear from Julia Sweeney about what a nice person Brynn Hartman was (sort of rolling my eyes at that one), while everybody else admits she was insane. (She wrote a terrible note to one of his ex-wives early on, threatening her life.) We get the feeling the late Jan Hooks might have been in love with Phil and vice-versa (sort of subtle, you have to read between the lines). Tragically, we hear how friends warned Phil about Brynn and questioned the safety of their having a gun in the house. And we learn more about Phil's personality. Basically, he was a nice guy who had his very rare diva moments, but tried to take life in stride. He liked relaxing on his boat and smoking pot. (Sort of a shock, that one.) He tended to be emotionally distant with women, sometimes frustrating them beyond belief, something that may have been a fatal flaw for him where Brynn was concerned. He constantly fought with his wife and was very close to divorcing her, but I think he was an optimist about her at heart, and also there were finances and the children to think of if they split up. He tried to get her roles, and push her work, when he could. He desperately wanted her to be happy but that was impossible.
Overall, I think Thomas did a good job, and this is definitely a must-read for Phil/SNL fans, but I took issue with a few things. One is that I didn't feel like I got enough of Phil's personality in this book. I guess I'm just spoiled because I was really expecting something along the lines of the unbelievably excellent Chris Farley Show which unpacked Farley's life and personality in such a brilliant way. We get a general sense of what Hartman was like but I wanted more interviews with friends and castmates. Lots of SNL people are missing from this one, and Thomas gets lazy at times, quoting other books and transcribing the sketches for us, as if we all don't have access to YouTube.
I also felt he spent too much time on the beginning, which was kind of boring. He could have condensed that a little and focused more on Phil's career, and getting more quotes from sources who were there later in his life.
And the end... was just way too dark. Of course, the murder is unfortunately a big part of this story and you can't make that "light," and you have to write about it, but Thomas just focuses on every last gory detail of the shootings, to the point where it haunted me long after I read it and gave me a nightmare. I don't know if we needed that much information. He also does not come to any conclusion about why Brynn did it, other than a lot of contradicting speculation, and I thought maybe he could have gotten better sources or cleared that up a bit. And I wanted to know more about how his children are doing now, which was not discussed at all.
The title, even though I know it is a play on his McClure character, is annoying as well. You Might Remember Me sounds like he's some kind of nobody actor. No, Phil Hartman was somebody we will remember and taken far too soon.
I started watching Saturday Night Live back in 1987. It was a big deal, I was only 11, and I had to ask my mother if I could stay up for it. Glad I did, because it pretty much changed my life and rocked my world. From that night, I fell in love with the show, particularly the comedy trifecta of Phil Hartman, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. They created some of the best characters on that show, and I think they're SO underrated every time SNL history is mentioned. (Just this year, Myers was called back to revive Dr. Evil and it was the year's best skit.)
Phil Hartman quickly became my favorite of the three. To just look at him was to laugh. It's hard to describe but I don't have to because you can just watch his brilliance on YouTube and Yahoo Screen. His take on Frank Sinatra was one of the funniest things ever put on the show, so much better than Piscopo's version, and I dare you to watch Telly Salvalas' Player-with-Yourselves Club without wetting yourself. (One of his best skits that isn't mentioned in this book.) There was also the Anal Retentive Chef, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Bill Clinton, etc. etc. That would have been enough to call him a legend, but then he also went and did the Simpsons as washed-up actor Troy McClure, whose catchphrase "You Might Remember Me" serves as the title for this book, and had a nice run on NewsRadio as Bill McNeal, plus some movie roles. Although he was underated and never got a breakout original character like Mike Myers' Wayne or Carvey's Church Lady, he was vital to the success of the show, so much so that cast members referred to him as the glue that held them together. He stayed on for an amazing 8 years before moving on to NewsRadio and then...
And then in 1998 he was murdered. By his wife.
It was one of the most shocking Hollywood tragedies. Why she did it has never really been figured out. She had a drug and alcohol addiction, that was clear. She was on Zoloft at the same time, and Zoloft with alcohol is known to trigger a crazy psychotic reaction. She was also (as described in this book) supremely jealous of both Phil's talent and worried he would cheat on her. Brynn Hartman was a woman who couldn't find herself. But was she a cold-hearted murderer or merely a victim of a bad chemical combination?
When I heard this book was being released, I knew I wanted to read it. I wanted to learn more about Hartman's life and also perhaps find out if his wife was motivated by a drug reaction.
Thomas is an experienced arts reporter and an author of a previous book on comedy. As a result, this book is pretty well-researched with a few exceptions. It starts at the beginning of his life and takes us through that terrible last night. Much was not known about Phil's personal life while he was alive, so this is interesting in the sense that it talks about his mentally challenged sister, his job designing record covers for the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash and America, his time in the Groundlings, spending years perfecting his craft, his work with Paul Reubens on the Pee-Wee character (and how Paul pretty much screwed him over). We learn about near-misses like a musical based on his excellent Chick Hazard character and The Phil Show, which never saw light on NBC. We hear from Julia Sweeney about what a nice person Brynn Hartman was (sort of rolling my eyes at that one), while everybody else admits she was insane. (She wrote a terrible note to one of his ex-wives early on, threatening her life.) We get the feeling the late Jan Hooks might have been in love with Phil and vice-versa (sort of subtle, you have to read between the lines). Tragically, we hear how friends warned Phil about Brynn and questioned the safety of their having a gun in the house. And we learn more about Phil's personality. Basically, he was a nice guy who had his very rare diva moments, but tried to take life in stride. He liked relaxing on his boat and smoking pot. (Sort of a shock, that one.) He tended to be emotionally distant with women, sometimes frustrating them beyond belief, something that may have been a fatal flaw for him where Brynn was concerned. He constantly fought with his wife and was very close to divorcing her, but I think he was an optimist about her at heart, and also there were finances and the children to think of if they split up. He tried to get her roles, and push her work, when he could. He desperately wanted her to be happy but that was impossible.
Overall, I think Thomas did a good job, and this is definitely a must-read for Phil/SNL fans, but I took issue with a few things. One is that I didn't feel like I got enough of Phil's personality in this book. I guess I'm just spoiled because I was really expecting something along the lines of the unbelievably excellent Chris Farley Show which unpacked Farley's life and personality in such a brilliant way. We get a general sense of what Hartman was like but I wanted more interviews with friends and castmates. Lots of SNL people are missing from this one, and Thomas gets lazy at times, quoting other books and transcribing the sketches for us, as if we all don't have access to YouTube.
I also felt he spent too much time on the beginning, which was kind of boring. He could have condensed that a little and focused more on Phil's career, and getting more quotes from sources who were there later in his life.
And the end... was just way too dark. Of course, the murder is unfortunately a big part of this story and you can't make that "light," and you have to write about it, but Thomas just focuses on every last gory detail of the shootings, to the point where it haunted me long after I read it and gave me a nightmare. I don't know if we needed that much information. He also does not come to any conclusion about why Brynn did it, other than a lot of contradicting speculation, and I thought maybe he could have gotten better sources or cleared that up a bit. And I wanted to know more about how his children are doing now, which was not discussed at all.
The title, even though I know it is a play on his McClure character, is annoying as well. You Might Remember Me sounds like he's some kind of nobody actor. No, Phil Hartman was somebody we will remember and taken far too soon.
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