RIP Phil Hartman

By Deane Barker • September 30, 2014 • tags: entertainment •

AI Summary

This post reflects on the legacy and impact of Phil Hartman, celebrating his contributions to comedy and entertainment. The author shares personal anecdotes and highlights the sense of loss felt by fans and peers alike, emphasizing Hartman’s enduring influence on the industry.

I loved this profile of Phil Hartman written by Jack Handey, who was an SNL writer for decades (and the source of the infamous, “Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey”).

He could do any accent. He could play menacing or frightened

He could basically do it all. You’d hand him the ball and he’d punch it over the goal line. If he couldn’t, the ball you handed him was probably slippery or flat.

I believe Phil Hartman was one of the greatest comedians of his era, and like a future Hall of Famer cut down by injury, we’ll never know what kind of legacy he could have built with a lifetime body of work.

I searched around for some clips and found a huge treasure trove at Yahoo.

One More Mission: Phil and Jon Lovitz were great together
Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer: The fact that he could do something with this ridiculous premise was amazing (written by Jack Handey, incidentally); “I’m just a caveman…”
The Anal Retentive Chef: He was great with Jan Hooks
Officer Miller: “…every man is free to jump as high as his own penis.”