Comedian Phil Hartman Gets His Star 16 Years after His Murder

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Phil Hartman posthumously received the 2,528th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday, drawing praise for both his performing skills and personal attributes.

“His greatest talent was kindness,” Hartman’s brother, John, said in accepting the star. “Phil was the nicest guy I’ve ever met in show biz and I’ve been in this town for 55 years.”

Betty Fanning McCann, the only agent Hartman had during his career, described him as “the greatest guy you’d ever want to meet.”

“I don’t think he ever had a fight with anybody,” McCann said in the late-morning ceremony in front of the Hollywood Toys & Costumes, one of Hartman’s favorite stores in Hollywood. “To know him, was to love him.”

Hartman’s “Saturday Night Live” castmate Jon Lovitz said it was ironic that Hartman received a star “because he didn’t want to be a star,” initially turning down the offer to be on “Saturday Night Live,” but changing his mind on the advice of movie producer Joel Silver.

The ceremony came nearly one month before the Sept. 23 release of the authorized biography of Hartman, “You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman,” written by Mikel Thomas, a title stemming from a line repeatedly uttered a character Hartman supplied the voice for on “The Simpsons,” Troy McClure.

Born Sept. 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to Connecticut when he was 10 years old. They later moved to Southern California, and he graduated from Westchester High School and Cal State Northridge.

Hartman parlayed the graphic arts degree he had from Northridge into designing album covers for such bands as America and Poco.

He began his performing career in 1975 with the comedy group The Groundlings. Hartman helped fellow member Paul Reubens develop the Pee-wee Herman character, portrayed Captain Carl on “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” a stage show later taped by HBO for a 1981 special, and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1985 adventure comedy “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

McCann said she discovered Hartman by seeing another client of hers performing with the Groundlings.

“When he came on the stage, he owned it,” McCann said. “He was so brilliant and I thought to myself, ‘I have to sign this guy.”’

McCann first got Hartman cast in the 1986 syndicated animated series “Dennis the Menace,” supplying the voices of Dennis’ father Henry Mitchell, next-door neighbor Henry Wilson and the Mitchell family dog Ruff.

Hartman joined the cast and writing staff of “Saturday Night Live” in 1986, remaining with the NBC late-night sketch comedy series through 1994. He was best known for his impressions of Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra and Phil Donahue and the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer character.

Hartman and his fellow writers received Emmy nominations for outstanding writing in a variety or music program in 1987 and 1989, winning the latter year. He received an outstanding individual performance in a variety or music or comedy program Emmy nomination in 1994.

Hartman starred in the NBC ensemble comedy “NewsRadio” as news anchor Bill McNeal from its premiere in 1995 until his death in 1998. He received an outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series Emmy nomination in 1998.

Hartman supplied voices in 52 episodes of the Fox animated comedy “The Simpsons” beginning in 1991, including voicing the recurring character of attorney Lionel Hutz.

Hartman also appeared in the films “Houseguest,” “Sgt. Bilko,” “Jingle All the Way,” “Small Soldiers,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Three Amigos,” “Coneheads” and “So I Married an Axe Murderer.”

Hartman was shot and killed by his wife, Brynn, on May 28, 1998. She committed suicide by shooting herself in the head a few hours later.

--City News Service

ABOVE PHOTO Patch file photo.