Phil Hartman

Phil Hartman was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and graphic designer, born on September 24, 1948. Known for his impressive range of characters, Hartman found fame in the comedy group The Groundlings, where he helped Paul Reubens develop the character Pee-wee Herman. He co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and made recurring character appearances on Reubens' show Pee-wee's Playhouse. In 1986, Hartman joined the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a cast member and remained part of SNL for eight seasons. He was nicknamed "Glue" for his ability to hold the show together and help other cast members. He notably provided voice work for The Simpsons, where he voiced unforgettable characters like Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure. After two divorces, Hartman married Brynn Omdahl, with whom he had two children. Their troubled marriage, marked by Brynn's drug and alcohol abuse, ended tragically in 1998 when Brynn shot and killled Hartman before taking her own life. Hartman was posthumously inducted into the Canada and Hollywood Walks of Fame in 2012 and 2014 respectively.