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October 9, 2025

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October 9, 2025

Volume 55 - No. 41

STILL MORE ADVENTURES

IN SHOW BUSINESS! PHIL HARTMAN By Dawna Kaufmann This latest column won’t be my typical gossipy romp about the talented people I’ve known -- even though it’s about one of the funniest folks I’ve ever worked with. A more fitting title to this story might be “Murder/Suicide in Encino,” and it breaks my heart to even think about it. Phil Hartman was a “comedian’s comedian.” A master impressionist

whose voice and mannerisms could shift effortlessly from Bill Clinton to Jack Benny, from Barbara Bush to Frankenstein. He found fame on late-night television, sitcoms and in movies. On the surface, he had it all: a beautiful wife, two adorable kids, and more material wealth than he ever imagined. But it all ended for Hartman on May 28, 1998, when his drunken and coked-out missus, Brynn, blasted him three times as he slept -- then

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turned the gun on herself. The deadly consequences left their children orphans, and family, friends and fans distraught and puzzled -- including this author, who knew both Phil and Brynn. Married since 1987, the Hartmans made a striking couple -- 49-yearold Phil who resembled a young Jack Nicholson, and his tall, blonde ex-swimsuit model Brynn, who had just turned 40. But the marriage was often troubled, fueled by Brynn’s

raging temper and Phil’s refusal to engage in confrontations. When arguments began, he’d leave the house or tune her out. Whatever happened in their final encounter we’ll never really know, but it is possible to get a picture of what led up to it. Phil Hartman first gained fame in 1986 on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, where he stayed for eight seasons, playing a variety of characters. Executive producer Lorne Michaels considered Phil the “glue” that

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October 9, 2025 by The Paper - Issuu