The man behind the laughter: 'SNL,' 'Simpsons' star Phil Hartman's life off-screen before his violent death.
Phil Hartman is known by generations of Americans for his comedic genius, from his roles on “Saturday Night Live,”"NewsRadio" and “The Simpsons.”
Steve Small, Hartman’s close friend and lawyer, told “20/20” that “Phil fell in love easily, but … wasn't very skilled at continuing a relationship.”By the mid-70s, he was working for his brother’s talent management agency. Using the graphic arts skills he honed in college, Hartman designed classic rock album covers, including the cover for America’s “History: America’s Greatest Hits” album and the simple line drawing of a horse on Poco’s “Legend” album.
“Seeing Phil at The Groundlings was Phil being truly Phil,” she continued. “You know, as time goes by, you understand that his personas are his protection and [they] are his personality.”“On our first anniversary, we went back to Santa Barbara. And I dressed up... lingerie or something … and I jumped up on the bed… and he said, ‘Must you? Really?’ So I said, ‘No.’ I took it off, put a robe on, got my book out. And I knew that was the end.
“As with Lisa, as with Gretchen, it becomes very intense very fast,” Mike Thomas said about Hartman’s relationship with Brynn Omdahl. “But as the months go on, the cracks begin to show and Phil does what he did with his last two relationships — he begins to withdraw emotionally. They begin this pattern of fighting and making up and fighting and making up that would mark their relationship from there on out.”Hartman spent 11 years at The Groundlings while getting more work.
“He calls me and [says], ‘I just became a father.’ And so, I wrote a card. ‘Dear Phil and Brynn, you know... much love from Aunt Lisa. You know, if you ever need a babysitter... I'm so thrilled for you,’” Jarvis said. “Phil made the material funnier than we originally imagined, and I couldn't imagine anybody else doing it,” said Al Jean, the show’s executive producer.“I remember him calling me when Birgen was born,” said Lynne Stewart, a friend of Hartman’s who played Miss Yvonne during his time with “Pee Wee’s Playhouse.” “He was very, very choked up... He said, ‘She's the most beautiful baby in the world.
With money pouring in, Phil Hartman bought boats, cars and a small airplane. He would spend time away from the family in Catalina Island, his favorite place in the whole world. Phil Hartman decided to leave “SNL” in 1994 after eight seasons on the show. He worked to develop his own variety show, “The Phil Show,” but the project wasn’t picked up, so in 1995, he signed on to an NBC sitcom called “NewsRadio.”
And her substance abuse had not gone away. Phil Hartman’s “NewsRadio” co-star Andy Dick told “20/20” that during a Christmas party in 1997, he gave Brynn some cocaine after she asked if he had any. “They had seen a counselor and both of them said that really helped and [that] they’re trying to improve for their spouse. I mean, they cared that much about each other,” he said.The exact details of what happened the night of May 27, 1998, and into the morning hours of May 28, 1998, remains somewhat of a mystery to this day.
Sean Hartman would reportedly later tell police that he heard sounds he likened to “the slamming of a door.” It was about 6 am and the quiet street in Encino, California was suddenly swarming with police, news cameras, and a gathering crowd of onlookers. Ron handed the gun to police, but they had no idea if there were any other weapons in the house.
“I remember I was pushing Sean on a swing… I said, ‘Sean…is there anything I could do for you?’ And he said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘My mom promised me she'd take me to a lot of fun places and now she'll never be able to,’” Diamond said. “Birgen looked like she was more in shock than anything else. And I remember her saying, ‘I know I'll never see my mommy and daddy again.’ I don't know how she knew, but it was one of the worst days of my life, seeing those kids.
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