Comedian and actor Phil Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1948. He moved to the United States when he was 10, and just like most people who grow up to be comedians he was pretty much the class clown in high school. Although he pursued graphic art when he went to college in California, developing and operating a graphic art business and making various album covers for various bands. He even created a logo for Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Hartman pursued more social activities and honed his funny bone when he attended comedy classes by the L.A. improv group The Groundlings, joining the troupe officially in 1979 and eventually becoming one of the group’s star members. This was where Hartman first befriended fellow Groundling Paul Reubens, and the two would often collaborate on comedic material. In fact Hartman co-created the character of Pee-wee Herman with Reubens and they developed the live stage show The Pee-wee Herman Show (which aired on HBO in 1981). Hartman played Captain Carl in that show, a role he would reprise for the children’s TV series Pee-wee’s Playhouse (1986-90). Hartman also co-wrote and performed in the 1985 film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

During the eighties, Hartman would expand his career by taking small roles in various movies, providing voice-overs for advertisements and voice acting for cartoons, which included The Smurfs, Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, Dennis the Menace, DuckTales and the 1987 animated film The Brave Little Toaster. For that movie Hartman would voice an air conditioner in the style of Jack Nicholson (in one of the film’s most memorable scenes) and voice a hanging lamp in the style of Peter Lorre.

In 1986, Hartman successfully auditioned to join Saturday Night Live‘s 12th season upon the double recommendation of SNL cast members and fellow Groundlings Jon Lovitz and Laraine Newman. Hartman initially saw SNL as a launchpad for a dream career writing his own movies, but he would end up being on the show for eight seasons and to this day he is still hailed as one of the best cast members in the show’s history. On SNL Hartman impersonated celebrities like Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Ed McMahon and Frank Sinatra among others, as well as creating original characters like the Anal Retentive Chef and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.

At SNL, Hartman was nicknamed “The Glue” because as SNL creator Lorne Michaels explained, “he held the show together.” Hartman always gave to his scene partners like a good improviser does, he always helped others look good and be funny and demanded very little of himself, which made him a favorite among the SNL cast. According to castmate Jan Hooks, Hartman was never the type to be competitive or jealous. He was a team player (he was such a nice person and a comforting presence on stage that he even helped Jan Hooks get over her stage fright). He was also kind of an unsung talent because he wasn’t the superstar that other cast members were in this era, although his work on the show did earn him an Emmy nomination.

While Hartman loved being on SNL, many of his castmates were leaving in the early nineties and he felt his more sophisticated brand of humor did not fit in with the more juvenile brand of comedy being popularized by cast members like Chris Farley and Adam Sandler, so he finally left the show in 1994. But he continued working in animation throughout that decade voicing characters for shows like TaleSpin, Tiny Toon Adventures, Captain Planet, Darkwing Duck, Tom & Jerry Kids, Animaniacs, The Critic and The Ren & Stimpy Show.

Hartman also appeared on screen in shows like Sesame Street, Empty Nest, The Larry Sanders Show, The John Larroquette Show, The Dana Carvey Show, Caroline in the City, Seinfeld and 3rd Rock from the Sun, eventually landing a regular role in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio for which he played arrogant WNYX co-anchor Bill McNeal.

Hartman also found regular work on The Simpsons from 1991 to 1998 voicing characters like Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz. Just like with the SNL crew, Hartman was popular among the Simpsons staff. Hartman himself was a fan of his character Troy McClure (even expressing a desire to play him in live action one day). The Simpsons creator Matt Groening praised Hartman’s ability to nail a joke and expose every ounce of humor out of a line reading.

Hartman was very low-key, very un-Hollywood and by all accounts a nice guy, but one of his specialties was playing seedy villains and jerks, which he excelled at. Hartman was quoted as saying that villains were easier to play for laughs, which is why he often chose to be them. In fact Hartman enjoyed supporting roles more than leading roles because it was less pressure and more fun (“You are correct sir!”) Although he would play the straight man too if it was required. That’s how much of a team player and a nice person he was.

Hartman’s success in television, his friendly reputation and his work ethic made it all the more tragic when he died in 1998. Especially since he was murdered, especially since the person who murdered him was his wife, and especially since his wife was drunk while she did it. The drama surrounding Phil Hartman’s personal life and his marriage is a whole other story that I will not get into. But it’s sad that someone who was loved so much by others, who loved what he did, was good at what he did and was successful at his job had a life that was cut short so soon.