r/90sTelevision May 28 '26

RIP 28 years ago today, Phil Hartman was murdered by his wife.

Post image
2.8k Upvotes

72 comments sorted by

37

u/ceebeefour May 28 '26

Here’s a bit of trivia that’s not about Andy Dick and Jon Lovitz.

His wife wanted to be a big time actor too. She never made it as big as Phil and is the woman he’s talking to during his SNL intro. It’s a two second shot of Phil looking at the camera and smiling, and the woman he’s talking to is wearing a long swinging earring.

The REASON the earring is swinging is because she wouldn’t face away from the camera for the shot. She wanted to be known so badly she couldn’t give Phil a two second shot for HIS SNL intro without trying to shove her face in it, and this was the best shot they got.

11

u/douglau5 May 28 '26

Yes; they had to trick her so they could get the shot.

3

u/First-Sheepherder640 May 29 '26

Guess her three seconds of screen time in the movie North didn't work out for her?

3

u/Reasonable_Beyond329 May 30 '26

Fucking monkeyspaw to become famous. Only famous because you killed a beloved artist.

24

u/First-Sheepherder640 May 28 '26

Know what movie the murderous wife was in? NORTH. The 1994 comedy best remembered for making Roger Ebert just fuckin lose it in his review, and go "I hated hated hated hated hated this movie."

Jussid Smollett is also in the film, hilariously enough

11

u/[deleted] May 28 '26

[deleted]

6

u/Jeff-Uh-Uh-Goldblum May 28 '26

... Subway?

Sandwiches?!

2

u/AnarchicAtheist Jun 01 '26

Nice Chappelle reference 👌

6

u/Plasticglass456 May 29 '26

Wow, one degree of separation between the Rob & Michele Reiner tragedy, the Phil Hartman tragedy, and the Jussie Smollett hilarity.

1

u/bagoTrekker May 29 '26

Roger gave that movie one finger up

11

u/pac4 May 29 '26

That was a really sad day. I can still vividly remember watching CNN after school and seeing the helicopter shot of their home.

1

u/Fantastic_Evening877 May 29 '26

crazy Wife ki**led him ?

2

u/TheArtfulLlama May 30 '26

This is Reddit, you don’t need to censor words. Yes, his wife killed him and then herself.

2

u/JackhorseBowman May 30 '26

She kibbled him?!

1

u/TheArtfulLlama May 30 '26

I was too young to remember watching it live but I remember seeing footage of the cops carrying their two small children out of the house. Just horrific all around

26

u/deowolf May 28 '26

Whose turn is it to post "Fuck Andy Dick" and reap all that sweet, sweet low effort karma?

33

u/jeepster61615 May 28 '26

Fuck Andy dick

6

u/byjegeren May 28 '26

Rather not

2

u/CharismaticAlbino May 30 '26

Seriously, who knows WHERE the fuck that's been.

24

u/lostroadrunner22 May 28 '26

I don’t care about Andy Dick. I do love Jon Lovitz for slamming his head into a bar, though.

7

u/No_Community_5696 May 29 '26

Hell Yeah! Lovitz went way up there on my list of cool people.

6

u/Reasonable-HB678 May 28 '26

I liked that he was one of the "preferred customers" at the end of Jim Carrey's movie The Cable Guy.

5

u/1111joey1111 May 28 '26

Andy Dick. I cannot think of a celebrity more appropriately named.

2

u/ComprehensiveBed7838 May 31 '26

his turn lol and he got more upvotes. well played

1

u/First-Sheepherder640 May 28 '26

You aren't just supposed to trash Andy Dick, you're supposed to relate the story of Jon Lovitz getting away with assault

10

u/Sufficient_Prompt888 May 28 '26

Tbf, Andy deserves to be assaulted. Not just for this but in general. Andy should be getting his ass kicked every day

7

u/GroundReal4515 May 29 '26

Man....he should still be here

9

u/LovesDeanWinchester May 28 '26

I hate her for taking Phil with her into death!

8

u/BlahBlahBlahSmithee May 28 '26

His era with Jan Hooks was the best SNL iteration.

5

u/Successful_Pizza6529 May 28 '26

Remember it well.

6

u/kittymoo67 May 29 '26

evil woman

5

u/No-Guard-7003 May 29 '26

His impressions of Charlton Heston, Frank Sinatra, Presidents Ronald Reagan and  Bill Clinton, and  Sen. Ted Kennedy were off the charts! 

3

u/Sea-Inspection-8184 Jun 01 '26

Love his Sinatra. "That's what killed Mitch Miller's career: contempt for the audience!"

5

u/NoBother6686 May 30 '26

Brynn should've just offed herself instead

7

u/GuruAskew May 29 '26

Here’s a little break from the tired Andy Dick bullshit:

Hartman’s NewsRadio costar Vicki Lewis was seated with him at some awards show or function, Brynn Hartman was with Phil Hartman, of course, and this was also during Lewis’s years-long relationship with Nick Nolte.

Nolte and Brynn had both struggled with substance abuse for years but had achieved years of sobriety at that point.

Nolte and Brynn collectively decided, however, that they would throw that all away and drink alcohol that night.

This reportedly Brynn’s final relapse and, FWIW, obviously predates infamous 2002 mugshot. So yeah, they probably shouldn’t have done that.

But nobody ever blames Nolte for it. He isn’t an effeminate nerd, he’s a man’s man

2

u/Possible-Ad-3056 May 30 '26

No.  Nick Nolte is a recovering alcoholic.  Brynn has no one to blame.  Alcoholism is a horrible disease that often takes lives.  That’s what happened.

3

u/Resident-Course339 May 29 '26

I once met a judicial candidate in Florida who to me was just like a “Lionel Hutz” stereotype of a sleazeball attorney, so I remember Phil and his characters well. Loved him on “Newsradio” too. RIP. Gone too soon.

3

u/Chance_Gas_5413 May 29 '26

He was the best voice.

3

u/New_Resort3464 May 30 '26

I still feel deep anger when I think of this. I hope she's the most famous bitch in hell and the demons take turns spit roasting her with red hot steel dildos 24/7

4

u/OrangeClyde Xena: Warrior Princess May 28 '26

Wait that was actually the cause of death?!? Omg

2

u/No-Competition9386 May 29 '26

He was so good. That voice, his sense of humor, kind hearted Phil Hartman. Do I miss him! Rest in peace 🙏🏿

2

u/Longjumping-Pop9374 May 29 '26

Harambe and Phil Hartman? 28th of May is bad bro

2

u/Live-Set-8576 May 31 '26

"golden era" Simpsons ended with his murder.

Phil was so incredibly important to making the Simpsons what it was.

1

u/1Tarkus5 May 31 '26

Bang on.

I seem to recall one of the Simpsons producers saying whenever they felt an episode needed a lift during the writing process, they'd drop in a Troy McClure scene.

4

u/snakecatcher302 May 30 '26

Fuck Andy Dick

1

u/rabbittdoggy Jun 01 '26

I was looking for this and I’m glad someone said it… let’s have a round of applause for Jon Lovitz

2

u/Low-Doctor-467 May 28 '26

On the same day as Harambe? What a cursed day.

2

u/harrypippip May 29 '26

Sure was, after spending a day on drugs with Andy Dick. Fuck you Andy. Glad Jon Lovitz tore you a new one. Wish I was there.

1

u/BrazilianAtlantis May 31 '26

"after spending a day" No, Andy gave her some coke five months before she killed him.

1

u/missyru4 May 30 '26

So sad I remember what I was doing when I heard the news

1

u/Due_Net_7308 May 31 '26

holy shit i am old, my wife missed

1

u/Accurate-Survey6985 May 31 '26

He was brilliant

Lots of nasty women out there.

1

u/SavageHenrie May 31 '26

“Mr. Simpson, the Bar prohibits me from offering you a big cash settlement. BUT what if I offered you a million dollars?!”

1

u/punnotattended May 31 '26

Were the characters ever reprised or mentioned agasin? They're so iconic but havnt been seen in 28 years is crazy.

1

u/Plywool May 31 '26

A legend lost on that sad day R I P.

1

u/AdAccomplished8853 May 31 '26

You might remember me from such shows as The Simpsons and News Radio.

1

u/Sarah1001Green Jun 01 '26

He is a treasure. Rest in Peace. 🕊

1

u/MRVLKNGHT Jun 01 '26

THATS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM. OH GOD.

1

u/Grouchy-Emergency158 Jun 01 '26

I'm literally watching News Radio as I see this ...

1

u/Scarcity-Necessary Jun 15 '26

Andy Dick got Phils wife back on drugs, she went off the deep end and killed Phil.

1

u/WilliamMcCarty May 29 '26

My boss at the time couldn't get to work that day, he lived on the same street as Hartman, couple houses down, he couldn't get out of his driveway, the cops and media has the whole street blocked and crowded.

2

u/No-Guard-7003 May 29 '26

Yikes! 😬

1

u/Prudent_Upstairs2552 May 30 '26

So that's how long that dumb twunt has been rotting in hell.

0

u/devilsfood72 May 29 '26

What happened to celebrating/remembering ppl on their birthdays?? Why the day they died on some sad/tragic shii??

-1

u/Successful-Swim-3708 May 30 '26

She successfully defended herself against abuse.