The legend goes like this - and it's all true:
The Groundlings, in their early days, were preparing to raise the curtain on their Friday show at the Oxford Theater. Laraine Newman had warmed up her dinner on the house hotplate and had spilled some of it on the heat element. Someone thought something was burning in the building so Gary Austin, the director, decided to hold up the show while he and Tom Maxwell and Doug Cox searched the building before crying "fire!" in a crowded theater.
In the audience that night, as the result of a surprise birthday party, was a young artist named Phillip Edward Hartmann (he later dropped the second "n"). He was a very successful illustrator and graphic designer, but he was itching to break away from the drawing board. The spirit that had led him to be elected "Class Clown" at Westchester CA High School was calling to him again - and again. Most impatiently.
To soothe the restless audience Phil jumped up on the stage and started improvising. After all this was to be an improvised comedy show, right?
Needless to say, he was a great success - that night and for several years to follow - as a full fledged member of the Groundlings. The time that I was lucky enough to spend on the stage with him was very special, and is among my happiest performing memories. I am still knocked out by his skill as an artist, and I'm honored to have an original "Hartman" decorating the Recent Credits page of this site.
Phil arrived in the group a fully formed character actor with many facets, lots of characters, one of the keenest ears for imitation I have ever seen or heard, and a boundless comic energy. While there he learned to work with other actors. His innate sense of generosity made him extremely supportive and served him well diring his SNL days and after.
It's very hard to believe he's gone.
There are a great many sites devoted to Phil and his work. Here are just a few of them:
