You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
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You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman Hardcover – September 23, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
It’s been more than 15 years since Phil Hartman, star of NewsRadio, voice artist on The Simpsons, and veteran of Saturday Night Live, was murdered by his wife (who then, hours later, took her own life). This new biography begins and ends with the last night of Hartman’s life, but the author spends most of his time exploring the years that came before. Fans of Hartman’s comic performances who don’t know much else about him will find the book to be packed with surprises: Hartman was an accomplished graphic artist, doing album art for a number of music groups in the 1970s (including Crosby, Stills & Nash); he cowrote the hit film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure; and he went to school with Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, who would later become famous as one of Charles Manson’s acolytes. Based on previously published material and firsthand interviews with many people who knew the actor, the book might not be the definitive Hartman biography, but it’s a wonderful introduction to a man whose shocking death still resonates with his many fans. --David Pitt
Review
"You Might Remember Me is valuable—a well-reported, thorough portrait of an artist....[Thomas] doesn’t make Brynn Hartman a monster or Phil Hartman a saint. He presents Hartman as he was, without diminishing or sanitizing him, giving the world a more nuanced remembrance than much of what’s been published about him since 1998. It’s a good way to remember him." - The New Yorker
"A much needed, well-researched biography…Phil Hartman is revealed with compassion and respect…Verdict: A welcome contribution to the sparse and one-note publications about Hartman’s career and life.” - Library Journal
"Phil Hartman is missed by many, but for those who adored him—and those who want to know more about him—Mike Thomas has crafted a joyous, serious, and compelling biography that affirms Phil's unique place in American comedic culture." —James Andrew Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Live From New York
"Saturday Night Live certainly ‘makes’ a lot of careers. However, there are a select few without which SNL would not be the same. That was Phil Hartman. He was an incredibly deep, brilliant, complex and enriching personality. You Might Remember Me uncovers all the many, diverse experiences that fueled Phil’s comedy, passion and his incredible ability to bond or ‘glue’ with those around him—both on and off stage. Mike Thomas shows us Phil Hartman the artist, the poet, the surfer, the musician, the friend. What a life he lived." —Tom Farley, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Chris Farley Show and brother of Chris Farley
"Beautifully written and exquisitely researched, You Might Remember Me puts us inside the heart and mind of Phil Hartman, one of the great comedic geniuses of our time. By writing it, Mike Thomas has done more than produce Hartman’s definitive biography—he has taken us on a journey into an era of immense inspiration and creativity, put us at the table with giant personalities, and shown us, so honestly, the hopes and dreams of a complicated and truly decent man." —Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers and Crashing Through"Piercing, heartbreaking, and superbly researched—full of wisdom about the brutal business of comedy and the 'man of a thousand voices' who was one of its great, tragic practitioners." —James Kaplan, New York Times bestselling author of Frank: The Voice
"A much needed, well-researched biography…Phil Hartman is revealed with compassion and respect…Verdict: A welcome contribution to the sparse and one-note publications about Hartman’s career and life.” - Library Journal
"Phil Hartman is missed by many, but for those who adored him—and those who want to know more about him—Mike Thomas has crafted a joyous, serious, and compelling biography that affirms Phil's unique place in American comedic culture." —James Andrew Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Live From New York
"Saturday Night Live certainly ‘makes’ a lot of careers. However, there are a select few without which SNL would not be the same. That was Phil Hartman. He was an incredibly deep, brilliant, complex and enriching personality. You Might Remember Me uncovers all the many, diverse experiences that fueled Phil’s comedy, passion and his incredible ability to bond or ‘glue’ with those around him—both on and off stage. Mike Thomas shows us Phil Hartman the artist, the poet, the surfer, the musician, the friend. What a life he lived." —Tom Farley, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Chris Farley Show and brother of Chris Farley
"Beautifully written and exquisitely researched, You Might Remember Me puts us inside the heart and mind of Phil Hartman, one of the great comedic geniuses of our time. By writing it, Mike Thomas has done more than produce Hartman’s definitive biography—he has taken us on a journey into an era of immense inspiration and creativity, put us at the table with giant personalities, and shown us, so honestly, the hopes and dreams of a complicated and truly decent man." —Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers and Crashing Through"Piercing, heartbreaking, and superbly researched—full of wisdom about the brutal business of comedy and the 'man of a thousand voices' who was one of its great, tragic practitioners." —James Kaplan, New York Times bestselling author of Frank: The Voice
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
S. Peebler
on October 7, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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Excellent book on the life of Phil Hartman. The writing is superbly crafted -- reading this book is like eating a perfectly prepared meal of food with sweet and savory all doing the right things at the right times.
I grew up watching Phil on SNL and when the terrible news of his passing came, I often wondered what an examination of his life would show. I found this book is highly respectful of Phil and his life, and it tells his story through the words and memories of some of his closest friends. You get a sense of what made him such a charismatic presence and a comedy giant through the work of a skilled journalist, Mike Thomas, who also authored one of the best recent books on Chicago's Second City.
I grew up watching Phil on SNL and when the terrible news of his passing came, I often wondered what an examination of his life would show. I found this book is highly respectful of Phil and his life, and it tells his story through the words and memories of some of his closest friends. You get a sense of what made him such a charismatic presence and a comedy giant through the work of a skilled journalist, Mike Thomas, who also authored one of the best recent books on Chicago's Second City.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Bookreporter
on September 29, 2014
Format: Hardcover
1 Comment
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ou might remember Phil Hartman from the many characters he played on “Saturday Night Live,”such as Caveman Lawyer, Bill Clinton and Frank Sinatra. Or maybe his work on “The Simpsons,” where he voiced the inept lawyer Lionel Hutz and fading D-list actor Troy McClure. Perhaps you remember him from the sitcom “Newsradio,” where he played conservative radio host Bill McNeal. Or maybe you remember the tragic circumstances in which he died, having been murdered by an alienated wife who then took her own life. But no matter where you remember him from, chances are you do remember him.
Phil Hartman was a talented comedic actor with a seemingly unending range of roles to play when it was all taken away late one night in his Encino, CA home. What happened that tragic night? What led the beautiful wife and mother of two to cause such a violent end? To try to understand how it ended, one must first look at where it began.
Phil was born in 1948, the fourth child of Doris and Rupert Hartmann (Phil chose to drop the second “n” in his last name once he started performing) of Brantford, Ontario, with four more children following after him. The Hartmanns had to struggle to make ends meet and dreamed of moving their large brood to California for a better life. Trying to be noticed in such a large family --- one that included his ill sister, Sarah, who needed constant care --- was always Phil’s goal, and that desire carried through to adulthood. From an early age, he learned that if he made people smile and laugh, he had the attention of the room: “…his younger years were spent vying for the attention and affection of their tough and entrepreneurial mother and to a lesser degree their traveling salesman father.Read more ›
Phil Hartman was a talented comedic actor with a seemingly unending range of roles to play when it was all taken away late one night in his Encino, CA home. What happened that tragic night? What led the beautiful wife and mother of two to cause such a violent end? To try to understand how it ended, one must first look at where it began.
Phil was born in 1948, the fourth child of Doris and Rupert Hartmann (Phil chose to drop the second “n” in his last name once he started performing) of Brantford, Ontario, with four more children following after him. The Hartmanns had to struggle to make ends meet and dreamed of moving their large brood to California for a better life. Trying to be noticed in such a large family --- one that included his ill sister, Sarah, who needed constant care --- was always Phil’s goal, and that desire carried through to adulthood. From an early age, he learned that if he made people smile and laugh, he had the attention of the room: “…his younger years were spent vying for the attention and affection of their tough and entrepreneurial mother and to a lesser degree their traveling salesman father.Read more ›
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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
bellczar
on September 27, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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This is a well-written book about one of the most versatile comedians of recent history, who suffered a tragic and unnecessary early death.
Phil Hartman achieved fame in the 1980s and 1990s through his work on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons." He proved himself to be one of the most versatile talents in television. He was acclaimed for being one of the most memorable SNL cast members and was credited with holding the show together through eight seasons during which other cast members came and went (as is how SNL has usually been). He is probably best known for playing President Clinton. Some of his other characters were Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Ed McMahon, and Frank Sinatra. He often played an older man or fatherly figure. His booming baritone also lent itself to him doing voiceovers on SNL, and this led to his work on "The Simpsons."
Hartman played two principal occasional characters on "The Simpsons," an inept lawyer named Lionel Hutz, and a washed-up actor named Troy McClure. McClure's catchphrase was, "You may remember me from such films as ...," and this inspires the title of Mike Thomas's biography. Hartman guest starred as two other memorable Simpsons characters, Lyle Lanley, who sold the town of Springfield a worthless monorail; and Tom, who played Bart's big brother (from the Bigger Brothers program). In all, Hartman appeared on 53 Simpsons episodes.
The book chronicles Hartmann's upbringing (he dropped an n when he went into entertainment) from his childhood in Ontario to his move to the United States to his long and varied show business career. Hartman engaged in a number of pursuits that led to him becoming famous, including joining a comedy troupe, and even doing graphic arts.Read more ›
Phil Hartman achieved fame in the 1980s and 1990s through his work on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons." He proved himself to be one of the most versatile talents in television. He was acclaimed for being one of the most memorable SNL cast members and was credited with holding the show together through eight seasons during which other cast members came and went (as is how SNL has usually been). He is probably best known for playing President Clinton. Some of his other characters were Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Ed McMahon, and Frank Sinatra. He often played an older man or fatherly figure. His booming baritone also lent itself to him doing voiceovers on SNL, and this led to his work on "The Simpsons."
Hartman played two principal occasional characters on "The Simpsons," an inept lawyer named Lionel Hutz, and a washed-up actor named Troy McClure. McClure's catchphrase was, "You may remember me from such films as ...," and this inspires the title of Mike Thomas's biography. Hartman guest starred as two other memorable Simpsons characters, Lyle Lanley, who sold the town of Springfield a worthless monorail; and Tom, who played Bart's big brother (from the Bigger Brothers program). In all, Hartman appeared on 53 Simpsons episodes.
The book chronicles Hartmann's upbringing (he dropped an n when he went into entertainment) from his childhood in Ontario to his move to the United States to his long and varied show business career. Hartman engaged in a number of pursuits that led to him becoming famous, including joining a comedy troupe, and even doing graphic arts.Read more ›
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0 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By
Zabadu
on September 27, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Well researched. Would have given 5 stars, but there is no follow up to today.
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