You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman

Arts and entertainment writer (Chicago Sun-Times) Thomas delivers a much-needed, well-researched biography of one of comedy's most beloved entertainers. From his Canadian roots to his formative years as a California surfing teen and through his ups and downs as a TV and film celebrity, Phil Hartman (1948–98) is revealed with compassion and respect. The author constructs Hartman's story from numerous published articles and interviews with his family, close friends, and coworkers, who provide firsthand experiences and impressions of a humorous and personable yet vulnerable human being. Hartman began honing his craft as a member of the comedy troupe the Groundlings, followed by his work with Paul Reubens and the development of Pee-wee's Playhouse. But it was through his stint on Saturday Night Live, his characters on The Simpsons, and his work on the NewsRadio TV show that audiences knew him best. The book concludes with a recounting of Hartman's final days in painful, vivid detail, which provides necessary perspective to his overall experience. To date, Hartman's life and death have only been documented in several sensationalized books about Hollywood celebrity murders. The best available resources on his work can be viewed in DVDs of his TV show and film appearances, plus his hilarious audiotape of comedy vignettes Flat TV (2002).