Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
I met the late, ferociously talented Phil Hartman only once. I didn't say much to him, because there are some people who you just want to listen to.
I came across this letter recently on a fascinating site called Letters of Note. It's a hand-written note from Phil to a 19 year-old fan who had written to him for advice. The aspiring young comedian had enclosed some of his writing and an audiotape of his performances.
Astonishingly, Phil listened to the tape and wrote back. What he wrote was honest, decent, and wonderful advice. And of course it makes it all the more stinging that we don't have Phil around anymore:
Hi. Thanks for your letter. I listened to your tape, enough of it to hear that you have true natural talent. Your voice is pleasant to the ear. That, I think is your basic talent. Your humor is like a lot of comedy I hear today...angry, somewhat mean spirited, okay I guess if that's what makes your friends laugh. Sure. Go there. Maybe I'm old. I honestly recognize that a lot of humor (my humor, too) is hostile. But when it's too on the nail..."I can't stand Alannis, Nickelodeon, etc."...to me, it lacks craft and subtlety....
You need to develop craft. In school, in a radio gig, a theatre group, improv troupe, or standup showcase. Don't be discouraged. You have talent. Personally, I like your own voice more than your impressions and character work. Just work, wherever you can. You'll grow and refine and be great. Be patient. (I didn't start acting till I was 27). You've got a head start.
Develop your craft. Don't be discouraged. Work wherever you can. Be patient. Good advice for everyone, not just young comedians struggling to break in.
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Jan '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Thank you for sharing this. I was pretty young when he died, but I remember it really hitting me hard. He was so incredibly talented, and had a great career ahead of him. Advice like this is always more effective when it comes from someone who manifested it in their own life so well. We miss ya, Phil!!
May '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Thanks for posting this Rob. What a wonderfully inspirational message to brighten my day, while causing heart sickness when remembering the brilliance that was prematurely taken from us.
Phil Hartman has always been my favorite SNL alum. I remember when he first burst on the scene and wondering, "Who is this guy?" He wasn't an over-the-top performer, but was, as his letter said, a craftsman. Every skit he was in was far better because of his presence. But he could also steal the show when required: see my all-time favorite skit where he plays Ronald Reagan as a sweet and slow 'amiable dunce' in public but in private is revealed to be a cut-throat, Machiavellian genius. It's still hysterical decades later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQuhoG7fFM
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Great, great advice from a person who obviously cares about the next generation coming up. What generous character.
I met him once a few months before he died. I told him I loved his "Man Of A Thousand Voices bit." He then regaled my wife and me with impressions triggered by numbers we shouted out between 1 and 1,000. You've never been regaled until you've been regaled by the Man Of A Thousand Voices! We all miss him. Thanks for the post Rob.
Oct '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Thanks for sharing, Rob. That is great advice for whatever walk of life in which you find yourself.
And...
Sir Watkyn Bassett:
...see my all-time favorite skit where he plays Ronald Reagan as a sweet and slow 'amiable dunce' in public but in private is revealed to be a cut-throat, Machiavellian genius. It's still hysterical decades later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQuhoG7fFM · Aug 25 at 10:29pm
I'm with you, that is a hilarious skit... but I like this particular presidential impersionation a bit more!
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clinton-at-mcdonalds/2871
Aug '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
He was wonderful. I'll still break out old News Radio dvds and I'm watching mostly for him and I've never heard a bad thing about the guy. I'd love to have met him.
Truly sad when he died.
Jul '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Brilliant. Managing in the software arena I was blessed with some excellent young talent over the years. The challenge was to get them out of the mode of wanting to prove themselves in some dramatic way and showing them that the real stars are the ones that show up and chip at the hard problems and the big problems every single day.
My last memories of laughing at something on SNL involved Hartman.
Thanks for sharing.
May '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
'Thirsty Artist',
Thanks for the link. I had forgotten about the famous 'Clinton at McDonalds' skit. What a tour de force for Hartman. I can't imagine how difficult that was to pull off in one take during a live performance. (The 'warlords intercepting food aid' part is priceless.)
That clip then had a link to yet another forgotten gem: "The Sinatra Group", a product of one of those brilliantly incongruous comedic flashes that a great writer like Rob knows well: What if we had Frank Sinatra lead an opinion show like "The McLaughlin Group"?
It truly was a golden age for SNL.
Oct '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
My mother-in-law is professional stand-up comedienne Mrs. Hughes. She knew Phil Hartman. I didn't, but his death, and the manner of it, hit me surprisingly hard. A lot of sorrow, mixed with anger at what seemed to me like his naïvete. "I'm leaving you tomorrow because you're mentally unstable. Goodnight." isn't the smartest thing in the world to say to someone who is, in fact, mentally unstable.
Small Soldiers was his last film, and it's dedicated to his memory, with a lovely little outtake of him at the end. I can't watch it without crying. But don't watch it for that; watch it for Tommy Lee Jones' and the cast of the Dirty Dozen's voiceover acting. Great fun.
May '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Phil Hartman was my friend's uncle. He was a great person in many ways and it was awful when he was killed. Thanks for thinking to share this, Rob. I have heard similar advice from other highly talented celebrities (i.e. Bill Cosby) and I always wish young people would hear it more often.
May '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Troy McClure at the slaughterhouse
Jul '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
Dennis Miller still occasionally plays the audio from "Caveman Lawyer" on his radio show and it's still funny. What a sad loss for the world and especially for his kids. Some may not know that Phil basically wrote the entire screenplay for "Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure" and earlier in his career was a commercial artist who created quite a few album covers for Crosby, Stills and Nash and others. I can't think of a more multifaceted artist. He has and will continue to be missed.
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
I so loved Phil Hartman that it hurts to even think about how he's gone. And I didn't know that about Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Love that movie.
Jul '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
I can't add much to the comments above, but I did want to express my appreciation for this uplifting post - it helps keep other things in perspective. And the advice, "Develop your craft. Don't be discouraged. Work wherever you can. Be patient." can't be repeated enough.Its profound wisdom, so simply expressed, is lost on most who hear it, but to those who take it to heart, it's life changing. I'm trying to get my daughter, who's only in high school but who has tremendous writing talent, to really internalize the approach outlined by those few words and to not be afraid to fail once in while. She won't regret a thing if she does.
Nov '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
A huge loss we are still feeling today. The hole he left behind simply cannot be filled.
And this is exactly the kind of post that makes Ricochet great. The advice provided relates to everything important we talk about around here. Its perfectly on-target.
Apr '11
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
I've always been a Jack Benny fan and I remember thinking that if they ever made a movie about the life of Jack Benny that Phil Hartman would have been the natural fit in every way (appearance, timing, mannerisms, etc.). His was a great talent and sorely missed.
Jun '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
I loved his SNL skits (remember the anal-retentive chef?), but he owned News Radio, still my favorite sitcom.
Edited on Aug 26, 2011 at 9:38amMay '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
I can watch NewsRadio over and over just for Phil Hartman. The episode on smoking is the best, but I love this scene.
May '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
How could I have forgotten about that show? Thank you for taking me back. :-)
May '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
<Double Post>
Edited on Aug 26, 2011 at 2:21pmJun '10
Re: Phil Hartman's Letter to a Fan
All I have to say to this is :-(. I miss Phil Hartman.