May 28, 1998: The Day the Laughter Died
Twenty years ago today, the world lost one of comedy's brightest minds when the incredible Phil Hartman was shot to death in his sleep. The culprit? His wife, Brynn, who took her own life a few hours later. Phil's murder was the first crime that ever really affected me; I'd loved him on Saturday Night Live and Pee-wee's Playhouse, and at the time of his death, I had never loved a show more than I loved Newsradio. I couldn't believe that someone who brought so much joy to the world lost his life in such a tragic way, and I still remember the moment I found out about Phil's death. When Newsradio came back on the air in September 1998, their fifth season premiere dealt with the death of Phil's character, Bill McNeal, and I have no idea how the cast managed to get through it...I've never cried so much watching a TV show, and I never had the privilege of meeting Phil, let alone working with him like the amazing Newsradio cast. I haven't been able to watch that episode again; I own every season of Newsradio on DVD, and whenever I watch the series again, I have to skip "Bill Moves On."
Phil Hartman was a treasure, and he deserved a long, happy life full of laughter and love. Twenty years after his death, this one still hurts.
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