Phil Hartman is best remembered for his many funny characters on Saturday Night Live. Hartman's time on SNL is remembered by those who knew him well.

"The Grandfather of Comedy"

In 1986, SNL was in one of its many crises. Hartman came to SNL . In 1986, Hartman had been hired as a character actor by Randy Quaid and Robert Downey Jr. rather than sketch actors. Most people also agree that the writing was not that great during this period. To make your own decision, you can watch the clips again.

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Hartman's arrival has changed everything. Hartman was a breather of fresh air when he joined the cast. Hartman brought his bag filled with character impressions to show the crew how funny it is. Take a look at Hartman's SNL audition tape.

Hartman, 38 years old, was the oldest member the 1986-1987 SNL cast. Hartman, 38, joked about himself calling himself "the grandfather" of comedy. However, Hartman's experience and age proved to be exactly what the show needed. Hartman was a guest star in a sketch that began the season with Jan Hooks and Dana Carvey. The memorable sketch, "Quiz Master," is still funny and well delivered. Here's the clip.

Phil Hartman Was Truly 'The Glue"

Hartman was considered the grandfather of the show by the cast, but the rest of them had a different name. Kevin Nealon, Hartman's SNL costar, shared that Glue was his nickname because he kept all the sketches together in this Grantland article.

Hartman was in a sketch that pulled all the characters together. David Mandel, an ex-SNL writer, explained that there was no Costello without Abbott. He was called Glue for many reasons. One of those reasons was that Matt Foley's character is impossible to have if Phil Hartman doesn't react to it.

Because of his authority, Hartman was often called the Glue. Hartman knew that all roles would fit together when he was on a sketch. Julia Sweeney (one of his former students), said that Phil makes it easy for people to be crazy. They are the gravitas. If Phil is in the sketch, it's unlikely that the train will go completely off-track.

Hartman was also known by the cast and crew to be able to completely transform into the role he was playing, and even turn off his personality. Mandel said, "He was definitely a man that was in everything." He could play any role. But you never had a sense of who he was.

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By: Lindsey Willard
Title: Why Phil Hartman Got The Nickname ‘Glue’ On ‘SNL’
Sourced From: www.suggest.com/phil-hartman-why-nickname-glue-on-snl/2678121/
Published Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2022 11:00:00 +0000

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