As if we needed any more reason to miss Phil Hartman, Mike Scott posted to his blog a letter that Hartman sent him in 1997 full of heartwarming advice and encouragement to the young comedian.
Hartman, roundly recognized as one of the most beloved "Saturday Night Live" performers of all time (not to mention his credits on "News Radio" and "The Simpsons"), was tragically murdered in 1998 by his wife, who then committed suicide. Try not to let this note bring a tear to your eye, as it seems to be evidence of Hartman's truly compassionate nature, even behind the scenes.
Scott writes on his blog, Happy Fatties, that when he was 19, he sent a letter and tape of his comedy to his hero Hartman, and was astounded by the generosity of Hartman's reply.
From Scott:
Four months later I received my self-addressed, stamped envelope. Inside was a two-page (front and back) hand-written response from Phil. He gave me what I needed at the time: Constructive criticism, an honest assessment, and, most importantly, direction. This meant the world to me. A man that was THAT busy at the time (doing Newsradio, The Simpsons, commercials, films, and God-knows-what-else) took the time out to not only respond to my letter, but listen to the tape I sent him. It wasn't lost on me, even at that age.
Here are the first two pages of the four-page letter. We highly recommend you check out Happy Fatties to read the rest.
And here's a classic "Saturday Night Live" sketch following President Clinton at McDonald's. RIP.
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