Phil Hartman Would Be 71 Today. Killed by Crazy Minnesota Wife

Today would have been comic genius Phil Hartman's 71st birthday. Hartman's story is a story of the American dream, cut short by tragic circumstances.

I recently dialed up "The Last Days of Phil Hartman" on Amazon Prime. It covered the life and career of Phil Hartman. His rise to stardom on "Saturday Night Live" and his successful and memorable role on TV's "News Radio".

Hartman married Brynn Omdahl, a young aspiring model from Thief River Falls, Minnesota. From the outside, it seemed to be a fairy tale marriage but behind closed doors, things were not as they seemed to the outside world.

Brynn had some drug problems that would eventually bring an end to Phil's life and her own. In 1998, Brynn shot her husband 3 times while he was in bed and later took her own life. An autopsy revealed cocaine, Zoloft and alchohol in Brynn's system.

There's no telling how far Phil Hartman's star would have risen. He was a true, one of a kind, comic genius. He is missed.

Happy Birthday, Phil, wherever you are.