The two gathered Hartman’s old “Saturday Night Live” castmates to share hilarious anecdotes about their late buddy in a new two-part memorial episode of their Fly on the Wall podcast
In 1998, at the age of 49, Phil Hartman, a star on Saturday Night Live, seemed to have it made.
On the weekends, he enjoyed spending time with pals like his old Saturday Night Live castmate Dana Carvey, as well as sailing, golfing, flying his single-engine aircraft, and scuba diving.
He was a proud father to Sean, 9, and Birgen, 6, and was residing in Los Angeles after completing production on the fourth season of the NBC sitcom NewsRadio. He also voiced various characters on The Simpsons, including fan favorite Troy McClure.
Carvey, 68, previously told PEOPLE that he and his longtime friend, a talented jazz musician and graphic designer, would “jam out together in the garage.”
Now, Dana Carvey and David Spade have released a two-part special on their Fly on the Wall podcast, which is produced by Audacy and is devoted to all things SNL, in celebration of Hartman’s great life and career.
“They’d talk about Phil without me even having to bring it up,” recalls Spade, 59. “Will Ferrell, Bill Hader, Alec Baldwin… They all talk about how he was such a brilliant sketch player.”
Since several of their regular guests often brought up Phil in the context of their time on the program, the hosts agreed to air the two-part special.
This is the first half of a two-part audio special that was published on September 27. It starred Julia Sweeney, Kevin Nealon, and Jim Downey, all of whom had previously been on Saturday Night Live, and was recorded in L.A.’s legendary Groundlings Theatre. Ferrell, Hader, Baldwin, Myers, O’Brien, Lovitz, Smigel, and Oteri all appeared in the sequel’s second half.
Myers, 60, recalls how Hartman had an impact on every project he worked on in the podcast.
I think Phil departed SNL in my last year there, although he was there for five of the six years that I was. He told Carvey and Spade, “He was in ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer,’ which was entertaining and… simply amazing. He improved it beyond its original form, as is typical of Phil.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Spade said, “Everyone remembers how terrific he was. He might be the show’s host or the main character, or he could play the thankless role of, say, the elevator operator or the dad, and yet bring the house down with his hilarious sidekick. You might cast him in the bizarre role of the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, and then laugh uncontrollably while he plays it.
“His range was extraordinary,” says Carvey. The reason he was known as “the Glue” is clear now.
Hear a special segment from Conan O’Brien’s Fly on the Wall as he talks about Phil Hartman.
Spade appreciated Hartman as a coworker because “he was the kind of guy who could leave work at work.”
I was insane when I first began working at SNL and didn’t want to leave the building, but he wasn’t crazy at all. He was always kind and polite, coming to work with his briefcase and reading fishing or boating periodicals. “Then he’d read the script and be all, ‘Okay, let’s go.'” “Then he’d put an end to it, say something like, ‘Okay, folks, see you tomorrow,’ and leave with his briefcase and go home. That’s where you’re headed, eventually. He had the answer all worked out.
According to Carvey, Hartman “wasn’t a show business person at all,” but he was “fascinating.” His mind was enormous, and his intelligence ranged far and wide.
Hartman was a doting father, too. He mentioned in 1995 that working for NewsRadio enabled him to enjoy a more traditional family life than his time at SNL.
After Hartman’s death, Carvey became close with his two children, who had a quiet upbringing with Brynn’s sister. His daughter, Birgen, was there throughout the taping of the tribute programs, as was verified.
Carvey and Spade are still grieving the loss of their buddy, who would have been 75 this year, but they find solace in the fact that “he left such a great body of work behind,” as Spade puts it. “And that can be looked at again any time.”
