Phil Hartman Quotes

I`m 49-years-old and I`m cautious of the fact that very few people in comedy have careers after age 50. I think there`s a notion in our society, and it maybe valid, that people aren`t as funny when they get older. It`s a stigma still attached to the rebelliousness of youth. I do believe that sooner or later I`ll get those great roles like Gary Sinise`s part in Forrest Gump (1994) or Tommy Lee Jones` as "Two Face" in Batman Forever (1995).

I started doing Clinton and then I was on the cover of TV Guide. I became ... a household name... I didn`t have to look for work any more. Work came to me

I benefit from the Mr. Potato Head syndrome. Put a wig and a nose and glasses on me, and I disappear.

(On the 1991 arrest of Paul Reubens ("Pee Wee Herman") for indecent exposure): The loss he took for what allegedly happened is the equivalent of somebody`s getting 20 years for having a joint in their wallet.

As an actor, I felt I couldn`t compete. I wasn`t as cute as the leading man; I wasn`t as brilliant as Robin Williams.

(On Paul Reubens 1991 arrest for indecent exposure): "The loss he took for what allegedly happened is the equivalent of somebody`s getting 20 years for having a joint in their wallet."

I was 36, and I had decided to quit acting because it was so disappointing.

I`m 49-years-old and I`m cautious of the fact that very few people in comedy have careers after age 50. I think there`s a notion in our society, and it maybe valid, that people aren`t as funny when they get older. It`s a stigma still attached to the rebelliousness of youth. I do believe that sooner or later I`ll get those great roles like Gary Sinise`s part in Forrest Gump" or Tommy Lee Jones` as "Two Face" in "Batman Forever".

I could do John Wayne, Jack Benny, Jack Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and entertain my friends. But I never seriously considered it as a career choice.

I found the writing arena to be much less competitive.

The one thing I could do was voices and impersonations and weird characters, and there was really no call for that, except on Saturday Night Live.

After working in the corporate world of advertising and graphic design, I know how hard the average person works, because I`ve been there.

I`ve succeeded beyond my wildest dreams - financially and the amount of fun I have in my life.

One of the remarkable things about my career is that it has been marked by steady, incremental progress. No sudden spikes up, and no sudden downfalls, either.

Even at Westchester High in West LA, I was class clown.