How Much is Phil Hartman Worth? Phil Hartman - Is the Star a Billionaire? Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

Many fans are curious about Phil Hartman's financial success in April 2026. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What Was Phil Hartman's Net Worth and Salary?

At the time of his death, Phil's estate was worth an estimated $1.23 million. That's the same as around $3 million today after adjusting for inflation. The majority of that wealth was from the value of his home. The money was left to his two children, to be distributed in installments after their respective 25thbirthdays.

Phil Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He was the son of Rupert (a seller of building materials) and Doris Hartmann, and he had seven siblings. Phil grew up in a Catholic household, and when he was 10 years old, the family moved to the U.S., settling in Lewiston, Maine. The Hartmann family later lived in Meriden, Connecticut, before moving to the West Coast. Phil attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles, where he was the class clown. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Santa Monica City College, but he left in 1969 to be a roadie for a rock band. In 1972, Hartman began studying graphic arts at California State University, Northridge, and after launching his own graphic art business, he created dozens of album covers, such as Steely Dan's "Aja" and America's "Harbor," as well as the Crosby, Stills & Nash logo.

Phil Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist who had a net worth equal to $3 million at the time of his death. Known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices," Hartman was a cast member and writer on the NBC sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" from 1986 to 1994, and he played Bill McNeal on the critically-acclaimed NBC sitcom "NewsRadio" from 1995 until his death in 1998. Phil voiced Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz, and other characters on the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" from 1991 to 1998, and he played Captain Carl in "The Pee-wee Herman Show" (1981) and "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986) after helpingPaul Reubensdevelop the character of Pee-wee Herman as a member of The Groundlings. He was also a writer on "The Pee-wee Herman Show" and "Pee-wee's Playhouse" as well as the 1985 film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."

Phil joined the improv comedy group The Groundlings in the '70s and helped Paul Reubens create Pee-wee Herman and the live stage show "The Pee-wee Herman Show," which aired on HBO in 1981. He played Captain Carl in that show and the CBS series "Pee-wee's Playhouse," and he appeared as a reporter in 1985's "Pee-wee's Big Adventure." Hartman's first film was 1978's "Stunt Rock," and he made his TV debut in a 1979 episode of "The Dating Game" (which he won). In the '80s, he appeared in the films "The Gong Show Movie" (1980), "Cheech & Chong's Next Movie" (1980), "Pandemonium" (1982), "Last Resort" (1986), "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986), "Three Amigos!" (1986), and "Fletch Lives" (1989). In 1986, Phil joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" after his friendJon Lovitzrecommended him toLorne Michaels, telling him, "If you think I'm good, you should see Phil. He's even better!" Hartman was known as "Glue" for "his ability to hold the show together," and he played recurring characters such as Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer and the Anal Retentive Chef and impersonatedBill Clinton,Frank Sinatra,Ed McMahon,Phil Donahue, and many others. Phil left "SNL" in 1994, but he returned to host the show twice in 1996.

In the early '90s, Hartman appeared in the films "Quick Change" (1990), "Loaded Weapon 1" (1993), "CB4" (1993), "Greedy" (1994), and "Houseguest" (1995) and the "SNL" spin-off movies "Coneheads" (1993) and "Stuart Saves His Family" (1995), and he played John "Vicky" Johnson in 1993's "So I Married an Axe Murderer" alongside "SNL" castmateMike Myers. In 1995, he began playing Bill McNeal on "NewsRadio" and reportedly earned $50,000 per episode. Phil appeared in 75 episodes of the series, and after his death, Jon Lovitz was brought in to help fill the void left by Hartman's absence. After agreeing to take the role, Lovitz stated, "I'm gonna make my character like how Phil was in real life, which was, you know, one of the nicest people ever, who got along with everybody. He was an expert sailor, he had his own plane, he was a pilot, he was a graphic artist … He was just the best." During his time on "NewsRadio," Hartman appeared in the films "Sgt. Bilko" (1996) and "Jingle All the Way" (1996), portrayed the President of the United States in the TV movie "The Second Civil War" (1997), and guest-starred on "The Dana Carvey Show" (1996), "Caroline in the City" (1996), "Seinfeld" (1996), and "3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996; 1998). In 1998, his films "Kiki's Delivery Service" (the Disney English dub), "Small Soldiers," and "Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night" were posthumously released.

Phil Hartman and Chris Farley (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)

Estate Value And Distribution

Hartman had more than 90 acting credits to his name, including the films "Three Amigos!" (1986), "Coneheads" (1993), "So I Married an Axe Murderer" (1993), "Houseguest" (1995), "Sgt. Bilko" (1996), and "Jingle All the Way" (1996), and the television series "Magnum, P.I." (1984), "Sesame Street" (1991), "TheLarry SandersShow" (1993), "TheDana CarveyShow" (1996), "Seinfeld" (1996), and "3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996; 1998). Phil had voice roles in numerous animated projects, such as "Kiki's Delivery Service" (1998), "Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night" (1998), "The Jetsons" (1985), "Tom & Jerry Kids" (1991–1993), "Eek! The Cat" (1992), "The Critic" (1994), and "The Ren & Stimpy Show" (1996). Tragically, Hartman died on May 28, 1998, at the age of 49 after he was fatally shot by his wife, Brynn, and the loss of a man who brought joy to so many people has left comedy fans heartbroken for more than two decades.

(Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Ultimately, Phil Hartman's financial journey is a testament to their success.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.