What The Last 12 Months Of Phil Hartman's Life Were Like

Just a few weeks before his death, Hartman ended a long series of junkets promoting the film Small Soldiers, in which he had a starring role. The movie was released that July and included a dedication in the end credits. Small Soldiers was Hartman's highest-profile release of that year, but it wasn't the only one; he also had several voice credits forthcoming, including one for the role of Jiji in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's now-famous Kiki's Delivery Service. 

By all accounts, Hartman was a workaholic. He'd been living a bi-coastal life for several years thanks to his time on SNL, and that travel-heavy lifestyle did not abate even after he departed as a cast member in 1994. Between 1997 and 1998, he had 8 major credits in various media projects (via IMDb) in addition to some lucrative commercial work.

He was also committed to the role of Bill McNeal on NewsRadio, and gave a few interviews lost to time about his place on the show and concerns about its continued existence. Though it was a critically-celebrated comedy, the show was a perpetual occupant of the so-called "bubble list" every May when networks traditionally announce their slate of renewals, pilots, and cancellations. NewsRadio was ultimately renewed for one more season, though Hartman did not live to see it. The premiere episode of that final season was dedicated to his character, wherein the writers chose to write him off via a sudden, off-screen heart attack.