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@kathygriffin : Today was the 20th anniversary of Phil Hartman's untimely death. Phil played a critical role in my life and the lives of many other comics and actors and I want to tell you a quick story. About a week after I moved from Oak Park, IL to Los Angeles back in the 80s, I opened up LA Weekly to see if there was an improvisational company similar to The Second City which is an iconic improv company in Chicago. The LA equivalent is the The Groundlings Theatre. I went to a Groundlings show alone that Friday night and was so dazzled that afterwords I marched backstage and went up to the funniest person in the entire show and asked him how I could possibly become involved in improvisational comedy. It was quite bold of me to walk into that dressing room and the rest of the Groundlings company members must have thought I was pretty strange. (nothing has changed). This man was taking off his make up and very calmly telling me about how there is a school where you take improvisational classes and try to earn your way into the company. He also introduced me to the Groundlings director and the head of the school. As I'm sure you guessed, the man I went up to backstage was Phil Hartman. He couldn’t of been more kind, generous, and giving. He was only 50 when he was killed..I can't begin imagine what he'd be saying and doing now but I do know that it would be brilliant and full of heart. I achieved most of my success after Phil was killed. I only wish he were here so I could thank him for not kicking me out of the dressing room and giving me a chance. xoxo KG