Brynn Hartman is known mainly for being Phil Hartman's wife. She was someone with ambitions of her own in Hollywood but living in the shadows of her husband's popularity made her struggle with her self-regard.
Like her husband, she had dreams of becoming a star on the big screen, but unlike her husband, she couldn't quite reach the stars. Her failures were not for lack of trying, as she took steps to bring her closer to her dream. However, when she had her children, the task became more difficult for her as she wanted to take care of them.
While caring for her family, she constantly referred to her husband's unavailability as a point of contention in their marriage which frustrated her, and that frustration grew into resentment. That and other issues in her life would later contribute to the tragic ending of Phil and Brynn's lives.
Phil and Brynn Hartman on August 2, 1993, at UCLA in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
Who was Brynn Hartman?
Brynn Hartman was born in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, on April 11, 1958. She was given the name Vicki Jo Omdahl at birth but later changed it.
She had four brothers. During an interview, one of her brothers, Greg Omdahl, was asked about his sister and what he thought of her. Speaking about his sister's childhood, he said:
"She was always the instigator of fun."
Phil and Brynn Hartman at 1994 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
Brynn Hartman's Move to Los Angeles
In the 1980s, Brynn pursued her dreams of becoming an actress and model by moving from Minnesota to California. Once there, her career in modeling began with working for Catalina swimwear as a swimsuit model.
She also went out on various acting auditions, including an audition to become one of the "Hee Haw" girls. In addition, she took acting lessons while in LA. However, her career never went beyond her small parts in TV shows such as "Third rock from the Sun."
During her time in LA, she developed an addiction to cocaine. Her brother Greg mentioned that he tried to get her into rehab. The rehab initially worked before she experienced some relapses later in her life.
Phil and Brynn Hartman at the premiere of "From the Earth to the Moon" in 1998 in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
Brynn and Phil Hartman's Early Years as a Couple
The two Hartmans, Phil and Brynn, had each been married before they got into their marriage. Phil had been married two times already, and she had been married once to Douglas Iver Toffin.
Brynn met Phil on a blind date in Los Angeles in 1986. They got married the following year. They had two kids, a son, Sean, born in 1988, and a daughter, Birgen, born in 1992. Greg Omdahl thought the two were good parents that loved their kids. He said:
“When I watched the old home videos of Brynn and Phil and their kids, it really brought home what loving parents they were...and what a great mother she was.”
Phil Hartman and wife Brynn at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California on November 14, 1997 | Source: Getty Images
Brynn and Phil Hartman's Troubled Relationship
Some have portrayed Brynn as a person whose emotions would get the best of her, which sometimes caused friction between her and her husband. At one point, she is said to have responded harshly when Phil's ex-wife, Lisa, sent a card congratulating the couple on the birth of their son.
The author of Phil Hartman's biography, Mike Thomas, described their relationship as filled with fighting and resentment. After Phil's workmate, Norman Bryn, overheard one of the couple's fighting episodes, he asked Phil what the problem was. In his response, Phil replied:
"Well, Norm, looks like the wife's gonna divorce me this time."
Phil Hartman and wife Brynn at Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood, California on June 26, 1993 | Source: Getty Images
The Problems in Brynn and Phil Hartman's Marriage
Mike Thomas described Phil as someone who liked the idea of being a family man but did not put in the work required. For him, this was a pattern that was also visible in Phil's past failed marriages, where Phil would become emotionally unavailable to his partners.
In words that became telling when you learn of the sudden ending of Phil's life as if he had known something.
For her part, Brynn was said to be jealous of her husband's work and fame which she may have thought was making him less available to her and their family. Her low self-esteem also contributed to her insecurities, making things worse for the couple.
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Phil Hartman and wife Brynn at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on October 28, 1994 | Source: Getty Images
Brynn and Phil Hartman's Tragic Ending
Brynn and Phil Hartman's lives ended in a harrowing manner when Brynn shot and killed her husband while he was asleep. The ordeal took place at their home on the morning of May 28, 1998. Brynn was said to have been drinking beyond the limits a few hours before she committed the act.
From police records, Brynn is said to have gone to her long friend, Ron Douglas, after the shooting. While there, she confessed to killing her husband. On their return to the Hartman's residence and with police present, Brynn also took her own life through a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Phil Hartman & his wife Brynn in 1998 | Source: Getty Images
In words that become telling when you learn of the sudden ending of Phil's life as if he had known something. In 1998, a few months before his death, he said:
“But there's also this sense of vulnerability if fortune took a turn for the worse, and that you live with the awareness that anything could happen in this world.”
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