General Hospital star James Patrick Stuart pays tribute to friend, deceased actor 

General Hospital star James Patrick Stuart has paid tribute to an old friend and mentor of his who died in 1998, comedian and actor Phil Hartman.

Hartman, a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1994, created several famous characters there, including Phil Donahue, The Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer and Frankenstein. He left SNL for a lead role on the primetime sitcom NewsRadio from 1995-98. In 1998, Hartman was killed by his wife at the age of 49.

Hartman shared the win for 1989 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for SNL. He also voiced several characters on The Simpsons.

James Patrick Stuart considered Phil Hartman a mentor

Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) has posted several times on his social media about Hartman, who he has known since he was a little boy because of Hartman’s friendship with his father, Chad Stuart.

Stuart took time to reminisce about his friend, posting a picture on his Instagram account of a biographical book about Hartman. The book was next to an empty beverage cup, implying that Stuart was at home reading the book.

The book, called “You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman,” was written by Mike Thomas and released in 2015. It is available online.

The General Hospital star captioned the post, “They say never meet your heroes… Unless your hero was Phil (Hartman), in which case you definitely should have done that. His untimely passing was the least important part of his story and, years later, his legacy of kindness is still what resonates. Despite his fame, despite being funny beyond compare, he was a listener and would made you feel like the most important person in the room. Nothing is permanent, everything is always changing… Only this moment counts. Spend it wisely. Missing him still.”

Numerous fans commented on the post, sharing their love of Hartman, with some asking how they can get a copy of the book.

On Instagram, sharonjs55 told the General Hospital star “Loved him so much. Unfortunately, I never got to meet home but from reading what his friends/family said about him, he was a wonderful person inside and out. I believe there is a Comedy Heaven and one day we will have a front row seat!”

The fan angelofthelordmom added some wisdom about life, saying, “Really, to be remembered for your kindness is the most SPECIAL of ways to be remembered!! Yes, it is also a blessing to be able to make others laugh!! I don’t really know much about Mr. Hartman, but just knowing those two characteristics of him, it would be a privilege to have him in your life!!

A fan of both Stuart and Hartman, andreahughesbaker, said “I loved him. He was the best. I’ll definitely read this book,” before adding to Stuart “(And I met you a couple of times and you didn’t disappoint. You were great!)”

General Hospital star remembers his roots

In past social media posts, Stuart said he met Hartman when he was 6 years old, and Hartman was in his mid-20s, and a friend of James’s father Chad Stuart. Chad Stuart, who died in 2020, was part of the duo Chad & Jeremy, who had 11 Billboard Hot 100 hits in the 1960s, including “A Summer Song.” The General Hospital star has released two albums of his own.

On X (formerly Twitter) in 2023, the General Hospital star recounted that first meeting when he was a child in the mid-1970s: “He was a graphic designer working for my dad’s manager. When he learned my father had an 8mm movie camera capable of stop frame, he spent an hour with me making a movie where my (M)arvel action figures attacked and destroyed my (F)isher (P)rice town. Will never forget him as long as I live.”

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On Facebook in 2017, Stuart posted a tribute on Hartman’s birthday, September 24th “He was a very dear friend of my father's as I grew up and was, more than any other single force, my inspiration for becoming an actor. I will always keep a picture of him in my dressing room. I love you, Phil. Happy birthday.”

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