Phil Hartman Futurama Tribute Murder

Comedian Phil Hartman, famous for playing Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz on The Simpsons, was originally lined up to voice space captain Zapp Brannigan in Futurama. Before recording could begin, his wife, Brynn Hartman, shot and killed him in their Los Angeles home in 1998, then died by suicide. To honor him, the creators named the show’s main character Philip J. Fry after Hartman. Billy West ultimately took over the role of Zapp Brannigan.

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