Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live didn’t end with the massive homecoming event last month. As the 2025 TV schedule continues to see the parade of upcoming SNL hosts making its milestone year something truly special, memories of past cast members like the late Phil Hartman are easy to conjure up as a result.
Previous guest star Valerie Bertinelli threw her own contribution into the proverbial hat, and it involved a moment that saw the comedy legend a bit hard in the paint when preparing. Speaking with EW about her 1987 guest spot on NBC’s late night monolith, the OG One Day at a Time actor recalled a sketch called “Dinner at the Van Halens,” which saw her and then husband Eddie Van Halen throwing a small dinner party.
While it’s not one of the most popular SNL clips online, it’s still a pretty fun gag you can seek out with access to a Peacock subscription. Playing the other couple involved were none other than Hartman and fellow cast member Victoria Jackson, which saw the process of mounting the 1987 sketch leading to this recollection from Bertinelli:
I remember Phil Hartman. I loved him. [The script] didn’t have me say a name [for him], but I was like, ‘And, Phil,’ and he goes, 'No, don't call me Phil in this. My character's name is [blank].' I’m like, ‘Oh, okay, you have a character name.’ I remember him just reprimanding me like, 'No, I’m not Phil here.' I don't know why that sticks out. He was digging deep for that particular skit.
This story sounds about right when it comes to the Newsradio comedian’s approach to comedy. A member of the Groundlings improv troupe that broke into Saturday Night Live’s 1986 cast, Phil Hartman’s characters tended to walk the line between stoicism and hilarity. So this reprimanding does sound totally on brand, while at the same time not being too harsh.
Continuing to remember her experience with “Dinner at the Van Halens,” Valerie Bertinelli offered even more fondness for this sketch, which also featured Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, and Dennis Miller. Their part in the experience was that of an over enthusiastic road crew, which feeds into the following premise, recalled by Bertinelli:
It was very funny. We’re having a dinner party, and Ed had his roadies there taking care of the dinner instead of waiters and waitresses and being wait staff, which we would never have anyways. It’s like, so not us.
Throughout the history of Saturday Night Live, there has been and will always be moments where the guest and cast mix it up together. Sometimes that leads to stories involving a classic Martin Short-style insult, and in others it provides a moment that shows a guest like Valerie Bertinelli a deeper look into the process that some actors like Phil Hartman use to keep their characters on the beam.
We’re not near the end of this milestone run just yet, and some have already called their favorite sketch of SNL Season 50. Whether that choice happens to be a huge hit like the Domingo saga, or a recent win like the Lady Gaga-starring “Pip” segment from the most recent episode, there’s always something for everybody on the show. And none of it would be possible without veteran performers like Phil Hartman and game guests like Valerie Bertinelli putting on the show of a lifetime on a weekly basis.
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