 After appearing in the 1986 films Jumpin ' Jack Flash and ¡ Three Amigos ! , Hartman successfully auditioned for NBC 's variety show Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) and joined the cast and writing staff . He told the Los Angeles Times , " I wanted to do [ SNL ] because I wanted to get the exposure that would give me box @-@ office credibility so I can write movies for myself . " In his eight seasons with the show Hartman became known for his impressions , and performed as over 70 different characters . Hartman 's original Saturday Night Live characters included Eugene , the Anal <unk> Chef and <unk> Caveman Lawyer . His impressions included Frank Sinatra , Ronald Reagan , Ed McMahon , Barbara Bush , Charlton Heston , Phil Donahue and Bill Clinton ; the last was often considered his best @-@ known impression . 
