Comedian Norm Macdonald the Former cast member of the 'Saturday Night Live' Dies At 61
Former cast member of the 'Saturday Night Live' was suffering from cancer for the last nine years but didn't disclose it in public
Popular comedian, writer and actor Norm Macdonald died of cancer at age 61.
Known for his dry humour and laconic comic style, he was a cast member of the sitcom Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1993 to 1998.
Lori Jo Hoekstra, the comedian's friend and longtime producing partner, was informed that Macdonald had been suffering from cancer for the last nine years but didn't want to disclose his health struggles in public.
"A Pure Comic"
"He was most proud of his comedy," Hoekstra said. He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly. "
Life And Career
Canadian by birth, Macdonald was born on 17 October 1959 in Quebec City. Before moving to the United States to pursue TV comedy writing, he performed in comedy clubs around Ottawa.
He later wrote for the Roseanne television series for the 1992–93 season. Soon after, he joined the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) television programme in 1993.
There, along with performing impressions of personalities such as Larry King, Burt Reynolds, Quentin Tarantino and Bob Dole, he also cohosted the segment 'Weekend Update' for three seasons. He roasted public figures such as Marion Barry, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, and O. J. Simpson.
Leaving SNL
When the former American footballer, O.J. Simpson, was facing a court trial in relation to the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, Macdonald, he repeatedly ridiculed him. And when the footballer was acquitted of the charges, Macdonald opened 'Weekend Update' by saying, "Well, it's finally official; murder is legal in the state of California."
His criticism of Simpson was considered the reason for his firing from the show in 1998. After which, he starred in his own ABC sitcom 'The Norm Show' from 1999 until 2001.
He also hosted a Netflix talk show, "Norm Macdonald Has a Show" in 2018, that echoed his video podcast, "Norm Macdonald Live," which ran from 2013 until 2017 and is available on YouTube.
"Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time"
He earned a CableACE Award nomination as part of the writing team for the 1992 variety special 'Free to Laugh: A Comedy and Music Special for Amgnesty International'. He was named to Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time in 2004.
In his 2016 memoir, "Based On A True Story," Macdonald reflected on his continued love for stand-up comedy.
"Hilarious And Unique"
Late-night host Conan O'Brien took to Twitter to express his grief over Macdonald's demise. He wrote, "I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald. Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny. I will never laugh that hard again. I'm so sad for all of us today."
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart wrote online: "No one could make you break like Norm MacDonald. Hilarious and unique."
Seth Meyers, the host of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," gave a candid remembrance of the late comedian on Tuesday’s Late Night. He said Macdonald wouldn’t have wanted to hear "anything sentimental" said about him in the wake of his death. Instead, Meyers shared his favourite and funniest memories of the comic.
