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Norm Macdonald, Comedian & SNL Alum, Has Died At 61
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 14, 2021
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 14, 2021
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Norm Macdonald, the legendary comedian and former Weekend Update anchor at Saturday Night Live, has died after a nine-year long battle with cancer, which was previously unknown to the public. He was 61.
“He was most proud of his comedy,” longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra told Deadline. “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.”
Born in Quebec City, Macdonald performed standup around Canada in his early years before being hired to write for Roseanne Barr’s sitcom Roseanne for the 1992-93 season. He then became a cast member on SNL from 1993 to 1998, where he was initially known for his impressions, including Larry King, Bob Dole, David Letterman, Burt Reynolds and more.
Most prominently, Macdonald was the anchor of Weekend Update for three seasons, where his droll, understated comedic style was utilized for mischievous, anti-authoritarian jokes about celebrities and news headlines; his brief but incredibly memorable time as anchor became influential over the next generation of SNL comedians, including the likes of Colin Quinn and Colin Jost.
Macdonald was taken off of the Weekend Update desk in 1998 at the behest of Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC's West Coast division, allegedly because of ratings, although Macdonald believed that it was actually because he was "insubordinate," especially when it came to jokes at the expense of people like of Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson. Macdonald ended up leaving the program later that season altogether.
During and after his time at SNL, Macdonald starred in several films and TV shows, including Dirty Work, Screwed, Billy Madison, The Norm Show, A Minute With Stan Hooper, The Middle, and more. He also had a career as a voice over artist for the Dr. Dolittle series as Lucky the dog, and in several TV series including Family Guy, Mike Tyson Mysteries, and more.
But he developed his reputation as a comic's comic in several stand-up specials, as well as his frequent appearances on various podcasts (including his own, Norm Macdonald Live) and late night shows, especially Late Show with David Letterman, The Howard Stern Show and Conan. He also appeared occasionally at various celebrity roasts, most famously delivering a hilarious roast of Bob Saget that is still remembered as one of the greatest roasts of the modern era.
In recent years, he developed a reputation for his storytelling abilities, which resulted in memorable Twitter threads on subjects including meeting Bob Dylan and his reflections on SNL.
And just last year, he performed our first truly great coronavirus-themed set, in which he pinpointed his own anxieties in this moment and turned it into comedy gold. "Since I may never do stand-up again, here is some more from my final set, speaking on Tom Hanks Disease (THD), that which very well may be my undoing," Macdonald tweeted along with links to the set.
In a 2011 interview with the Times, Macdonald discussed his feelings about cancer after making a joke about a great-uncle who was dying from bowel cancer.
“When I hear a guy lost a battle to cancer,” Macdonald said, “that really did bother me, that that’s a term. It implies that he failed and that somebody else that defeated cancer is heroic and courageous.” He added that there were parts of his private life he wasn't ready to share with the audience. “I took away a lot more of my existential brooding on death that I haven’t really figured out yet,” he said. “It leaves people a little sad. I have to figure out a way to work on that.”
Fans of Macdonald are sharing some of his classic jokes, late night appearances, and comedy sets.
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norm macdonald
saturday night live
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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