Comedian and actor Norm Macdonald dead at 61
Norm Macdonald, the Canadian-born comedian who became an influential cast member of Saturday Night Live after he joined in 1993, has died. He was 61.
His brother Neil said Macdonald died Tuesday in Los Angeles from leukemia, which he was diagnosed with "a long time ago."
"He kept it quiet because he didn't want it to affect his comedy. He didn't want it to affect the way he was perceived … He wanted to carry on," Neil said by phone from Los Angeles.
"He took great pains to conceal it from everybody but family. Cancer's a roller-coaster. We hoped that he would live longer than he did, but it took a turn for the worst last month, and he went into hospital and never came out."
Macdonald was born in Quebec City on Oct. 17, 1959, the son of two schoolteachers, and spent his early years as a stand-up comedian touring across Canada.
He went on to write for shows like Roseanne and The Dennis Miller Show in the early '90s, before going on to host SNL's iconic "Weekend Update" segment from 1994 to 1997.
After leaving SNL, he created and starred in the comedy The Norm Show for ABC, playing a former NHL player kicked out of the league for gambling and tax evasion and forced into community service as a social worker.
"Norm was top rank, top rank of our generation," said Mark Breslin, co-founder of the Yuk Yuk's chain of comedy clubs.
"He was always trying to find the joke that was not the easy way of telling the joke, but the more difficult way of telling the joke."
Macdonald was known for his laconic, deadpan voice and for his impressions â€" including his take on Burt Reynolds, who famously gave Will Ferrell's Alex Trebek character grief on SNL's recurring "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch. He also impersonated Bob Dole, Larry King and David Letterman.
He was the last stand-up comedian to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman, where he had been a frequent guest. At the end of that performance, Macdonald became overwhelmed with emotion, and teared up as he reminisced with Letterman.
"I know that Mr. Letterman is not for the mawkish, and he has no truck for the sentimental," Macdonald said on the show. "But if something is true it is not sentimental. And I say in truth, I love you."
Comedians Colin Quinn, left, Chevy Chase, centre, and Macdonald, right â€" all of whom hosted 'Weekend Update' on Saturday Night Live â€" appear together on April 28, 2012. (Stephen Chernin/Reuters) The two embraced as the show finished.
Fellow performers and fans took to Twitter on Tuesday to share messages of condolence and grief.
"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," said Conan O'Brien.
"Of all the comedic minds I've encountered in real life, Norm Macdonald was easily the most unique," wrote Brent Butt.
"Today the world lost a very, very funny man. We miss him already," added Eugene Levy.
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.
—@ConanOBrien“Norm <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@normmacdonald</a> was a great talent, and I loved laughing with him on SNL. *Bob Dole* will miss Norm Macdonald.†<a href="https://t.co/gPsdyJ5tS9">pic.twitter.com/gPsdyJ5tS9</a>
—@SenatorDoleCan’t believe Norm MacDonald is dead. First met him in the mid 80s. I thought he was way too funny to be successful. I was half right. My deep sympathy to his family, close friends and his fans. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ripNorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ripNorm</a>
—@DaveSFoleyTo so many people in comedy, me included, there was nobody funnier than Norm MacDonald. You always hoped he would hang around after the work was done, just so you could hear his stories and get a laugh. So hilarious and so generous with his personality. I’m gonna miss him.
—@SethMacFarlaneMy dear friend Norm MacDonald passed after a brave 10 year battle. He was one of our most precious gems. An honest and courageous comedy genius. I love him.
—@JimCarreySeth Rogen said he "essentially ripped off [Macdonald's] delivery" when he first began acting.
"We lost a comedy giant today," Rogen wrote.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau called him a "comedic genius," and said "the world was a much funnier place because Norm Macdonald was in it."
Despite having cancer, Macdonald continued to work as a comedian and was scheduled to appear at the New York Comedy festival this November.
He hosted his own podcast, Norm Macdonald Live, from 2013 to 2018, and his own Netflix series â€" Norm Macdonald has a Show â€" in 2018. He also lent his voice to the animated series Mike Tyson Mysteries until its finale last year.
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