Norm Macdonald, the standup comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, has died.
He was 61.
Deadline reports Macdonald died after “a nine-year private battle with cancer.”
The Deadline report said his by his management firm Brillstein Entertainment confirmed his death. “The comedian’s longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra, who was with him when died, said Macdonald had been battling cancer for nearly a decade but was determined to keep his health struggles private, away from family, friends and fans.”
Read the full Deadline report.
Born in Quebec, Canada, Macdonald broke into show business as a standup comic in the mid-1980s before landing a job as a writer on “Roseanne” and a gig as a performer on the sitcom “Roseanne” in 1992.
Macdonald then landed a spot in the cast of “Saturday Night Live” where he worked from 1993 until 1999. Known for his impressions of Bob Dole, Larry King, Burt Reynolds and David Letterman, Macdonald left his mark on the show and all of entertainment as one of the most popular “Weekend Update” anchor’s in the late night comedy staple’s storied history.
Don Ohlmeyer, then-president of NBC’s West Coast division, famous had Macdonald removed as “Update” anchor, which the comic believed to be because of his frequent and biting jokes about O.J. Simpson.
His final “SNL” appearance came in February 1998.
Macdonald also appeared in many films like “Billy Madison,” “Dirty Work,” “Dr. Dolittle,” and television shows like “The Norm Show,” “A Minute with Stan Hooper,” “Family Guy” and “The Orville.”
Some of his most memorable moments came from appearances on late night talk shows with David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, when Macdonald would often tell meandering jokes and stories that delighted the hosts and audiences.
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