Saturday Night Live star Norm Macdonald has passed away aged 61 following a nine-year cancer battle.
Confirming the star’s death, Norm’s management revealed the news to online publication Deadline and indicated that he was fighting cancer for almost a decade.
Norm’s producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra said: “He was most proud of his comedy. 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.”
(Image: WireImage)
The star first became known to fans when he made his debut on the iconic comedy show SNL 1993. The star then left the show in 1998.
During his time on the late night programme, the comedian played the Weekend Update anchor. He will be remembered most by fans for his his dry, quick witted humour.
But when he wasn’t providing his supporters with his comical humour from behind the desk, Norm took part in several sketches on the show.
SNL Fans will also recall his memorable impersonation of Burt Reynolds on Celebrity Jeopardy.
(Image: WireImage)
Talking about his imitation of the actor to Forbes, the stand-up comedian once said: “I was always trying to do Burt Reynolds because I knew that I could be funny as Burt Reynolds, because Burt Reynolds was funny.
He added: “I could just steal his delivery and it would be funny. How could Burt Reynolds fit into anything? So then I thought of ‘Celebrity Jeopardy,’ Steve Higgins and I.”
Despite parting ways from the programme in 1998, the performer went on to star in his very own production called The Norm Show from 1999 to 2001.
Norm also continued to make appearances on other late night TV shows in the US. Some of his appearances included Late Night With David Letterman and Conan, as well as a recurring role on The Middle.
Not only this but he also released three stand-up comedy albums: Ridiculous (1996), Me Doing Standup (2011) and Hitler’s Dog, Gossip & Trickery (2017).
In 2018, the entertainer landed on Netflix with his talk show Norm MacDonald Has a Show.
Since the news of his passing, fans have flooded to social media to share their condolences.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “RIP #NormMacDonald. Thanks for the laughs. Loved your stand up act way back in the day. As it turned out you were right and #DonOhlmeyer wrong about that wife-murdering piece of shit #OJSimpson. You should never have been fired from SNL.”
While another penned: “Rest in Peace, legendary, beautiful, Norm MacDonald.”
Norm had one child named Dylan, who he shared with his ex-wife Connie Vaillancourt.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
