Comedian Norm Macdonald Dies After Private Battle with Cancer

Comedian Norm Macdonald Dies After Private Battle with Cancer

The comedy world had just lost a giant when news came out that Norm Macdonald had passed away after a private battle with cancer.

Talking to Deadline, Macdonald’s longtime friend and producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra revealed that Macdonald had been battling with the disease for nine years, and had chosen to keep his struggle private from family, friends, and fans. 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.”

Besides being an influential stand-up comic, Macdonald is probably best known for his anchor role on Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. He’s also notorious for his take on Burt Reynolds who is frequently at odds with Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek:

Besides that, Macdonald also has a very distinct voice that fans will recognize in Family Guy (Death) and FairlyOddParents (Norm the Genie). Macdonald has also had a very storied career with credits hat include The Dennis Miller Show and Roseanne.

For now, tributes are coming out for Macdonald online, and fans and friends have been sharing their favorite bits from his work. While Macdonald never did become an A-lister, he is definitely remembered fondly by several people in the industry, and his influence in modern comedy is not forgotten.

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1437892570772873224

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