‘SNL’ vet and comedian Norm Macdonald dies
Comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Norm Macdonald died Tuesday after a private battle with cancer, his manager Marc Gurvitz confirmed to USA TODAY. He was 61 years old.
Lori Jo Hoekstra, Macdonald’s friend and producing partner, told Deadline she was with him at the time of his death and that the comedian had been fighting cancer for nine years.
“He was most proud of his comedy,” 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.”
Macdonald is best known as a cast member on “SNL” from 1993-98, and especially his role as anchor of the show’s “Weekend Update” segment for three seasons. His dry humor and gravelly voice also was featured in sitcoms and animated series.
“He’s eccentric, but he’s always had his own voice,” “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels said in 2018. “He likes the part of the curmudgeon, but he is truly funny.”
Macdonald was known for his impressions of Larry King, Burt Reynolds and Bob Dole, among others. His take on Reynolds was an indelible part of the “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches, which also featured Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek, and he reprised that role in the “SNL” 40th anniversary celebration in 2015.
Macdonald was removed from the “Weekend Update” desk at “SNL” in 1998 by thenNBC chief Don Ohlmeyer, and the comedian publicly said he believed it was because Ohlmeyer didn’t like Macdonald’s jokes about O.J. Simpson, a friend of Ohlmeyer’s.