Adam Sandler, Conan O'Brien and More Stars Pay Tribute to Late 'SNL' Alum Norm Macdonald
Rest in peace, Norm Macdonald. The Saturday Night Live alum died on Tuesday, and his friends and fans were quick to pay tribute.
Macdonald's death came after a nine-year private battle with cancer, his management firm, Brillstein Entertainment, told Deadline. According to the outlet, Lori Jo Hoekstra, Macdonald's longtime producing partner and friend, was with the comedian when he died. He was 61.
"He was most proud of his comedy," Hoekstra said. "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."
Macdonald was revered in the comedy world, and stars including Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Jim Carrey, Patton Oswalt and Steve Martin have taken to social media to honor him upon hearing of his death.
Sandler and Macdonald worked together on numerous occasions, including SNL and movies Billy Madison and Grown Ups.
"Every one of us loved Norm. Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal," Sandler tweeted of the beloved comedian.
Every one of us loved Norm. Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal. pic.twitter.com/2Pftw28uPc
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) September 14, 2021
Stewart was also emotional about his friend's death, posting, "No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique. F**k cancer."
O'Brien likewise paid tribute on social media. "I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald," he tweeted. "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."
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.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) September 14, 2021
Additionally, Carrey posted, "My 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."
My 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.
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) September 14, 2021
"NOOOOO GODDAMIT. Oh my God what is even happening," Oswalt wrote. "Goodbye, Norm. You were never not 100% hilarious."
Martin also tweeted, "We loved Norm MacDonald. One of a kind."
We loved Norm MacDonald. One of a kind. https://t.co/0sXoCLEtuG
— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) September 14, 2021
Bob Saget paid tribute with a recent snapshot of himself and Macdonald on Twitter, and said he was "devastated" by the news of his death.
"Met Norm in Ottawa when he was in my audience at 17 years old. Been close for decades. We have lost a comedic genius," the Fuller House star wrote. "No other voice in comedy has been as uniquely prolific, brazen, dark, hilarious, and heartfelt. Love you forever, Norm."
Devastated. Met Norm in Ottawa when he was in my audience at 17 years old. Been close for decades. We have lost a comedic genius. No other voice in comedy has been as uniquely prolific, brazen, dark, hilarious, and heartfelt. Love you forever, Norm. pic.twitter.com/V44nyouhQN
— bob saget (@bobsaget) September 14, 2021
Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live honored the former cast member and "Weekend Update" anchor with a special memorial on Instagram.
"Today is a sad day. All of us here at SNL mourn the loss of Norm Macdonald, one of the most impactful comedic voices of his or any other generation," the post read. "There are so many things that we’ll miss about Norm - from his unflinching integrity to his generosity to his consistent ability to surprise. But most of all he was just plain funny. No one was funny like Norm."
See more reactions below.
To 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.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) September 14, 2021
So sad about Norm McDonald.
He was SO f’ing funny. One of the all time greats.— 🅳🆁🅴🆆 🅲🅰🆁🅴🆈 (@DrewFromTV) September 14, 2021
Love you Norm ❤️
— Tom Green (@tomgreenlive) September 14, 2021
No one was better or funnier than Norm.
Rest In Peace Sir— Eric Stonestreet (@ericstonestreet) September 14, 2021
Norm, I didn’t just like you.
I loved you.
You didn’t just make me laugh.
You made me cry with laughter.
I’m still crying today.
But when I think of you,
my tears will run down my face with all the memories of all the laughter and all the joys that you brought to all of us.
Rest pic.twitter.com/0cRWLhh5ec— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) September 14, 2021
Norm was in a comedy genre of his own. No one like him on this planet. Please do yourself a favor and watch his stuff. He was one of a kind of all time
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 14, 2021
Norm didn't just make us laugh, he made us laugh hard. Rest well, you crazy bastard.
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) September 14, 2021
Norm is the pinnacle of bravery and originality. 💔 https://t.co/UfeNoEUlUv
— Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) September 14, 2021
Oh fuck. I was a huge fan of Norm Macdonald and I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting. I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows. He was the funniest guest of all time. We lost a comedy giant today. One of the the all time greats. RIP.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) September 14, 2021
This photo was taken after I was a guest on Norm's show. At dinner the laughs just continued nonstop. He will be missed. RIP Norm Macdonald pic.twitter.com/DToJCUBdU2
— Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert) September 14, 2021
In such a divisive time even among comedians, we can all agree Norm MacDonald was the best. Rest In Peace.💔
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) September 14, 2021
Norm Macdonald Remembered: Seth Rogan Praises “Comedy Giant,” Edgar Wright Says, “Thanks For All The Laughs” - Deadline
Very saddened and shocked to hear of this
Lovely funny funny funny man
RIP https://t.co/MwiM0aQxTp— Diedrich Bader (@bader_diedrich) September 14, 2021
Oh come on! Damnit. Not Norm. Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers. RIP #NormMacdonaldhttps://t.co/bK5EALnpYz
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) September 14, 2021
I love the science of comedy. Comedy nerds know that the one step beyond #TheAristcrats was the time Norm Macdonald decided to commit to doing a kitschy mediocre roast for Bob Saget. It was beyond trolling.
— B.R.O.theR. ?uestion (@questlove) September 14, 2021
Truly one of the funniest moments on TV. That was awesome, Norm ruled https://t.co/ZqmwyCpGtY
— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) September 14, 2021
No please, not Norm.
— Jeff Ross (@realjeffreyross) September 14, 2021
Norm McDonald always just marched to the beat of his own drum. That beat didn’t always groove with everyone, but for those whom it did- it was an infectious rhythm that always left you wanting more. Like he was constantly in on a joke that the rest of us had to catch up to…
— Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) September 14, 2021
rip norm mcdonald. one of my first comedy hero’s. every single time i saw him, whether in person or on tv he always surpassed any expectations of how immensely funny he was. truly one of a kind. so lucky to have known you. you will be missed
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) September 14, 2021
So sad. Thanks Norm for all the great laughs and always speaking your mind. You were one of my all time favorites and one of the funniest of all time. RIP Sure gonna be missed. #comedylegendpic.twitter.com/1P4pAGpwtu
— Larry The Cable Guy (@GitRDoneLarry) September 14, 2021
Norm Macdonald, Stand-Up and ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star, Dead at 61 https://t.co/8Gb6Ns0hpF via @RollingStone
This awful news took my breath away. Sending love to his family and friends.— Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) September 14, 2021
The Canadian-born Macdonald began his career as a writer on Roseanne, a job he held from 1992 to 1993. He went on to appear on Saturday Night Live from 1993 to 1998. He anchored the show's "Weekend Update" segment for three seasons. Following his SNL stint, Macdonald led his own sitcom, The Norm Show, for three years. Throughout his career, Macdonald appeared in films including Billy Madison, Funny People and Grown Ups, and TV series including Sunnyside, Girlboss and The Middle.
Macdonald is survived by his 28-year-old son, Dylan Macdonald.
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