Norm Macdonald Dies at Age 61 After Private Cancer Battle: Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart and More Celebrities React

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Norm Macdonald Dies at Age 61 After Private Cancer Battle: Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart and More Celebrities React

Shocking loss. Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart and more celebrities are sending their condolences after comedian Norm Macdonald died at age 61. The former Saturday Night Live star privately fought cancer for nearly 10 years before Us Weekly confirmed his death on Tuesday, September 14. "He was most proud of his comedy," his longtime producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra said in a statement. "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 appeared on the long-running variety sketch show for five years between 1993 and 1998. He anchored the iconic "Weekend Update" segment for three seasons, following in the footsteps of Chevy Chase, Kevin Nealon and Jane Curtin. The segment has since been hosted by Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Colin Jost, Michael Che and more. [jwplayer t0rA9ec4] Apart from his work on the NBC late-night series, the Canada native was known for roles in 1995's Billy Madison and 2010's Grown Ups. His final film credit was in 2019's Klaus. Through the years, the Norm Macdonald Has a Show host was a controversial comedic figure. In September 2018, he was pulled from a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after comments he made about the #MeToo movement raised eyebrows. "I'm happy the #MeToo movement has slowed down a little bit. ... The model used to be: admit wrongdoing, show complete contrition and then we give you a second chance," Macdonald said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Now it's admit wrongdoing and you’re finished. And so the only way to survive is to deny, deny, deny." He went on to stand up for friends Louis C.K. and Roseanne Barr, who had both been under fire for various scandals at the time. "There are very few people that have gone through what they have, losing everything in a day," Macdonald continued. "Of course, people will go, 'What about the victims?' But you know what? The victims didn't have to go through that." Shortly after his comments sparked backlash, the Mike Tyson Mysteries actor apologized via Twitter. "Roseanne and Louis have both been very good friends of mine for many years. They both made terrible mistakes and I would never defend their actions," he wrote. "If my words sounded like I was minimizing the pain that their victims feel to this day, I am deeply sorry." In 2016, the Dr. Dolittle star reflected on how Hollywood changed throughout his decades-long career. "I've done [talk shows] for 20 years, and 20 years ago, when you went on a talk show, you would talk and it would just evaporate into nothingness," he said during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. "And now it's forever." Scroll down to see how celebrities are paying tribute to the SNL great after his death: [podcast_block]

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Norm Macdonald Dies at Age 61 After Private Cancer Battle: Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart and More Celebrities React

Shocking loss. Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart and more celebrities are sending their condolences after comedian Norm Macdonald died at age 61. The former Saturday Night Live star privately fought cancer for nearly 10 years before Us Weekly confirmed his death on Tuesday, September 14. "He was most proud of his comedy," his longtime producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra said in a statement. "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 appeared on the long-running variety sketch show for five years between 1993 and 1998. He anchored the iconic "Weekend Update" segment for three seasons, following in the footsteps of Chevy Chase, Kevin Nealon and Jane Curtin. The segment has since been hosted by Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Colin Jost, Michael Che and more. [jwplayer t0rA9ec4] Apart from his work on the NBC late-night series, the Canada native was known for roles in 1995's Billy Madison and 2010's Grown Ups. His final film credit was in 2019's Klaus. Through the years, the Norm Macdonald Has a Show host was a controversial comedic figure. In September 2018, he was pulled from a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after comments he made about the #MeToo movement raised eyebrows. "I'm happy the #MeToo movement has slowed down a little bit. ... The model used to be: admit wrongdoing, show complete contrition and then we give you a second chance," Macdonald said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Now it's admit wrongdoing and you’re finished. And so the only way to survive is to deny, deny, deny." He went on to stand up for friends Louis C.K. and Roseanne Barr, who had both been under fire for various scandals at the time. "There are very few people that have gone through what they have, losing everything in a day," Macdonald continued. "Of course, people will go, 'What about the victims?' But you know what? The victims didn't have to go through that." Shortly after his comments sparked backlash, the Mike Tyson Mysteries actor apologized via Twitter. "Roseanne and Louis have both been very good friends of mine for many years. They both made terrible mistakes and I would never defend their actions," he wrote. "If my words sounded like I was minimizing the pain that their victims feel to this day, I am deeply sorry." In 2016, the Dr. Dolittle star reflected on how Hollywood changed throughout his decades-long career. "I've done [talk shows] for 20 years, and 20 years ago, when you went on a talk show, you would talk and it would just evaporate into nothingness," he said during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. "And now it's forever." Scroll down to see how celebrities are paying tribute to the SNL great after his death: [podcast_block]

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Seth Meyers

The Emmy winner dedicated time on his late night show to look back on some of Macdonald's work. "He was the gold standard, and he will continue to be the gold standard, and I would just suggest that everybody go watch him tell the moth story on Conan," he said. "Go watch any number of Norm Macdonald things tonight because they are really, truly timeless."

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Jimmy Fallon

Macdonald was "one of the greatest comedians ever" and "a friend of the show — family, really, to us," the Fever Pitch star said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

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Amy Schumer

The Trainwreck star shared a screenshot of a text message she received from the "kind and hilarious" comic, who was impressed by one of her specials. 

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James Corden

"All Norm ever wanted to do was to make us laugh and he was absolutely brilliant at it," the Late Late Show With James Corden host recalled. "There was nobody quite like him. I felt privileged any time I got to be in his orbit. He leaves us as one of the all-time great comics, perhaps the single greatest guest in the history of late-night television, I think."

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Stephen Colbert

"I wish I were a good enough comedian to come up with a joke right now about Norm Macdonald having died. But the only comedian I know who could get away with a 'Norm Macdonald is dead joke' is Norm Macdonald," the former Colbert Report personality said during his show on Tuesday. "And I'm going to miss the fact that there's nobody left on the planet who can do that, and the comedy world is poorer for it today."

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Howie Mandel

The America's Got Talent judge was "heartbroken" by the news, he told Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday. "He gave me some of my favorite moments ever on SNL," Mandel said. "He was so funny, so pure, so authentic, so real."

He went on to reference the loss during the competition show while critiquing contestant Gina Brillon. "Having you and seeing you and Josh on the show today brings us back and lets us know that laughter is still alive and laughter is the best medicine," he said.

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Bob Saget

“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,” the Full House alum tweeted alongside a photo with his longtime friend. “No other voice in comedy has been as uniquely prolific, brazen, dark, hilarious, and heartfelt. Love you forever, Norm.”

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Adam Sandler

“Every one of us loved Norm. Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man,” the actor, who starred alongside Macdonald in Billy Madison and on SNL, wrote via Instagram. “Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal.”

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Eugene Levy

The fellow Canadian comedian tweeted, “Today the world lost a very, very funny man. We miss him already. R.I.P Norm Macdonald.”

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SNL

“Today is a sad day,” the show tweeted. “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.”

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Whitney Cummings

The standup comic called Macdonald "the pinnacle of bravery and originality."

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Steve Martin

"We loved Norm MacDonald. One of a kind," the comedy legend wrote in a Twitter tribute.

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Sarah Silverman

"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," the School of Rock actress wrote. "He was one of a kind of all time."

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Rob Schneider

"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," Macdonald's Grown Ups costar tweeted on Tuesday. "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."

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Eric Stonestreet

The Modern Family alum gushed, "No one was better or funnier than Norm. Rest in Peace Sir."

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Jimmy Kimmel

"Norm didn't just make us laugh, he made us laugh hard. Rest well, you crazy bastard," the late-night host tweeted.

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Justin Long

The Accepted star praised the late comedian for being "fearlessly funny," adding, "The confidence it takes to tell a joke like this on a talk show is something I'll always marvel at."

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Rosie O'Donnell

The A League of Their Own actress shared a photo of Macdonald sitting at the "Weekend Update" desk. "So sad," she added.

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John Stamos

The Full House alum tweeted, "Usually when you see a celebrity trending, you check it out because you're afraid they may have died. You click their name and most of the time it's something innocuous. Not this time sadly, #RIPNormMacdonald."

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Jim Carrey

The Dumb and Dumber star honored his "dear friend" after his "brave 10 year battle" with cancer. "He was one of our most precious gems. An honest and courageous comedy genius. I love him," Carrey wrote.

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Ken Jeong

"In such a divisive time even among comedians, we can all agree Norm MacDonald was the best," the Hangover star tweeted. "Rest In Peace."

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Mike Birbiglia

"I saw him perform live when I was in college," the Sleepwalk With Me star recalled in a Tuesday tweet. "It was one of the most memorable performances I've ever seen. A complete mastery of standup comedy performance and an unparalleled passion for the art of writing jokes. Never met him. Love to his friends & family."

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Ike Barinholtz

The Mindy Project alum called Macdonald "one of the funniest to ever do it" in a Twitter tribute. "I've got so many laughs in my life by just repeating Norm Macdonald jokes," he wrote. "RIP to a king."

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Tom Green

Drew Barrymore's ex-husband shared one of his favorite memories Macdonald from a 2014 episode of Tom Green Live, writing, "Words can't describe how saddened I am to hear of the passing of my friend."

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Seth MacFarlane

"To so many people in comedy, me included, there was nobody funnier than Norm Macdonald," the Family Guy creator tweeted. "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."

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Conan O'Brien

"I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald," the longtime late-night host 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."

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Jon Stewart

"No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald," the former Daily Show host noted via social media. "Hilarious and unique. F--k cancer."

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Patton Oswalt

"Seriously this really hurts," the comedian wrote via Twitter.

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Seth Rogen

"Oh f--k," the Freaks and Geeks alum tweeted on Tuesday. "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 [sic] all time greats. RIP."

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Josh Gad

The Frozen actor shared an article about the loss on Tuesday, tweeting, "Oh come on! Damnit. Not Norm. Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers. RIP #NormMacdonald." 

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Meghan McCain

The former View cohost was "gutted" by the news, she tweeted on Tuesday. "One of the great comedic geniuses, free thinkers, all around true originals of all time. Ben [Domenech] and I were lucky enough to see him perform in Vegas and it was incredible. Beyond tragic. Condolences to his friends, family and loved ones."

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Brett Gursky

"Grew up watching #NormMacDonald on SNL. Loved him as the anchor of Weekend Update," the director wrote in a social media tribute. "Sometimes controversial. Always honest. Undoubtedly funny. Can't believe he's gone."