SNL Star Norm Macdonald Passes Away At Age 61

Norm Macdonald, best known for his days on Saturday Night Live, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 61 after a multi-year battle with cancer, reports TMZ. Macdonald reportedly kept his battle with the disease private for nine years.

“He was most proud of his comedy,” Lori Jo Hoekstra, his longtime producing partner who was with him when he died, 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 one of the “Weekend Update” co-hosts on SNL for years and was a cast member on the show from 1993 to 1998. He also appeared in countless comedy movies including Billie Madison, Dr. Doolittle, Deuce Bigalow and starred in his own sitcom, Norm. He also had roles on TV shows such as Roseanne, My Name Is Earl, Family Guy, and others.

Macdonald was still doing standup as recently as within the past year, though he had commented about how the current culture of political correctness was making it harder for him to be really funny.