Remembering Norm Macdonald: Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, Jim Carrey and More Salute Comedy Legend

“Battling cancer for 9 years without telling anyone is the most Norm Macdonald shit ever.”

Maxim Video

Sep 15, 2021

Comedians and entertainers are among those sharing heartfelt tributes to Norm Macdonald after the beloved SNL alum and standup comic died Tuesday at 61.

Macdonald died after nearly a decade of battling cancer in private, according to a statement from his longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B84l65NA3gW

“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. Norm will be missed terribly.”

Comedian Anthony Jeselnik, who worked with Macdonald on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, highlighted that sentiment in his reaction to the news.

https://twitter.com/anthonyjeselnik/status/1437862138773590017

“Battling cancer for 9 years without telling anyone is the most Norm Macdonald shit ever,” Jeselnik tweeted.

USA Today rounded up several more salutes to the comedy icon. Conan O’Brien, whose interactions with Macdonald on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Conan made for several memorable moments, said he’ll “never laugh that hard again.”

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

“Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny,” O’Brien tweeted. “I will never laugh that hard again. I’m so sad for all of us today.”

https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo/status/1437853036446199815

Steve Martin called Macdonald “one of a kind” before sharing a New York Times editorial asserting that Macdonald’s comedic legacy is intertwined with standup, not SNL.

https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo/status/1438143147926859778

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

“I was a huge fan of Norm Macdonald and I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting,” Seth Rogen remembered. “I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows.”

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

Adam Sandler also commended Macdonald. “Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew.”

Oh my God. We lost a legend. Norm was punishingly funny. A unique special point of view and completely organic. RIPNormMacDonald https://t.co/u3nkFjs099

— Jim Gaffigan (@JimGaffigan) September 14, 2021

“We lost a legend,” Jim Gaffigan added. “Norm was punishingly funny. A unique special point of view and completely organic.”

https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/1437855600851894273

Jim Carrey called Macdonald “one of our most precious gems. An honest and courageous comedy genius. I love him.”

https://twitter.com/jaymohr37/status/1437865225835798529

Jay Mohr and Sarah Silverman both appeared on SNL during Macdonald’s tenure on the long-running sketch show in the 1990s.

“In a business filled with rock and rollers, Norm Macdonald was playing jazz,” Mohr wrote.

https://twitter.com/jaymohr37/status/1437865225835798529

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

“No one like him on this planet. Please do yourself a favor and watch his stuff,” Silverman urged fans. “He was one of a kind of all time.”

Seth MacFarlane, Whitney Cummings, Artie Lange and Josh Gad were among the many others who sang Macdonald’s praises.

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

Norm is the pinnacle of bravery and originality. 💔 https://t.co/UfeNoEUlUv

— Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) September 14, 2021

I will miss you forever!@normmacdonald pic.twitter.com/guVNMZpyzM

— Artie Lange (@artiequitter) September 14, 2021

Oh come on! Damnit. Not Norm. Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers. RIP #NormMacdonald https://t.co/bK5EALnpYz

— Josh Gad (@joshgad) September 14, 2021

Macdonald was widely known for anchoring Weekend Update during his time on SNL from 1993 to 1998. His combination of quick wit, affability and irreverence also made for a “pantheon level late night [talk show] guest,” as his Weekend Update co-anchor describes.

Norm MacDonald was my OG Weekend Update anchor and a pantheon level late night guest. So funny, witty, irreverent and understated. The comedy world just lost a 1 of 1. RIP.

— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 14, 2021

Below, remember Macdonald through some of his greatest moments on SNL, talk shows, and an audio recording of his absurd Bog Saget roast segment: