#Norm Macdonald, Saturday Night Live alum, dead at 61 after cancer battle

Some truly sad and stunning news is coming out today about Saturday Night Live alum Norm Macdonald: He has died at the age of 61.

The comedian’s passing was confirmed this morning (per Deadline) by management firm Brillstein Entertainment. Macdonald had been battling cancer for the past decade, but chose to keep most of the fight private and away from his fans and even some close to him. Here is what friend and producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra had to say to the aforementioned website:

“He was most proud of his comedy … 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 should be known as one of the best Weekend Update anchors in the show’s history, consistently afraid to go bold and political with some of his jokes. His dry style made him a fan favorite, and we love very much what he did as Burt Reynolds/Turd Ferguson on Celebrity Jeopardy for so many years. He even revived the bit for the 40th anniversary special.