Norm Macdonald, The Comic Whose Jabs At O.J. Simpson Got Him Fired
NBCNorm Macdonald on “Weekend Update.” The SNL member’s death shocked fans in 2021.
When Norm Macdonald died of cancer in 2021 at the age of 61, the death of the former SNL “Weekend Update” anchor took many — even those close to him — by surprise. Macdonald had kept his illness a secret for years. But Macdonald had always been a comic who delighted in the unexpected.
Born on Oct. 17, 1959 in Quebec City, Quebec, Macdonald got his start as a stand-up comedian and a TV show writer before attracting the attention of Jim Downey, the head writer on Saturday Night Live.
“Jim just liked the intelligence behind the jokes,” Lorne Michaels recalled in Macdonald’s New York Times obituary. “There’s something in his comedy — there’s just a toughness to it. Also, he’s incredibly patient. He can wait.”
Macdonald became an anchor on SNL’s parody news show “Weekend Update” in 1994. During the O.J. Simpson trial the next year, Macdonald cracked multiple jokes at Simpson’s expense, allegedly drawing the ire of NBC Entertainment president Don Ohlmeyer, a friend of the disgraced football star.
YouTubeNorm Macdonald on Conan O’Brien’s late night show.
“Well, it is finally official,” Macdonald quipped when Simpson was acquitted that October. “Murder is legal in the state of California.”
Macdonald was taken off of “Weekend Update” in 1998, and then left the show. He dabbled in other projects, including Norm and Sports Show With Norm Macdonald. Though neither lasted long, Macdonald’s dry, deadpan humor made him a favorite on late night talk shows.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, and quietly sought treatment for the disease until his death on Sept. 14, 2021. The news shocked even some of his closest friends, many of whom didn’t know he was sick.
