Norm Macdonald, known for his time on "Saturday Night Live," has died, Fox News can confirm. He was 61 years old.
According to Deadline, the comedian had been privately battling cancer for nine years.
Macdonald's longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra was reportedly at his side when he passed.
"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."
Macdonald was the son of two schoolteachers raised in Quebec City, Canada, and worked as a standup comic before starting out as a writer on "Roseanne" in 1992.
Then became an "SNL" cast member from 1993 until 1999. He famously anchored the show's Weekend Update sketch for three seasons and was replaced by Colin Quinn.
Macdonald became known for his esoteric impressions, including Burt Reynolds, who gave Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek character grief on "Celebrity Jeopardy." He also impersonated Bob Dole, Larry King and David Letterman.
