Norm Macdonald Remembered by Steve Martin, Sarah Silverman and More: ‘We Lost a Legend’
Actors and comics alike are mourning Norm Macdonald after the beloved comedian died on Monday after a nine-year battle with cancer.
Macdonald was perhaps best known for his time on “Saturday Night Live,” serving as an anchor on “Weekend Update” from 1993-98. His tenure at the desk saw him joking through the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, blending comedy and politics seamlessly.
“Today is a sad day,” NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” said in a statement. “All of us here at SNL mourn the loss of Norm Macdonald, one of the most impactful comedic voices of his or any other generation. There are so many things that we’ll miss about Norm – from his unflinching integrity to his generosity to his consistent ability to surprise. But most of all he was just plain funny. No one was funny like Norm.”
“No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique. F— cancer,” fellow political comedian Jon Stewart tweeted.
Actor Josh Gad hailed Macdonald as “one of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers,” while Seth Rogen admitted that he copied Macdonald for a good portion of his early career.
“I was a huge fan of Norm Macdonald and I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting,” Rogen wrote. “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.”
Fellow comedians Patton Oswalt, Whitney Cummings and Jim Gaffigan all wrote tributes on Twitter as well.
“Good bye, Norm. You were never not 100% hilarious,” Oswalt wrote. Gaffigan added, “We lost a legend. Norm was punishingly funny. A unique special point of view and completely organic.”
You can check out more tributes to Norm Macdonald below.
No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique. Fuck cancer.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) September 14, 2021
We loved Norm MacDonald. One of a kind. https://t.co/0sXoCLEtuG
— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) September 14, 2021
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
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
NOOOOO GODDAMIT. Oh my God what is even happening.
Good bye, Norm. You were never not 100% hilarious. https://t.co/loW3QsEjgW
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 14, 2021
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
This photo was taken after I was a guest on Norm's show. At dinner the laughs just continued nonstop. He will be missed. RIP Norm Macdonald pic.twitter.com/DToJCUBdU2
— Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert) September 14, 2021
Of the many addictive rabbit holes you can disappear down on the internet, the most pleasurable is 'Norm MacDonald chat show appearances'. Thanks for all the laughs Norm, very sorry to see you go. https://t.co/ahxZNRdJEw
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) September 14, 2021
Let me pause my meaningless online arguments to say Norm was one of the greatest comedians to have ever lived. One of the best moments of my career was when he found something I did funny. Very few comics will ever possess that level of mastery. RIP. https://t.co/VrsnVRCUZ9
— Tim Dillon (@TimJDillon) September 14, 2021
Norm is the pinnacle of bravery and originality. https://t.co/UfeNoEUlUv
— Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) September 14, 2021
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
