Norm Macdonald, Comedian and ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star, Dies at 61

He was privately battling cancer for nine years

Norm Macdonald
Getty Images

Norm Macdonald, one of the most famous cast members on “Saturday Night Live,” died Tuesday after a nine-year battle with cancer, according to his management firm. He was 61.

Macdonald was best known during his run on “SNL” from 1993-98 as the anchor of “Weekend Update.” During a tenure that ran through the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Macdonald was key in turning the news parody segment into one with a more political tone. His relentless jokes at the expense of Simpson were believed by the comedian to be a major reason why he was shockingly fired from the show, as NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer was a friend of the disgraced Buffalo Bills football star.

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