Norm Macdonald facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Norm Macdonald
Macdonald in 2016
Birth name	Norman Gene Macdonald
Born	(1959-10-17)October 17, 1959 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Died	September 14, 2021(2021-09-14) (aged 61) Duarte, California, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film literature
Genres	Observational comedy deadpan anti-humor non sequitur black comedy insult comedy shaggy dog story satire
Spouse	Connie Vaillancourt ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1999)​
Children	1
Relative(s)	Neil Macdonald (brother) Joyce Napier (sister-in-law)

Norman Gene Macdonald (born October 17, 1959 – died September 14, 2021) was a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer. He was known for his unique style of comedy. This included a very serious, straight-faced way of delivering jokes, and using old-fashioned phrases.

Norm Macdonald was a popular guest on late-night talk shows. Many people, including other comedians, thought he was one of the best talk show guests ever.

Early in his career, Macdonald wrote for TV shows like Roseanne. In 1993, he joined Saturday Night Live (SNL). He spent five seasons there, hosting the "Weekend Update" news segment for over three years. After leaving SNL in 1998, he starred in the movie Dirty Work. He also had his own TV show, The Norm Show, from 1999 to 2001.

Macdonald also did voice acting for cartoons like Family Guy and The Fairly OddParents. From 2013 to 2018, he hosted his own talk shows, Norm Macdonald Live and Norm Macdonald Has a Show. In 2016, he wrote a book called Based on a True Story. Norm Macdonald passed away in September 2021 from leukemia, a type of cancer he had kept private.

Norm Macdonald's Life and Career

Early Life

Norm Macdonald was born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. His parents, Ferne and Percy Lloyd Macdonald, were both English-speaking teachers. They worked at a military base called CFB Valcartier. Norm's father wanted the family to speak only English.

Norm went to Quebec High School. Later, his family moved to Ottawa, Ontario, where he attended Gloucester High School. He said he left school at 16, but he might have graduated early. He briefly studied math at Carleton University and journalism at Algonquin College. Before becoming a comedian, he worked many different manual jobs.

He is survived by his older brother, Neil Macdonald, who is a journalist. His sister-in-law, Joyce Napier, is also a journalist. He is also survived by his younger brother Leslie, his son Dylan, and his mother Ferne.

Becoming a Comedian

Norm Macdonald started doing stand-up comedy in Ottawa in 1985. He performed at clubs like Yuk Yuk's. At first, he didn't like his performances, but the club owner convinced him to keep going.

His confidence grew, and six months later, he performed at the 1986 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He was called "one of this country's hottest comics." In 1990, he appeared on the TV show Star Search. He also performed on Late Night with David Letterman, and the host became a big fan.

In 1992, he was hired to write for the TV show Roseanne. He left that job to join Saturday Night Live.

Saturday Night Live Star

Macdonald joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1993. He was known for his impressions of famous people like Larry King and Burt Reynolds.

In 1994, he became the host of "Weekend Update". This was a fake news segment on the show. He would sometimes use a compact tape recorder to leave "notes to self" during the segment. He also often used the name Frank Stallone as a funny, unexpected punchline.

Why He Left SNL

In early 1998, Don Ohlmeyer, a boss at NBC (the TV network), removed Norm Macdonald as the "Weekend Update" host. Ohlmeyer said it was because of lower ratings and quality. Macdonald was replaced by Colin Quinn.

Macdonald believed he was fired because of his jokes about O. J. Simpson during and after Simpson's trial. Macdonald often called Simpson a murderer. Ohlmeyer was a friend of Simpson's and supported him. Macdonald talked about this on other TV and radio shows.

Ohlmeyer said Macdonald was wrong and that ratings were the real issue. He also said he hadn't stopped other comedians from joking about Simpson. Macdonald stayed on SNL as a cast member for a short time, but he didn't like doing regular sketches. He was dismissed from the show completely soon after.

Later, Macdonald thought that maybe he was removed not just for the Simpson jokes, but because he didn't always follow directions. He said he would make jokes that he knew wouldn't get huge reactions.

In 1999, Norm Macdonald returned to host Saturday Night Live. In his opening speech, he joked about being fired and said the show had gotten "really bad" since he left.

Life After SNL

After leaving Saturday Night Live, Macdonald co-wrote and starred in the movie Dirty Work (1998). This movie was a "revenge comedy." He also voiced Lucky the dog in the movie Dr. Dolittle and its sequels.

In 1999, Macdonald starred in his own TV show, The Norm Show (later called Norm). It ran for three seasons on ABC. He also had a small role in the movie Man on the Moon, playing another comedian, Michael Richards.

In 2000, Macdonald starred in the movie Screwed. He continued to appear on TV shows and in films. He also voiced the character of Death on Family Guy. In 2000, he won $500,000 for a children's charity on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

In 2003, Macdonald starred in the TV show A Minute with Stan Hooper, but it was canceled quickly. In 2005, he voiced a genie named Norm on the cartoon The Fairly OddParents.

Later Career and Shows

Macdonald in 2009

From 2006 to 2008, Macdonald did voice work for commercials in Canada. In 2006, he released a comedy album called Ridiculous. He also filled in for Dennis Miller on his radio show and TV segment.

He appeared on the TV show My Name Is Earl in 2007. In 2008, he was a panelist on the game show Match Game. He also performed at the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget, where he told very clean, G-rated jokes, which was different from the other comedians.

In 2009, Macdonald tried to create a fake reality show called The Norm Macdonald Reality Show. He also appeared on Saturday Night Live again as Burt Reynolds.

From 2009 to 2010, Macdonald was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. In 2011, he hosted Sports Show with Norm Macdonald, a comedy show about sports. His first stand-up special, Me Doing Stand-Up, also aired in 2011.

In 2013, Macdonald started his popular podcast Norm Macdonald Live. On this show, he interviewed other comedians and celebrities. It was praised by many comedy fans.

In 2015, Norm Macdonald was the last stand-up comedian to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman. He became a judge on NBC's Last Comic Standing that same year. He also played Colonel Sanders in commercials for KFC.

In 2016, his book Based on a True Story was published. It was a funny, fictional story about his life. From 2017, his comedy style became even more serious and simple. He also voiced Yaphit, a gelatinous engineer, on the science fiction show The Orville.

In 2018, Netflix launched his new talk show, Norm Macdonald Has a Show. In 2020, he launched a dating app called Loko. His final stand-up special, Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, was released after his death in 2022.

His Comedy Style

Norm Macdonald said he was influenced by comedians like Bob Newhart and Rodney Dangerfield. He also admired writers like Leo Tolstoy.

He often talked about how comedy was changing. He didn't like how dramatic actors were doing comedy and comedians were doing dramatic acting.

While judging Last Comic Standing, he once criticized a joke about the Bible. He said that if you're going to joke about a religion, you should know what you're talking about.

Personal Life

In 1988, Norm Macdonald married Connie Vaillancourt. They had a son named Dylan, who was born in 1992. They separated in 1999 and later divorced.

Illness and Legacy

In 2013, Norm Macdonald was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. He only told his family and close partners about his illness. He didn't want it to change how people saw him. The cancer went away for a while but came back in 2020.

In July 2021, he went to the hospital for treatment. He passed away from complications from acute leukemia on September 14, 2021.

Many famous people and comedians shared their sadness after his death. These included Conan O'Brien, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, and David Letterman. Letterman called him "the best" stand-up comedian. Conan O'Brien said Norm had "the most unique comedic voice."

The TV show The Orville dedicated its third season to Norm Macdonald's memory. In 2022, he was nominated for three Primetime Emmys for his special Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special.

Works

Comedy

TV series

Literature

Talk shows

As performer

Film

Television

Images for kids

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  Macdonald in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Norm Macdonald para niños