We lost a true comedian yesterday, and a Canadian, Norm McDonald passed away at the age of 61 after a battle with Cancer.
Born in Quebec, Norm spent time in Ottawa, moving onto YUK YUKS, then a writer for the Rosanne Show, then his big break came when he became a cast member on SNL.
Social media lit up with comments from friends and celebrities:
Seth Rogen posted; 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.
Josh Gad: “Oh come on! Not Norm. Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers. RIP #NormMacdonald.”
Whitney Cummings: “Norm is the pinnacle of bravery and originality. Broken heart.”
Jon Stewart: “No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique.’’
Jim Carrey: “My dear friend Norm Macdonald passed after a brave 10 year battle. He was one of our most precious gems. An honest and courageous comedy genius. I love him.”
Sarah Silverman: “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.”
John Stamos: “Usually when you see a celebrity trending, you check it out because you’re afraid they may have died. You click their name and most of the time it’s something innocuous. Not this time sadly, #RIPNormMacdonald.”
Steve Martin: “We loved Norm Macdonald. One of a kind.”
Jimmy Kimmel: “Norm didn’t just make us laugh, he made us laugh hard. Rest well, you crazy.”
Eugene Levy: “Today the world lost a very, very funny man. We miss him already. R.I.P Norm Macdonald.”
Adam Sandler: “Every one of us loved Norm. Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal.”
Rob Schneider: “Norm, I didn’t just like you. I loved you. You didn’t just make me laugh. You made me cry with laughter. I’m still crying today. But when I think of you, my tears will run down my face with all the memories of all the laughter and all the joys that you brought to all of us. Rest.”
Kenan Thompson: “Thank you sir!!! Rest well!!!!! Sending love to your family!!”
Jim Gaffigan: “Wow. What a brilliant comedic mind. I remember seeing Norm at Catch a Rising Star back in 1990(?) and knowing if decided I wanted to be a comedian, I would never come close to his brilliance. Norm was always kind but I was nervous about paneling with him on Conan. Norm was so sharp and real. You never knew what he would do or say. I know this picture is horrible but it’s a nice memory of one of the greats. #RIPnorm.”
Jonah Hill: “Another legend gone. This week sucks. Thank you Norm.”
Alec Baldwin: “I had a lot of fun with Norm. May he Rest In Peace.”