Norm MacDonald is being remembered for his talents on and off the stage.
On Tuesday, Sept. 14, NBC News confirmed through his manager that the former Saturday Night Live star had passed away in the morning hours after battling cancer for nearly a decade. He was 61.
"He was most proud of his comedy. He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him," longtime friend and producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra said in a statement. "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."
Many will remember Norm as the anchor for Saturday Night Live's popular segment "Weekend Update." He was a cast member of the NBC series from 1993 to 1998.
"Today is a sad day. 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," the show said in a statement. "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."
He also earned roles on the big screen in projects like Billy Madison and Dirty Work. Later this fall, Norm was set to appear in the upcoming New York Comedy Festival scheduled to kick off in November.
As Hollywood mourns the loss of a talented comedian, many are honoring the star on social media. See many of the touching tributes below.
Seth Rogen: "Oh f--k. 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! Damnit. 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. F--k cancer."
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."
Ike Barinholtz: "I've got so many laughs in my life by just repeating Norm Macdonald jokes. One of the funniest to ever do it—RIP to a king."
Patton Oswald: "NOOOOO GODDAMIT. Oh my God what is even happening. Good bye, Norm. You were never not 100% hilarious."
Jimmy Kimmel: "Norm didn't just make us laugh, he made us laugh hard. Rest well, you crazy bastard."
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 f--king sucks. Thank you Norm."
Alec Baldwin: "I had a lot of fun with Norm. May he Rest In Peace."
Bob Newhart: "He was an original. When I watched young comics on the early comedy TV shows, like The Improv or Catch a Rising Star, I'd study each comic's style and think, oh yeah, he's doing Leno…or he's doing Letterman…or he's doing Rickles. When Norm came on, I said he's not doing anybody…He's one of the few people who could successfully write comedy material for me…which he did on Saturday Night Live. Norm's passing is a terrible loss."
David Spade: "Last show I did with Norm. Non stop laughing with these 2 guys as you can imagine. Would never think it was the last time I'd see him. The comedy world took a huge hit today."
Kevin Nealon: "I was absolutely shocked and saddened to hear of Norm MacDonald's passing this morning. He was, without a doubt, one of a kind. So clever, daring, well-read and smart as a whip. His comedy was brilliant and at times biting. We all loved him on SNL's Weekend Update and I don't actually think he ever got credit for coining the phrase, 'Fake News.' Norm and I often toured doing stand-up and occasionally golfed together. A few years ago we took a road trip to Palm Springs and he insisted on blasting Johnny Cash tunes the entire way, windows down with his bare foot dangling out. Luckily I was driving. Thank you for your unique brilliance and charm, Norm. I miss you already.#ripnorm #ripnormmacdonald #snl #billymadison."