‘SNL’ star Norm Macdonald dies after a private battle with cancer

Famed comedian and former star of Saturday Night Live, Norm Macdonald breathed his last on Tuesday, at the age of 61.

His death was confirmed by his management firm Brillstein Entertainment to Deadline.

Macdonald’s producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra revealed that the comedian had been fighting a private battle with cancer since the past nine years.

"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. 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,” said Hoekstra.

Macdonald was born on October 17, 1959, in Quebec City, Canada, where he did rounds of stand-up before heading towards Los Angeles, where he got a chance to write several episodes of Dennis Miller’s talk show.

He went on to host Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update segment from 1994 to 1998.