NEW YORK (AP) — Comedian Norm Macdonald, a former “Saturday Night Live” writer and performer who was “Weekend Update” host when Bill Clinton and O.J. Simpson provided comic fodder during the 1990s, has died.

Macdonald, who was 61, died Tuesday after having cancer for nine years, but keeping it private, according to Brillstein Entertainment Partners, his management firm in Los Angeles.

He never reached the same television heights after being fired from “SNL” in 1998, but was an indefatigable stand-up comic and popular talk show guest whose death provoked an outpouring from fellow comedians.

“Norm was in a comedy genre of his own,” tweeted Sarah Silverman. “No one like him on this planet. Please do yourself a favor and watch his stuff.”

Macdonald, the son of two schoolteachers, was raised in Quebec City, Canada. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau offered his condolences, calling him “a comedic genius and a great Canadian.”

He was a stand-up comic and briefly a writer for the sitcom “Roseanne” when he was picked to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1993.

He became known for his esoteric impressions, including Burt Reynolds, who gave Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek character grief on “Celebrity Jeopardy.” He also impersonated Bob Dole, Larry King and David Letterman.

His deadpan style and skills as a writer made him the choice to host “Weekend Update.” Simpson was a favorite target. Macdonald opened the fake newscast the week of the former football star’s acquittal on murder charges by saying, “Well, it’s finally official. Murder is legal in the state of California.

Macdonald was fired in the middle of the season in 1998 by NBC Entertainment executive Don Ohlmeyer, a friend of Simpson’s who reportedly didn’t appreciate the ‘”SNL” star making Simpson the near-constant butt of jokes.

“I was never bitter,” Macdonald said in the oral history “Live From New York,” released in 2002. “I always understood that Ohlmeyer could fire me, because he was the guy who owned the cameras, so that didn’t bother me. I was always happy that ‘SNL’ gave me a chance.”

He said in the same book that “I just like doing jokes I like, and if the audience doesn’t like them, they’re wrong, not me.”

Ohlmeyer said that was his problem.

“When ‘Saturday Night Live’ is really good, they do care what the audience thinks,” he said. “And when ‘Saturday Night Live’ is not really good, they’re kind of doing it for themselves and their pals.”

MacDonald went on Letterman’s show to announce that he was fired. During a commercial break, Letterman asked him, “This is like some Andy Kaufman thing with fake wrestling, right?” Macdonald recalled. But it wasn’t.

Letterman was a fan who made Macdonald one of the guests in the CBS “Late Show” host’s final run of shows.

In 2016, Letterman told The Washington Post, that the show would have had Macdonald on every week “if we could.”

“He is funny in a way that some people inhale and exhale, “ Letterman told The Post. “With others, you can tell the comedy, the humor is considered. With Norm, he exudes it … There may be people as funny as Norm, but I don’t know anybody who is funnier.”

The Post’s story was headlined, “Will Somebody Please Give Norm Macdonald Another Show?”

As if to answer, Netflix two years later aired 10 episodes of an interview series, “Norm Macdonald Has a Show.” Guests included Letterman, Lorne Michaels, Jane Fonda and Judge Judy Sheindlin.

He had limited success in other TV ventures. He created and starred in the ABC sitcom “The Norm Show,” later shortened to “Norm,” playing a former NHL player kicked out of the league for gambling and tax evasion and forced into community service as a social worker.

A Comedy Central show, “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald,” lasted only a handful of episodes, but he kept busy in comedy clubs.

“In my mind, I’m just a stand-up,” he told The New York Times in 2018. “But other people don’t think that. They think, ‘oh, the guy from ‘SNL’ is doing stand-up now,’”

In a 2011 comedy special, MacDonald said it was wrong to say you “lost your battle” with cancer when you died. “I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure that if you die, the cancer also dies at exactly the same time,” he said. “That, to me, is not a loss. That’s a draw.”

Jim Carrey tweeted that Macdonald was “an honest and courageous comedy genius.” Seth Rogen said he essentially ripped off his delivery when he started acting.

“No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald,” Jon Stewart said on Twitter. “Hilarious and unique.”

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On Saturday January 11th from 11am to 4pm, Hemet Public Library hosted their third annual Get Your Comics On, where approximately 700 fans of the comic and graphic novel subculture gathered.

Hemet Public Library was under siege as vendors, artists, and creators of comic worlds merged in a celebration and exchange of ideas by enthusiasts.

Friends and fans of the comic subculture and entertainment arts went as far as dressing up as their favorite characters: there were Darth Vaders, Storm Troopers, Dragon Ball Z characters, Tomb Raiders and more – gallivanting around the event, talking with and supporting local vendors.

Brandon Noel, of Destiny Comix, took the necessary steps to breathe life into his idea for the annual event. “Three years ago, I came to the library and asked them about putting on a comic book convention. I had to get approval from the library council, the city, and pitched a proposal.” It’s not Comic-Con, but Noel assures that Hemet is not joking around, in saying, “We have big names, legends of the comic world coming here to Hemet.”

Vendors offered everything from movie posters and trading cards, to face painting, and of course, comics! Guests could attend discussions from big names in the industry on topics such as politics in comics, and an interview with Jason Inman and Ashley Victoria Robinson of the popular podcast, Geek History Lesson.

This year guests were able to see Mike Senna alongside his remote-controlled R2D2 robotic replica and hear how he built it from scratch, with full functioning movements and that unmistakable whistle that lit up the eyes of guests.

Local artists were of all ages and many felt inspired by 10-year-old, Jonathan Thiessen, who authored and got published his very own comic, Plasma Man.

Downstairs you could discover your hidden talents in drawing through “Anime Your Way” Drawing Class, with Carlos Nieto III, where guest received lessons on how to portray emotions in Anime-style drawing.

Anybody that knows anything about comics knows the name Scott Shaw. Shaw, in case you didn’t know, is the Emmy award-winning animator of comics such as Simpsons, Sonic the Hedgehog and has also worked as a story-boarder for Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, and other leaders in the industry.

Shaw’s presentation showcased the evolution of his own story, the story of a meager beginning in cartooning. It portrayed his progress and perseverance from the esoteric underground comix to big name success. His advice was simple, “If you love it, do it every day.”

Get Your Comics On is a great example of what your public library can do for you, mentions Senior Librarian, Kathye Caines. “This is a library-card event, we don’t want to charge people . . . just an example of all the many things you can get for free with your library card.”

For more information on Destiny Comix, visit www.destinycomix.com, and for upcoming events at Hemet Public Library, visit https://hemet.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default

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