The comedian had been privately battling cancer for nearly a decade, 'Deadline' reports.
Norm Macdonald has died. The Saturday Night Live alum passed away on Tuesday, his manager confirms to ET.
Macdonald's death came after a nine-year private battle with cancer, his management firm, Brillstein Entertainment, told Deadline.
Lori Jo Hoekstra, Macdonald's longtime producing partner and friend, was with the comedian when he died, and told the outlet that, though Macdonald had been battling cancer for nearly a decade, he was determined to keep his health struggles private, and away from his family, friends and fans.
"He was most proud of his comedy," Hoekstra said. "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."
The Canadian-born Macdonald began his career as a writer on Roseanne, a job he held from 1992 to 1993. He went on to appear on SNL from 1993 to 1998. He anchored the show's "Weekend Update" segment for three seasons.
Following his SNL stint, Macdonald led his own sitcom, The Norm Show, for three years. Throughout his career, Macdonald appeared in films including Billy Madison, Funny People and Grown Ups, and TV series including Sunnyside, Girlboss and The Middle.
He is survived by his 28-year-old son, Dylan Macdonald.
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