The hosts of the night through the networks paid tribute on Tuesday to Norm Macdonald, who died earlier in the day, after a nine-year private battle against cancer, at the age of 61.
The most detailed and personal tribute came from the host Well into the night, Macdonald’s companion Saturday night live student Seth Meyers, who called it a “fantastic comic.”
“He was the gold standard and will continue to be the gold standard,” Meyers said. “I would just suggest that everyone go and see how he tells the story of the moth Conan, go see anything from Norm Macdonald tonight, because they are really timeless. “
Meyers noted that Macdonald’s passage is “tragic,” but he doesn’t think the comic would want to hear “anything sentimental” about him. He therefore devoted much of his homage to his favorite Macdonald jokes and his comic book memories.
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“I started at SNL in 2001, and I remember that once, Norm came back to the studio to visit her,” Meyers recalled. “I don’t remember how old your son was at the time, but his son was young and someone said,‘ Hey Norm, what’s it like being a father? And he said, “It’s going very well. There are no kidnappings yet. It’s the first thing I heard him say in person.”
Another joke that sticks to him comes from Macdonald’s anchor time SNLWeekend update. “I always think about it … It’s a perfect joke from Norm,” he said. “The richest girl in the world, the billionaire Athina Onassis, celebrated her tenth birthday this week. What is it like to be the richest girl in the world? Well, to give you an idea, at the party, they had two cakes “.”
Later, Meyers played Macdonald’s favorite song SNL“Feeling the idea that it was‘ the last place on television where you can bomb, ’greeting him for his courage and commitment, as a performer.
“I think for so many of us we went up to see Norm and we thought you were inside with him, when you saw him telling you these jokes that you thought were great and that no one in the room thought he was good,” He he said. “You just felt that connection with him and that ability to stare at the audience, telling without blinking the jokes he believed in.”
Macdonald was also remembered this evening for The Late Late ShowJames Corden, who called him “a legend of absolute comedy,” disappeared “too soon.”
“All Norm wanted to do was laugh at us, and it was absolutely brilliant. There was no one like him. I felt privileged every time I got into his orbit, “he said.” He leaves me as one of the greatest comics of all time, perhaps the greatest guest in the history of night television, “I think.
For his tribute, Corden was paired with co-writer Ian Karmel and house band leader Reggie Watts, who expressed a similar level of admiration. “Seeing him stand up or talk to him felt like a magical act almost, in a way, in which you didn’t know what would come next. You were completely in the palm of your hand, ”said Karmel. “Losing it, no one goes up. That’s like a real one. “
“Thank you so much for the laughs, Norm,” Corden said at the end. “We will never forget them.”
We will update this piece with more tributes to Macdonald as they enter. For now, you can see Meyers ’above and Corden and co. Then.