NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Norm Macdonald (comedian)

Norman Gene MacDonald (born October 17, 1963) is a bilingual Canadian actor and comedian. Born in Quebec City, Quebec, MacDonald became a stand up comedian, performing in comedy clubs across Canada. MacDonald eventually moved to Los Angeles, California, and became a writer for the popular Roseanne television series. MacDonald is known for his distinct muttering and slurring delivery during his stand up shows. He is the brother of Canadian journalist Neil MacDonald. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (417x626, 83 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (417x626, 83 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... Motto: Â« Don de Dieu feray valoir Â» (I shall put Gods gift to good use) Site in the province of Quebec Official logo Provincial region Province Country Capitale-Nationale Quebec Canada GentilÃ© QuÃ©bÃ©cois, QuÃ©bÃ©coise Mayor Term AndrÃ©e P. Boucher 2005-2009 Federal Members of Parliament... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation - House seat - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total â€¢ Land â€¢ Water (% of total) Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 kmÂ² 1,183,128 kmÂ² 176,928... Richard Pryor hits the money line A stand-up comedian or stand-up comic is someone that performs in comedy clubs, usually reciting a fast paced succession of amusing stories, short jokes and one-liners, typically called a monologue. ... A comedy club is a club where people can sit at a table, enjoy a drink and watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts. ... Nickname: City of Angels Official website: http://www. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... This article refers to the sitcom Roseanne. For the actress/comedian, see Roseanne Barr. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Neil MacDonald is an award winning sweet distributor within the local parks of dulwich. ...

Early life

Information about Norm's past is difficult to ascertain, since he is notorious for fabricating information about himself.

Norm's father was a math teacher. It is reasonably certain that he is dead. Norm has claimed that he was a student in his father's class, and that he had to call him "Mr. MacDonald" while in class. The preceding is true - His father (Percy) was his home room teacher for 2 years (Grade 6 & Grade 7) at Alexander Wolff School in the early 70's and his mother (Fern) was also a teacher in the same school on CFB Valcartier outside Quebec City. After completing Grade 7 at AWS he continued his education at Quebec High School in Quebec City.

The main building of Algonquin College Algonquin College is an English-language, community college in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ...

Saturday Night Live

MacDonald joined the cast of NBC's popular Saturday Night Live (SNL) program in 1993, where he occasionally did impressions of Larry King, Burt Reynolds, David Letterman, Bob Dole and others. The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Larry King hosts a nightly television program onCNN. Larry King, (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger on November 19, 1933) is an award-winning broadcaster. ... Burt Reynolds in 2005 Burt Reynolds (born Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American late night talk show host, comedian, television producer, and Indy Racing League car owner (Rahal Letterman Racing). ... Robert Joseph Bob Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican United States Senate Majority Leader and Senator from Kansas from 1969-1996. ...

However, his most notable position on SNL was his three-year stint as anchor of Weekend Update (WU), which is regarded by many fans as perhaps the best in the segment's history. Chevy Chase, the first anchor of WU, has noted that MacDonald is the only anchor since Chevy's tenure to have "done it right." His deadpan style was suited to the segment, although he did rely heavily on running gags, stereotypes, and general outrageousness, including his repeated references to the Germans and their love of Baywatch star David Hasselhoff, regular jokes about the poor job status of 'crack whores' and some audacious comedic attacks on public figures such as O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson. Throughout the infamous Simpson trial, MacDonald constantly pilloried the former football star and repeatedly suggested that Simpson was guilty of the brutal slaying of his wife Nicole. In the broadcast following Simpson's not guilty verdict, MacDonald opened Weekend Update saying: "Well, it's official: Murder is legal in the state of California." Hes on the phone with a SEX LINE... Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch which comments on and parodies current events. ... Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane Chase, better known as Chevy Chase (born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, writer and television and film actor. ... Deadpan is a form of comedic delivery in which something humorous is said or done by a person, while not exhibiting a change in emotion or facial expression. ... A joke is a short story or short series of words spoken or communicated with the intent of being laughed at or found humorous by the listener or reader. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Baywatch was a popular American television show about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the crowded beaches of Los Angeles County. ... David Hasselhoff portraying his character in Baywatch David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American actor, singer and songwriter best known for his lead roles on Knight Rider and Baywatch. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions (libel and slander). ... O.J. Simpsons mugshot Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, California), publicly known by the initials O.J., and nicknamed The Juice, is a Hall of Fame former college and professional football player and film actor. ... For other people with the same name, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation) Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), also known by the nicknames King of Pop and Wacko Jacko, is an American musician whose successful music career and controversial personal life have been at the forefront of pop culture for... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Nicole Brown Simpsons Grave at Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest, California Nicole Brown Simpson (May 19, 1959 â€“ June 12, 1994) was the ex-wife of American football player O. J. Simpson. ... In criminal law, an acquittal is the legal result of a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict of guilty being entered against the accused. ... In law, a verdict indicates the judgment of a case before a court of law. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 3rd 158,302 sq mi 410,000 kmÂ² 250 miles 400 km 770 miles 1,240 km 4. ...

In another particularly notorious item circa 1995, MacDonald attacked Michael Jackson after his divorce from Lisa-Marie Presley. He announced that the two had divorced citing irreconcilable differences: "She's more of a stay-at-home type, and he's more of a homosexual pedophile." 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He followed this up a few episodes later with during a report about the singer's recent collapse and hospitalization. Referring to a report of how Jackson had decorated his hospital room with giant photographs of Shirley Temple, Norm stated that viewers should not get the wrong idea: "we'd like to remind you that Michael Jackson is in fact a homosexual pedophile." The outrageous joke elicited audible gasps of disbelief from some audience members. A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... A sepia-tinted photograph of an English couple, taken in 1895. ... Shirley Temple in Glad Rags to Riches Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928), later known as Shirley Temple Black, is an American diplomat and former film child actress. ... The word homosexuality had acquired multiple meanings over time. ... Pedophilia (American English), or pÃ¦dophilia/paedophilia (Commonwealth English), is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to pre-pubescent children. ...

Another uncomfortable moment occurred during the April 12, 1997 show (host Rob Lowe, musical guest Spice Girls), where, during a "Weekend Update" story about Tabitha Soren, he accidentally coughed in the middle of a sentence and, live on the air, muttered, "What the fuck was that?" The audience applauded and MacDonald laughed the error away (saying at one point "My farewell performance" and, in closing, "Maybe I'll see you next week"). NBC received a mere 3 complaints about the gaffe and MacDonald was not punished. In fact, he stumbled on a story the following week and, catching himself, said, very tongue-in-cheek, "Oh, drat!" April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rob Lowe (2003) Robert Rob Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor who was a member of the Brat Pack. ... The Spice Girls were an all female pop group who formed in 1993 in London, UK. After releasing their debut single, Wannabe, in 1996 the group went to become a pop phenomenon that dominated popular music towards the end of the 20th century. ... Tabitha Soren (born Tabitha Lee Sornberger on August 19, 1967 in San Antonio, Texas) was a reporter for MTV News. ... NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, is an American television and radio network based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ...

A particularly infamous joke never made it to air. Norm showed the famous photo of naked Vietnamese children running from an American napalm attack, and said, "In other news, Woody Allen is dating again!" Norm described the audience as projecting a "pure, crazy hate" directed at him. June 8, 1972: Kim PhÃºc, center left, running down a road near Trang Bang after an ARVN napalm chemical attack. ... A napalm airstrike during the Vietnam War Napalm, or jellied gasoline, is a flammable liquid fuel weapon first used in World War I by the Germans, with the Allies quickly following suit. ... Woody Allen. ...

MacDonald's time with SNL ended controversially at the end of 1997 when he was sacked from the "Weekend Update" segment upon the insistence of NBC West Coast Executive Don Ohlmeyer, who pressured the producers to remove him, stating that MacDonald was "not funny". Although it was an opinion shared by some, much of the SNL live audience still greeted him with heavy applause. Although it is only speculation, some believe that Don Ohlmeyer's friendship with O.J. Simpson — a celebrity whom Norm often antagonized on the show — may have fueled Ohlmeyer's decision. To this day, Ohlmeyer denies that, arguing that other NBC late-night comedians (e.g. Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and other SNL players) also constantly lampooned O.J. with little to no sanction, and that his decision was based solely on audience reaction through tapes he had personally reviewed. Despite the incident, MacDonald left the show the following year under decent terms with Ohlmeyer, who originally pushed for producer Lorne Michaels to give MacDonald a shot at the Weekend Update desk in 1994. His last appearance on the program as a cast member was on February 28, 1998, portraying a host of fictitious TV show entitled "Who's More Grizzled?," asking questions to mountain men characters played by that episode's host Garth Brooks and special guest Robert Duvall. In the sketch, Brooks' character remarked to MacDonald's character at one point, "I don't much care for you," to which MacDonald replied "Not a lot of people do." 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Don Ohlmeyer (born circa 1945) is an American television producer and former president of the NBC networks West Coast division. ... Jay Leno (born James Douglas Muir-Leno April 28, 1950) is an American comedian who is best known as the host of the long-running NBC television variety and talk show The Tonight Show. ... Conan OBrien Conan Christopher Oâ€™Brien (born April 18, 1963) is a comedian best known as host of NBCs late-night talk show/variety show Late Night with Conan Oâ€™Brien. ... Lorne Michaels Lorne Michaels CM , LL.D (born November 17, 1944 in Toronto, Ontario) is a television producer and writer best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Garth Brooks, from his No Fences album Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American country music singer songwriter and charity director. ... Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an American film actor and director. ...

After MacDonald left the show, his successor Colin Quinn gave a short monologue before his first starring role in a Weekend Update segment implying that Norm had shown him "the ropes" to being a Weekend Update anchor. Quinn asked the audience if they had ever gone to their favorite bar looking for their favorite bartender and found out the bartender had been replaced (by a less qualified man named "Steve"). After a brief pause, Quinn looked flatly at the audience and proclaimed, "Well I'm Steve," cementing the fact that everyone, including those behind the scenes, would indeed miss MacDonald's controversial anchorship. Colin Quinn (born June 6, 1959) is an Irish-American comedian. ...

In a Late Show with David Letterman interview, Norm said that once fired, he was not allowed to have a show competing against SNL's timeslot.

After SNL

Soon after, MacDonald starred in his first movie entitled Dirty Work, which was released to theaters in 1998. The film featured performances from veteran actors and comedians like Jack Warden, Don Rickles, Chevy Chase, Chris Farley, Artie Lange, and Adam Sandler. Later that year, MacDonald would also lend his voice to one of the animals in the Eddie Murphy remake of Doctor Dolittle (and its 2001 sequel Doctor Dolittle 2). The VHS cover to Dirty Work Dirty Work is a comedy movie released in 1998. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1998. ... Jack Warden Jack Warden (b. ... Don Rickles (born May 8, 1926) is an American comedian and actor. ... Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane Chase, better known as Chevy Chase (born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, writer and television and film actor. ... Chris Farley in a scene from his 1996 film Black Sheep Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 â€“ December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian (born in Madison, Wisconsin) . He was best known as one of the cast members of the popular Saturday Night Live television series, who went... Artie Lange Arthur Steven Lange (born October 11, 1967) is an American television and movie actor, stand up comedian and radio personality. ... Sandler at Cannes 2002 Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and musician. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 musical film which tells the story of a veterinarian who can talk to animals. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2001. ... Dr. Dolittle 2 is an American comedy film, the theatrical sequel to Dr. Dolittle. ...

In 1999, MacDonald starred in a sitcom called The Norm Show, later renamed Norm, co-starring Faith Ford and Ian Gomez, which lasted three seasons on the ABC television network. Also that year, MacDonald portrayed comedic actor Michael Richards in the movie, Man On The Moon, which was the story of comedian Andy Kaufman's short and unusual life. This is a list of film-related events in 1999. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Faith Ford (born Alexis Ford on September 14, 1964 in Pineville, Louisiana) is an American television and film actress, best known for her role as Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown. ... Ian Gomez is an american actor with notable roles on The Drew Carey Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Michael Richards Michael Richards (born July 24, 1949 in Culver City, California) is an American actor, writer, producer, and comedian, best known for playing Kramer on the television show Seinfeld. ... Man on the Moon is a 1999 film based on the unusual life and career of comedian Andy Kaufman. ... Andy Kaufman Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 17, 1949 â€“ May 16, 1984) was a New York-born American entertainer. ...

1999 also saw MacDonald in advertising as the voice of the Hardee's restaurant's (Carl's Jr. on the West Coast) costumed mascot, the Hardee's Star. MacDonald also appeared on Miller Lite commercials that year. Generally speaking, advertising is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually by an identified sponsor. ... Hardees is an American fast-food restaurant chain, located mostly in the East Coast of the United States. ... Carls Jr. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, Florida. ... Miller Lite is the name of a popular pilsner beer sold by Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...

MacDonald returned to Saturday Night Live to host the October 23, 1999 show. In his somewhat notorious opening monologue, he expressed resentment at having been fired and deduced that the only reason he was asked back to host was because SNL had gotten worse since he was fired. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1999. ... A monologue is a speech made by one person speaking his or her thoughts aloud or directly addressing a reader, audience or character. ...

MacDonald starred in his second motion picture in 2000, entitled Screwed, alongside the likes of Dave Chappelle, Danny DeVito, and Sherman Hemsley. Like Dirty Work, it flopped at the box office. Screwed is a 2000 film starring Norm MacDonald and Dave Chappelle, and written and directed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. ... Dave Chappelle. ... Danny DeVito as Louie in Taxi. ... Sherman Hemsley (born February 1, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American character actor most famous for his roles as George Jefferson on the television shows All in the Family and The Jeffersons and as Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen. ...

MacDonald continued to make brief appearances on television and in films, most notably in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and The Animal, all of which starred fellow SNL alum Rob Schneider and was produced by Adam Sandler. In 2003, MacDonald starred as the title character in A Minute with Stan Hooper during its brief run on FOX. The Animal is a 2001 alleged comedy film, directed by Luke Greenfield. ... Rob Schneider Martin Robert Schneider (born October 31, 1963 in San Francisco, California) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter best known for his lowbrow films. ... Sandler at Cannes 2002 Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and musician. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2003. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), but rarely as FBC, is a television network in the United States. ...

In 2003, MacDonald appeared on Barbara Walters' program The View and publically renounced his Canadian citizenship over his home country's decision not to participate in the Iraq War, and said that he would be becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States. However, as of January 2006, he stated that he remains a Canadian citizen. "I just keep renewing my green card," said MacDonald in a recent interview. [1] The View is a daytime television talk show on ABC created by Barbara Walters, Bill Geddie, and Jessica Guff. ... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ...

In 2005, MacDonald signed a deal with Comedy Central to create a new sketch comedy pilot called Back To Norm, which debuted on Sunday, May 29, 2005. The pilot was never turned into a series. It was infamous for the cold opening parodying the shocking suicide of Budd Dwyer, a politician who, facing decades of incarceration, committed suicide on live television in 1987. Comedy Central is a cable television channel in the United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... R. Budd Dwyer in his last moments. ...

MacDonald's brother, Neil, is a newscaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Benchwarmers is a comedy film that was released on April 7, 2006. ... Neil MacDonald is an award winning sweet distributor within the local parks of dulwich. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the countrys national radio and television broadcaster. ...

He is number 83 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. Comedy Central is a cable television channel in the United States. ...

He portrayed "Death" in one episode of the FOX animated TV show Family Guy but due to a scheduling conflict where-in Norm was on a comedy club tour, he was later replaced by Adam Carolla as the voice of "Death." Family Guy is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for FOX in 1999. ... Adam Carolla Adam Carolla (b. ...

MacDonald has been rumoured to play bass guitar in the band for country singer Blaine Larsen. However it is a simple case of Larsen introducing his bass guitarist (a MacDonald look-a-like) as "Norm MacDonald." Blaine Larsen (born 1986 in in Tacoma, WA) is a nineteen year old baritone country singer-songwriter from Washington state. ...

In February 2006 Norm had a part in a series of commercials for Canadian cell provider Bell Mobility as the voice of Frank the Beaver. The campaign had a commercial tie-in with 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, and ran heavily on CBC during the 16 days of the games. Bell Mobility is the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada. ... Neve and Gliz, the 2006 Olympics mascots, on display in Turin The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were held in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. ... Turin (Italian: ; Piedmontese: TÃ¼rÃn) is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. ... Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Cipher-block chaining ...

External links

Categories: Imdb name | 1963 births | American actors | American comedians | Canadian Americans | Canadian actors | Canadian comedians | American film actors | Living people | Naturalized citizens of the United States | Quebec actors | Quebecers (city) | Saturday Night Live cast members | Saturday Night Live writers | Scottish Canadians | Scottish-Americans | American television actors | American voice actors | Family Guy actors The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... NNDB, ostensibly standing for Notable Names Database, produced by Soylent Communications, is a database of biographical details of notable people. ... Kevin Nealon hosting Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live Kevin Nealon (born November 18, 1953) is a comedian and actor best known for the characters he played on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995. ... Chevy Chase, the original anchor of Weekend Update (1975-76). ... Colin Quinn (born June 6, 1959) is an Irish-American comedian. ...

Contents

Saturday Night Live

After SNL

External links