Norm Macdonald, actor, comic, and former “SNL” Weekend Update anchor, has died at the age of 61 after a decade-long battle with cancer. His death was first reported by Deadline. The news was revealed to Deadline by Macdonald’s management team and his producing partner and friend, Lori Jo Hoekstra.

“He was most proud of his comedy,” Hoekstra said in a statement. “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.”

Macdonald was born on October 17, 1959 in Quebec, Canada; his parents were teachers and his father had served with the Canadian Army and helped liberate the Netherlands from the Nazis. He started performing in small clubs in Canada before being hired as...