The passing of Norm Macdonald in 2021 was a profound shock, as many of us didn’t even know he was sick. Celebrated for his razor-sharp deadpan delivery and brilliantly eccentric tangents, he was truly one of a kind. While Macdonald was notoriously deeply closeted about his private life, a definitive look behind the curtain is finally on the horizon, courtesy of comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff.
Norm Macdonald: The Biography
The inspiration for the project sparked during the writing of Nesteroff’s upcoming book, Sorry, We’re Funny: How Canada Became a Comedy Powerhouse.
“There’s a section in my forthcoming book, Sorry, We’re Funny, that covers the original stand-up scene where Norm started—from amateur night in Ottawa to the rough road gigs he played across Canada in the 1980s,” Nesteroff told LateNighter. “So, the book that follows, the Norm biography, is the natural extension of that.“
To piece together the enigma, Nesteroff reached out to Macdonald’s older brother, Neil, who helped unearth “some remarkable details” about the comedian’s formidable years. “There is so much about Norm that we know so very little about,” Nesteroff noted. “He had a whole other life and personality during his first 30 years in Canada. Every new detail is a revelation.“
Chronicling Macdonald’s journey from birth to death, the biography promises an intimate look at the man behind the microphone. “When people learn about his early years, it really will be revelatory,” Nesteroff teased. “There is a definite origin story that explains how his unique, off-kilter perspective came to be. If you’re a Norm fan, and I assume everyone is, you’re really going to love it. There’s just so much new information, none of it is on the internet. He was fascinating, fascinating, fascinating.“
The project brings Nesteroff’s relationship with the comedian full circle; years earlier, Macdonald had personally supplied a cover blurb for Nesteroff’s debut book, The Comedians.
Macdonald’s Life
Macdonald spent the ’80s performing in stand-up clubs in Canada, but he went on to write for comedies such as Roseanne and The Dennis Miller Show, and became a frequent guest on late-night shows. David Letterman and Conan O’Brien in particular became huge fans of Macdonald.
He was then hired as a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live, where he spent five seasons. He also anchored the show’s Weekend Update segment for several seasons, but was removed, allegedly due to his mocking of O.J. Simpson during the infamous murder trial. This was at the request of Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC’s West Coast division, who was also a close friend and supporter of Simpson.
From there, he co-wrote and starred in Dirty Work, and starred in his own sitcom, The Norm Show. He was also a prolific voice actor, voicing Lucky the dog in the Doctor Dolittle franchise and lending his voice to Family Guy, The Fairly OddParents, Mike Tyson Mysteries, The Orville, and more. Not bad for an old chunk of coal.
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