Judd Apatow’s documentary “Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald” premiered on Netflix, offering an unconventional look at the late comedian’s life and career. Rather than relying on traditional talking-head interviews, the film uses Macdonald’s own narration drawn from his autobiographical book “Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir,” alongside home videos, photographs, and archival interview footage.
The documentary examines Macdonald’s tenure at Saturday Night Live, where he is regarded among the greatest Weekend Update hosts in the program’s history. Macdonald credited longtime collaborator Lori Jo Hoekstra with helping establish a distinct comedic identity for Weekend Update by bringing in outside writers and establishing a philosophy that jokes should surprise audiences rather than pander to them. This approach, he noted, prioritized involuntary laughter over applause.
A significant portion of the documentary addresses Macdonald’s departure from SNL, which has become central to his public legacy. During the 1990s, Macdonald and the Weekend Update team delivered relentless jokes about O.J. Simpson during his murder trial. Following Simpson’s acquittal, Macdonald declared on air that “murder is legal in the state of California.” When Don Ohlmeyer, NBC West Coast president and Simpson’s close friend, learned of the jokes, he fired both Macdonald and writer Jim Downey. Ohlmeyer subsequently attempted to prevent the network from promoting Macdonald’s film “Dirty Work” and tried to stop Conan O’Brien from booking him as a guest, though both efforts ultimately failed.
The film also reveals that Macdonald privately battled health issues throughout his life. Comedian Harland Williams disclosed that Macdonald had quietly fought stomach cancer during the 1980s. In 2013, Macdonald received a diagnosis of multiple myeloma but chose to conceal it from the public and most friends, sharing the information only with family, his agent, and his ex-wife. Macdonald expressed his belief that concealing one’s illness was the braver choice, citing actor Richard Farnsworth as inspiration for maintaining privacy about terminal illness.
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