Norman Gene Macdonald was a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who was known for his deadpan style and poetic, sometimes old-fashioned turns of phrase. Throughout his career, he appeared in numerous films and was a regular favorite comedian panelist of talk show hosts, with many considering him to be the ultimate late night comedy guess.
On September 14, 2021, Macdonald died from acute leukemia at a hospital in Pasadena, California, aged 61. He had been diagnosed nine years prior, though he disclosed his diagnosis to only a few close friends and family members, fearing that revealing his condition to the public would "affect the way he was perceived".