Comedian Norm Macdonald breathed his last on September 14, 2021, after a long battle with cancer. He has reportedly been fighting the disease in private for nearly nine years. He was 61 at the time of his passing.The news of his death was confirmed by his management company Brillstein Entertainment to Deadline. The SNL star’s longtime friend and producer Lori Jo Hoekstra told the outlet that the comedian never wanted his diagnosis to affect his career or personal life:“He was most proud of his comedy. 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.”The Norm Macdonald "moth Joke," one of the greatest jokes every told on television. pic.twitter.com/daC9oPVPsU— Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) September 14, 2021Norm Macdonald rose to fame as a Saturday Night Live cast member and became one of the most-loved comedians of all time. However, his most important career highlight came during a 2017 appearance on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.His iconic "moth joke" about a moth's visit to a podiatrist turned into an overnight sensation. After news of his demise came out, several celebrities and admirers recalled the joke to remember the comic legend.Twitter remembers Norm Macdonald's moth joke as comedian passes away at 61Norm Macdonald was a comedian, writer, and actor (Image via Getty Images)Norm Macdonald was a Canadian comedian, writer, and actor. He was known for his unique dry humor and deadpan style of jokes. Norm began his career as a writer for the American sitcom Roseanne in 1992.The following year he bagged a gig on SNL and catapulted to fame. He was associated with the show for five years and served as a Weekend Update anchor for three seasons. He is now considered one of the most prominent SNL cast members of all time.He is remembered for his impressions of other artists in the show, including Burt Reynolds, David Letterman, Mr. Bean, Larry King, Quentin Tarantino, and Clint Eastwood.Following his stint on SNL, Macdonald starred in the 1998 cult comedy film Dirty Work and launched his own sitcom called The Norm Show in 1999.Over the years, he made several guest appearances on prominent talk shows like Conan, Late Night With David Letterman, The Larry Sanders Show, and The Howard Stern Show. Perhaps his most famous act came during an episode of the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.The “moth joke” is considered the finest example of Norm Macdonald’s distinct comedic style. The joke revolved around a moth visiting a podiatrist to express his disappointment in his daily life, including his job and family.The nearly four-minute piece creates an intense buildup and slowly progresses towards an almost predictable conclusion with a Macdonald-style punchline.However, the depth of the joke lies in its Dostoevskian undertones. The comedian’s genius comes out through the way the joke resonates with people in general.Following the artist’s death, several fans took to Twitter to remember him through his iconic joke:Life is weird. Today … my favourite comedian died … and I’ve never laughed harder. So many clips and videos that I’ve never seen or forgot existed flooded my timeline to remind me of the genius that was Norm Macdonald. He was a comedic bright light … and I am a moth. #RIPNorm— Dave Hambleton (@virtualham) September 15, 2021Norm MacDonald's moth joke is maybe the funniest five minutes of television ever: https://t.co/tXXuzoq6FK— Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) September 14, 2021Stunning news about Norm Macdonald….Dirty Work will always be a comedy favorite of mine but the moth joke he told on Conan was epic RIP 🙏pic.twitter.com/gg0KzSNuMf— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) September 14, 2021RIP Norm Macdonald. Throwback to Norm’s moth joke on Conan. The Best. pic.twitter.com/1hREVw0Tc0— Ted Buddy 🤖 (@TedBuddy8) September 14, 2021The Comedy Store sends it’s deepest condolences to the family and friends of Norm MacDonald. Norm’s irreverence and comedic timing will forever be unmatched from his long battle with NBC execs to his never-ending moth joke. pic.twitter.com/WNXZtncoOA— The Comedy Store (@TheComedyStore) September 14, 2021Norm Macdonald was one of the best of all time. As soon as I heard he died, I immediately thought of this tragic story of a moth.No joke will ever top this one. pic.twitter.com/ggWRWxA1IS— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) September 14, 2021Shocked and saddened to read the news of Norm Macdonald’s passing. Condolences to those close to him, including his brother, and my longtime colleague, Neil. Norm was a unique comic voice. Lots of ways to remember him today, including the moth joke.— Ian Hanomansing (@ianhanomansing) September 14, 2021Norm Macdonald’s “moth” joke remains one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/y5Not1sBsw— Ryan Day (@ryaneatscake) September 14, 2021Norm Macdonald’s moth joke is one of my favorites by him. It encapsulates the complete NONSENSE that was Norm. He is the GOAT of comedy.pic.twitter.com/pyPCHCTICb— Jesse Antoine Nolan (@NoLoveNolan) September 14, 2021RIP Norm MacDonald. Author of the best joke I've ever heard https://t.co/ydW65eK3R6— Talia Bracha Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) September 14, 2021Besides his memorable comedy acts, Norm Macdonald also appeared in several TV shows and animation series. He had a recurring role in ABC’s The Middle and Netflix’s Girl Boss. He lent his voice to animated shows like Mike Tyson Mysteries, Dr. Dolittle, The Orville, and FairlyOddParents.Norm even had guest roles in films like Grown Ups, Funny People, The Animal, and Jack and Jill. He served as a judge in 2015’s Last Comic Standing.The Quebec City native also hosted Netflix’s Norm Macdonald Has a Show in 2018 and launched the Norm Macdonald Live podcast on YouTube.He also released several comedy albums like Ridiculous, Me Doing Standup, Hitler’s Dog, and Gossip & Trickery. Macdonald’s memoir, Based on a True Story, came out in 2016 and documented his life as a stand-up comedian.Comedy Central included Norm Macdonald in the 100 Greatest Stand-Up of All Times in 2004. He also earned a place in Paste magazine’s 50 Best Stand-Up Comedians of All Time.Many celebrities and colleagues took to social media to mourn the loss of the legendary comedian:I was always delighted by his bizarre mind and earnest gaze. (I’m trying to avoid using the phrase, “twinkle in his eyes”). He was a lifetime Cy Young winner in comedy. Gone, but impossible to forget.Dave Letterman— David Letterman (@Letterman) September 14, 2021Oh fuck. I was a huge fan of Norm Macdonald and I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting. I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows. He was the funniest guest of all time. We lost a comedy giant today. One of the the all time greats. RIP.— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) September 14, 2021Every one of us loved Norm. Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal. pic.twitter.com/2Pftw28uPc— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) September 14, 2021I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald. Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny. I will never laugh that hard again. I'm so sad for all of us today.— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) September 14, 2021My dear friend Norm MacDonald passed after a brave 10 year battle. He was one of our most precious gems. An honest and courageous comedy genius. I love him.— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) September 14, 2021Norm is the pinnacle of bravery and originality. 💔 https://t.co/UfeNoEUlUv— Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) September 14, 2021No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique. Fuck cancer.— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) September 14, 2021Norm was in a comedy genre of his own. No one like him on this planet. Please do yourself a favor and watch his stuff. He was one of a kind of all time— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 14, 2021Norm, I didn’t just like you.I loved you.You didn’t just make me laugh.You made me cry with laughter.I’m still crying today.But when I think of you,my tears will run down my face with all the memories of all the laughter and all the joys that you brought to all of us.Rest pic.twitter.com/0cRWLhh5ec— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) September 14, 2021One of the funniest people #SNL ever produced is gone, but will never be forgotten. I've spent many an hour on YouTube over the years enjoying all the characters he gave us. In a word: HILARIOUS.🤣Thanks for a lifetime of laughs @normmacdonald. #RIP 💔 pic.twitter.com/pK9lK3Rz87— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) September 14, 2021Norm Macdonald is survived by Dylan, his son with former wife, Connie Vaillancourt. The comic will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and industry associates, and contemporaries and future generations alike will always cherish his legacy.