Norm Macdonald, the deadpan Quebec comedian who rose from Canadian nightclubs to the heights of 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� fame has died at 61 after a private battle with cancer.

His brother Neil said Macdonald died Tuesday in Los Angeles from leukemia, which he was diagnosed with 鈥渁 long time ago.鈥�

鈥淗e kept it quiet because he didn鈥檛 want it to affect his comedy. He didn鈥檛 want it to affect the way he was perceived鈥�. He wanted to carry on,鈥� Neil said by phone from Los Angeles.

鈥淗e took great pains to conceal it from everybody but family. Cancer鈥檚 a roller-coaster. We hoped that he would live longer than he did, but it took a turn for the worst last month, and he want into hospital and never came out.鈥�

The Quebec City-raised standup was best known for his tenure on 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� from 1993 to 1998 where he manned the 鈥淲eekend Update鈥� desk and became known for impressions including a mischievous Burt Reynolds as a contestant on 鈥淛eopardy!鈥�

After leaving 鈥淪NL,鈥� he created 鈥淭he Norm Show鈥� for ABC where he played a hockey player banned from the National Hockey League for tax evasion. The show ran from 1999 until 2001.

鈥淗e combined a laconic delivery and a deadpan look, and yet he had this great twinkle in those blue eyes of his that let you know everything was kind of a joke,鈥� said Yuk Yuk鈥檚 co-founder Mark Breslin, a longtime friend.

鈥淎nd it was a real powerful combination all those things.鈥�

Macdonald began his career on the Canadian comedy circuit and Breslin said his sheer star power was clear from the start.

One night in Ottawa, Macdonald took the stage on amateur night and left a big impression on the crowd.

鈥淗e did his act and he killed,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd no one, I鈥檓 telling you, no one kills the first time they go up.鈥�

Macdonald thought he bombed. It took the Yuk Yuk鈥檚 manager chasing him down to book him for another show before reality sunk in, Breslin said.

Soon, Macdonald was making waves in the comedy community, eventually landing a gig as a writer on 鈥淩oseanne鈥� in 1992.

He was cast by 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� the next year, becoming the face of 鈥淲eekend Update鈥� where he poked fun at topical events from behind the news desk.

The role showcased countless sharp-edged punchlines but ultimately marked his fall from 鈥淪NL.鈥�

Macdonald鈥檚 sense of humour was divisive and some felt it was too prickly.

Don Ohlmeyer, then president of NBC鈥檚 West Coast division, pulled the comic from 鈥淲eekend Update鈥� midway through the 1997-1998 season, replacing him with Colin Quinn and citing bad ratings.

However, Macdonald attested that he believed his dismissal was because he refused to stand down from controversial jokes about O.J. Simpson, who was on trial for the murder of his ex-wife.

Macdonald left 鈥淪NL鈥� that year but went on to amass a devoted following among comedy fans for his ribald rejection of easy punchlines.

He would become a favourite guest on late night talk shows, and appeared in a number of films with fellow 鈥淪NL鈥� alum, including several with his friend Adam Sandler, among them 鈥淏illy Madison,鈥� and a bit part in Rob Schneider鈥檚 鈥淭he Animal.鈥�

He also led the 1998 Hollywood comedy 鈥淒irty Work,鈥� directed by Bob Saget, where he played one of two friends who launch a revenge-for-hire business. The film was a box-office flop but found a cult following when it was released on home video.

Later in his career, he would host his own Netflix talk show 鈥淣orm Macdonald Has a Show鈥� and voice the character of Pigeon on 鈥淢ike Tyson Mysteries.鈥�

鈥擳he Canadian Press