Norm MacDonald

Stand-up comic, actor and writer best known for his impersonation of US Senator and failed presidential candidate Robert Dole on "Saturday Night Live" (from 1993 to 1998), Norm Macdonald is a Canadian native who migrated to the USA and found success first as a writer and later as a performer. Although he appeared as a comedian on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show" as well as HBO's "One Night Stand", his earliest inroads in the US entertainment industry were as a writer. Macdonald was on staff for Dennis Miller's short-lived syndicated late-night talk show in 1992, and also wrote the "Free to Laugh: A Comedy and Music Special for Amnesty International" that same year. He then segued to the writing staff of the hit ABC sitcom "Roseanne" beginning in 1992. For his first season with the show, he wrote such episodes as the one featuring Roseanne and brood trekking to Hollywood. Macdonald was upped to story editor beginning in the autumn of 1993. Working for Roseanne also gave him a chance to make episodic acting appearances, notably on "The Jackie Thomas Show" in 1993 and as a doctor who treats Tom Arnold when Arnold saws off his thumb in a 1994 episode of "Tom".

Joining "Saturday Night Live", Macdonald distinguished himself as the sardonic host and writer of the "Weekend Update" segment, although by 1998 he was relieved of his duties when NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer reportedly intervened and had Macdonald removed. (The press speculated that Macdonald's frequent jibes against Ohlmeyer crony O J Simpson as well as the feeling that he was a "loose cannon", partly for his use of the F-word in an April 1997 live broadcast, were factors in his dismissal.) Over the course of five seasons on "SNL", he also excelled at impersonating such figures as comedian George Burns, Dr Jack Kevorkian and TV newscasters Charles Kuralt and Andy Rooney. A memorable moment came in April 1996 when Macdonald impersonated presidential candidate Steve Forbes opposite the real Steve Forbes.

Macdonald made his film debut alongside fellow "SNL"-er Adam Sandler in "Billy Madison" (1995) and was seen playing a network reporter in "The People vs. Larry Flynt" (1996). He co-scripted and co-starred in "Dirty Work" (1998), a big screen comedy, as well as provided the voice of Dog in the remake of "Dr. Dolittle" (also 1998), starring Eddie Murphy.