“Saturday Night Live” veteran Norm Macdonald was a beloved member of the comedy world. When he passed due to complications from cancer (an illness he’d kept secret) in September of 2021, fans across the globe reacted with sadness. But, he left us with a parting gift- one final secret comedy special filmed for Netflix.
“During the heart of COVID-19 pandemic and literally the night before going in for a procedure [in 2020], he wanted to get this on tape just in case – as he put it – things went southIt was his intention to have a special to share if something happened,” MacDonald’s producing partner Lori Jo Hoekstra explained.
Concerned he may not live to share his new material, MacDonald recorded in his living room. Fortunately, he made it through the procedure just fine, putting away the recorded footage. He went back to working on a more traditional stand up special.
Before his new work could be properly filmed in front of an audience, he became ill again. “He ended up getting sicker last August and September, and he remembered he had shot this, and asked me to find it so he could watch it,” said Hoekstra. “He ended up watching it before he passed away.”
“Norm MacDonald: Nothing Special” may also be the first project of its kind. “From the various conversations I’ve had within our circle of friends in comedy and producing, no one has heard of any comparison to this [situation] — not even close,” Hoekstra said.
Trailblazing even in death is certainly Norm’s style.
Along with Norm’s footage, it will include clips of Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, David Spade, and Molly Shannon talking about Macdonald and his influence during the recent “Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival.”
Netflix will be releasing “Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special” on May 30th, 2022.
