Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Norm Macdonald, known for his dry and offbeat humor, died Tuesday after a private nine-year battle with cancer. He was 61.

Macdonald reportedly was determined to keep his failing health a secret from his family, friends and fans.

Macdonald was born in Quebec City and began his career writing for the hit sitcom "Roseanne" from 1992 to 1993. After leaving "Roseanne," Macdonald was a "Saturday Night Live" cast member from 1993 to 1998, making his biggest comedic impact on the "Weekend Update" segments.

Macdonald repeatedly ridiculed O.J. Simpson during and after the infamous murder trial. After Simpson was acquitted, Macdonald opened up the segment saying, "Well, it’s finally official: Murder is legal in the state of California."

Macdonald was also known for his impression of actor Burt Reynolds on the longtime sketch show.

Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC’s West Coast division, controversially fired Macdonald from "Weekend Update." Macdonald believed the reason he was replaced was his frequent remarks he made about Simpson, a friend of Ohlmeyer. In later years, Macdonald eventually came to the conclusion that he was removed from "Weekend Update" because of his insubordinate behavior.

Macdonald had a show called "Sports Show with Norm Macdonald," which aired in 2011 and lasted 9 episodes. In May 2015, he became the last stand-up comic to appear on "The Late Show" with David Letterman. He was also a judge on the ninth season of NBC’s "Last Comic Standing."

In March 2018, Netflix announced it ordered 10 episodes of "Norm Macdonald Has a Show."

"He was most proud of his comedy," said longtime friend Lori Jo Hoekstra. "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."

There was an outpouring of tribute from many comedians and other notable figures.