Yahoo Finance Bob Saget remembers Norm Macdonald: He 'was a gift to all of us, and I will miss him always'
As he pledged to do earlier this week, Bob Saget dedicated his podcast on Thursday to remembering his longtime friend and colleague, Norm Macdonald.
Across a nearly 40-minute episode, Saget, who'd known Macdonald for decades, poured his heart out about his close friend, who died on Tuesday at 61 following a previously undisclosed nine-year battle with cancer.
"This is just a f---ing knife in the heart for all of us that were close to him and all of you who loved him," Saget shared at the start of his podcast.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images; Jason Kempin/Getty Images Bob Saget, Norm Macdonald
"And me, personally, I don't know, I'm just doing this on the fly and seeing if I can make a point or give some stories that might bring you a smile and let you know, from my perspective, why this is a beloved, wonderful man who we've lost," he continued.
He shared his memory of meeting Macdonald for the first time, when the Saturday Night Live alum was just 17 and sitting in the audience of Saget's show in Ottawa, Canada. Saget, who was in his early 20s, had his first conversation with Macdonald at the bar. Years later, when they were formally introduced, Saget remembered their first interaction.
Saget praised his friend's unique comedic talents, remembering Macdonald's purposeful tanking of comedy sets, irreverent comments, and fearlessness in pushing boundaries, noting the SNL Weekend Update anchor's relentless OJ jokes as an example. "He found a way to do things that came from a voice that nobody had — I'd never heard anyone like him," he explained.
Saget was understandably emotional at times during the podcast. At one point, he acknowledged a tear running down his face as he recalled Macdonald's sweet and heartfelt thank you after Saget's parents had him over for dinner.
"He cared about people a lot," Saget said. "And he felt the human condition [so] deeply that it affected him in different ways."
Macdonald's famous set at the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget has made the rounds on social media following news of his death, and during the podcast, Saget discussed some behind-the-scenes details from the event. In particular, he noted Macdonald's hesitancy in doing the roast, recalling that he told Saget he didn't want to "say mean things" about his pal. Saget also said 20 minutes of Macdonald purposefully bombing during the roast never made the air.
"He made me better," Saget said. "He made me better as a comedian. More importantly, he was a genuine friend, and our friendship was really very deep."
Saget said he suspected something was going on with Macdonald's health recently, and they communicated their love for each other before Macdonald's death. "One of the gifts of my life is that he loved me and that I loved him," Saget said. "Hell, I'm always going to love him. I mean, there's not another guy like this guy."
Saget urged those grieving, or just learning of Macdonald's work, to seek out all the content they can find, like his Netflix special, his book, his SNL work, and his Conan O'Brien appearances.
"Norm Macdonald was a gift to all of us," Saget said. "And I will miss him always, and I will always love him."
Listen to Saget's podcast, below:
Related content:
