Late comedian Norm Macdonald filmed a secret final stand-up special, and it's debuting on Netflix


Late comedian Norm Macdonald is set to make us laugh one last time.
Netflix has announced it will release a stand-up special later this month that Macdonald secretly filmed before his death.
The former Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchor had been privately battling cancer for years before he died last September at 61. In 2020, he was working on a new comedy special but was unable to perform it publicly while venues were shut down during the pandemic. But his producing partner, Lori Jo Hoekstra, told The Hollywood Reporter that before Macdonald had to go to the hospital that summer, he decided he would self-tape the material in his living room.
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"His test results were not good, so during the heart of COVID-19 pandemic and literally the night before going in for a procedure, he wanted to get this on tape just in case — as he put it — things went south," Hoekstra said. "It was his intention to have a special to share if something happened."
Though that procedure went well, Macdonald's health declined the following year, and he never got to film the special in front of an audience. But "he left this gift for all of us," Hoekstra said.
Netflix will also release a featurette along with the special, in which Adam Sandler, Conan O'Brien, Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, David Spade, and Molly Shannon pay tribute to Macdonald.
Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special hits Netflix on May 30.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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