Judd Apatow is behind another documentary tribute to a late comedian, and he’s seeking the public’s help in putting it together.
The producer/director revealed he’s working on a Netflix documentary about Saturday Night Live alum Norm Macdonald, posting a call for relevant material on his social media accounts.
Macdonald died at the age of 61 from acute leukemia in 2021, following a long illness he’d kept under wraps from many even in his inner circle.
Apatow is soliciting “unique photos or videos” of Macdonald, directing people to submit them to a dedicated email address. “If you just know about any interviews or interesting videos you think we may not have heard about or be able to find ourselves— that would also be very helpful,” he adds. “Or just tell us your favorite Norm moments.”
Macdonald cameoed as himself in Apatow’s 2009 film Funny People.
Apatow has taken to directing extensive documentaries about comedy icons in recent years. Those include The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (2018), George Carlin’s American Dream (2022), and the New Yorker short Bob and Don: A Love Story (2023). He’s currently working on another centered around Mel Brooks for HBO.
Macdonald spent five years as an SNL cast member, including three-and-a-half anchoring “Weekend Update anchor,” from which he was controversially fired by then NBC president Don Ohlmeyer for making jokes about O. J. Simpson. SNL paid tribute to Macdonald’s time on the show—and those O. J. jokes—during the “Weekend Update” portion of Sunday night’s SNL50 anniversary special.
