Conan O’Brien Remembers Norm Macdonald After the Death of His Greatest Foil, O.J. Simpson

Stacey Ritzen
·2 min read
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The death of O.J. Simpson this week brought no shortage of jokes out of the woodwork, as the controversy over his double murder acquittal followed the former Buffalo Bills running back around for the rest of his life. But the man who would have reveled the most in Simpson's passing, legendary comedian Norm Macdonald, died of leukemia in September 2021.

And on Thursday, Conan O'Brien remembered his longtime friend and frequent late night guest while promoting his new Max series Conan O’Brien Must Go.

Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper shortly after the news broke, O'Brien was asked to comment on Simpson's passing. "He was a lot of fodder for you, and a lot of other late night comedians," Tapper remarked, to which the 60-year-old agreed that it was a "huge deal back then."

"Most notably, he's passed on—Norm Macdonald," O'Brien recalled. "One of my best guests of all time and one of the great comedians of all time, just told some of the most—did the most brilliant comedy of anybody, during that whole period."

Tapper then interjected to note that Macdonald actually lost his job on Saturday Night Live for ruthlessly making jokes about Simpson "being the real killer."

"The head of the network at the time was tight with O.J.," O'Brien continued, referring to former NBC president Don Ohlmeyer. "Anyway, water under the bridge, but that was a huge moment in the history of this country."

But despite being the reason he lost his job, Macdonald never did let up on Simpson. In June 2019 when the Heisman Trophy-winning athlete announced to the world that he had joined Twitter, Macdonald let him have it.

“Hey, OJ, it’s Norm. Listen, be careful about the videos you put out there. I recognize the golf course behind your house I know that exact street and could easily print your address," the Dirty Work star wrote. "Of course I never would, but others would. Be careful, Juice."

You can watch a complication of Macdonald's best "Weekend Update" O.J. Simpson jokes, below.