Norm Macdonald

Photo: Greg2600 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

File No. 310580  ·  Adjudicated

Norm Macdonald

Actor — SNL Weekend Update, Norm Macdonald Live, Dirty Work

Born
1959
Birthplace
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC
Citizenships
CA

Canadianness Score

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁
5.0/ 5
Weighted across 2 scored criteria

Designation

Bleeds Maple Syrup 🍁

Born, raised, and still says “out for a rip” unironically.

Scorecard

Path A — born on Canadian soil
I. Origin
Born on Canadian soil — yes
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC
Canadian parentage — not scored
Both parents Canadian
Citizenship on record — not scored
Automatic by birth
II. Residency
Formative years spent in Canada — yes
Raised — Quebec
Lived in Canada by choice — not scored
Residency on record as an adult
Worked or filmed in Canada — not scored
Credits filed north of the 49th
III. Cultural evidence — not scored
Section III is recorded for the file only. Birth on Canadian soil already settles the matter.
Publicly claims to be Canadian — not scored
Says so, out loud
Canada claims them back — not scored
Claimed, enthusiastically

Fun fact

His first-ever stand-up set at Yuk Yuk's in Ottawa actually went well — he just didn't realize it, storming out and telling the club owner he'd never perform again before being talked back.

The verdict

Born in Quebec City to two Anglophone teachers, raised between Ottawa and the family farm near Avonmore, Ontario — genuinely early, unglamorous Canadian roots for a guy who became one of the most quietly influential American comedians of his generation. Started at Yuk Yuk's in Ottawa in 1985, where his first set actually went well even though he was convinced otherwise, and went on to anchor SNL's Weekend Update for three and a half seasons. Born, raised, five points.

Adjudicated by
The Standings Committee
Status
Final — appealable

Related files

More from the files: Actor · Quebec
References — en.wikipedia.org