James Corden Pays Tribute To ‘Absolute Comedy Legend’ Norm Macdonald

The comedy world lost a true original on Tuesday with the death of Norm Macdonald, who died at age 61 after waging a secret battle with cancer.

In a sneak peek at Tuesday’s edition of “The Late Late Show”, host James Corden pays tribute to the Quebec-born comic, best known for his acerbic stint anchoring Weekend Update on “Saturday Night Live” during the 1990s.

Addressing the camera, Corden laments the loss of “an absolute comedy legend,” gone after “waging a nine-year battle with cancer, a battle that Norm never told anybody about — because all Norm ever wanted to do was to make us laugh. And he was absolutely, absolutely brilliant at it.”

RELATED: Norm Macdonald Dies After Private Battle With Cancer

Corden went on to praise Macdonald as “perhaps the single greatest guest in the history of late-night television,” remarking on his hilarious impromptu riff on Mickey Mouse during a previous “Late Late Show” appearance.

After head writer Ian Karmel and bandleader Reggie Watts weighed in with their own personal reminiscences of Macdonald, Corden concluded by thanking Macdonald “for the laughs; we’ll never, ever forget them.”

The show’s official Twitter account also shared a clip of Corden’s on-air tribute.

Thanks for all the laughs, Norm ? pic.twitter.com/6ZLicpHdFc

— The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) September 15, 2021