Canadian comic Mike MacDonald dies at age 63, tributes pour in
Mike MacDonald performs at the Theatre St. Denis during the Just For Laughs Festival on July 20, 2007, in Montreal.
Brian Ach/WireImageLegendary Canadian stand-up Mike MacDonald died Saturday at age 63.
It remains unclear as to the cause of death.
The Ottawa-native was a fixture on the Canadian comedy scene for more than 30 years.
Best known for his performances on stage, MacDonald also appeared in Three Fugitives, The Funny Farm and Mr. Nice Guy, a Jackie Chan vehicle he helped write.
MacDonald made guest appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, The Arsenio Hall Show, and Just For Laughs.
MacDonald also hosted the Gemini Awards and the Canadian Comedy Awards.
In a post on Facebook in 2012, MacDonald announced he had been diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2011. MacDonald’s post stated how the disease led to his kidneys shutting down.
The following March he would undergo a successful transplant.
The comedian was also bi-polar manic depressive, a condition which he says kept him from getting certain jobs and interfered with becoming a headlining comedian.
The Canadian comic was still active on the comedy scene, having appeared in several Ontario cities as recently as February.
Tributes to MacDonald flowed from comedians from both sides of the border.
© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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