Jim Carrey, Jon Stewart Pay Tribute to Norm Macdonald, 'One of Our Most Precious Gems'

Celebrities paid to tribute to comedian Norm Macdonald Tuesday afternoon following news that he died following a battle with cancer at the age of 61.

He was best known for his five-year run as a cast member on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s, during which he spent three years as host of the "Weekend Update" segment. He also wrote for the show Roseanne, starred in the film Dirty Work and his own sitcom, The Norm Show.

Jim Carrey wrote, "My dear friend Norm MacDonald passed after a brave 10 year battle. He was one of our most precious gems. An honest and courageous comedy genius. I love him."

Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart wrote, "No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique."

Meghan McCain called his death "beyond tragic."

"Gutted," she wrote. "One of the great comedic geniuses, free thinkers, all around true originals of all time. Ben and I were lucky enough to see him perform in Vegas and it was incredible."

Actor Josh Gad wrote he is "absolutely gutted" by the loss, calling him "one of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers."

Actor Seth Rogen recounted the influence Macdonald had on him.

"I was a huge fan of Norm Macdonald and I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting. I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows. He was the funniest guest of all time. We lost a comedy giant today. One of the the all time greats. RIP," he wrote.

Director Edgar Wright wrote, "Of the many addictive rabbit holes you can disappear down on the internet, the most pleasurable is 'Norm MacDonald chat show appearances'. Thanks for all the laughs Norm, very sorry to see you go."

Nancy Sinatra wrote, "This awful news took my breath away. Sending love to his family and friends."

Patton Oswalt wrote in a series of tweets that Macdonald was "never not 100% hilarious."

Steve Martin said he was "one of a kind."

Screenwriter Simon Blackwell wrote, "What terrible news. Such a great comedian. His Letterman and Conan appearances alone are some of the funniest things to have ever been on TV. So very sad and shocked to hear this. Condolences to his family and friends."

Comedian Ken Jeong wrote, "In such a divisive time even among comedians, we can all agree Norm MacDonald was the best. Rest In Peace."

Gilbert Gottfried shared a photo from after his appearance on Macdonald's show, writing "the laughs just continued nonstop."