Jim Carrey has hailed Norm Macdonald as a "comedy genius".

Norm Macdonald

Norm Macdonald

The 'Saturday Night Live' star passed away at the age of 61 after battling cancer for more than a decade, and Jim has paid a glowing tribute to the comedian on social media.

Jim, 59, wrote on Twitter: "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. (sic)"

Seth MacFarlane has also spoken of his admiration for the comedy star, admitting there was "nobody funnier".

He wrote on the micro-blogging platform: "To so many people in comedy, me included, there was nobody funnier than Norm MacDonald. You always hoped he would hang around after the work was done, just so you could hear his stories and get a laugh. So hilarious and so generous with his personality. I’m gonna miss him. (sic)"

Conan O'Brien described the stand-up star as a "unique comedic voice".

The late-night TV host wrote on Twitter: "I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald. Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny. I will never laugh that hard again. I'm so sad for all of us today."

The comedian is best known for his appearances on 'Saturday Night Live', and the makers of the long-running show have also paid a heartfelt tribute.

A post on the show's official Twitter account read: "Today is a sad day. All of us here at SNL mourn the loss of Norm Macdonald, one of the most impactful comedic voices of his or any other generation.

"There are so many things that we’ll miss about Norm - from his unflinching integrity to his generosity to his consistent ability to surprise. But most of all he was just plain funny. No one was funny like Norm. (sic)"

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