Before Norm Macdonald's passing, he finished doing voice work for the third season of The Orville.
According to Deadline, sources close to the series say Macdonald finished recording his lines for The Orville before his tragic death. This was supported by behind-the-scenes photos, which saw crew members wheeling around a model of his character during shooting. Macdonald voiced Lieutenant Yaphit, an amorphous, gelatinous creature who served as an engineer aboard the eponymous starship in between snarking at his co-workers and (unsuccessfully) flirting with Doctor Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald).
Macdonald died on Sept. 14 of leukemia after nine years after being diagnosed. Seth MacFarlane, who created The Orville and stars as Captain Ed Mercer, mourned his passing on Twitter, saying, "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." MacFarlane also shared a link to Macdonald's memorable 1997 guest appearance on Conan alongside Courtney Thorne-Smith, saying simply, "Enjoy."
The Orville debuted on Fox in 2017 and ran there for two seasons. After being delayed by COVID-19, the highly anticipated third season wrapped filming this past August. It will air on Hulu.
Source: Deadline