Actor George Wendt, who famously played Norm Peterson in the hit sitcom “Cheers,” has passed away. He was 76 years old.
Wendt died peacefully in his sleep at his home on Tuesday morning, his publicist Melissa Nathan told KTLA 5 News.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever,” Nathan said. “The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Nathan went on to say that the actor “was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
“Cheers,” which ran from 1982 to 1993, earned Wendt six Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.
Following the success of “Cheers,” he had his own sitcom called “The George Wendt Show,” which aired on CBS from March 8 to April 12, 1995. The Chicago native also starred in “Airplane II: The Sequel,” “No Small Affair,” “Fletch,” Spice World,” the 1994 film “The Little Rascals,” and more.
According to IMDB, his last role was in the television movie “Love’s Second Act” in 2024. In total, he has 172 acting credits on the site.
Wendt’s career began on the improv circuit with The Second City in the 70’s. He went on to star in small roles in series like “Taxi,” “Soap,” and “M*A*S*H.” Before taking on the role of Norm on “Cheers,” he starred in the 1982 CBS sitcom “Making the Grade,” which was his first regular series role. However, it was cancelled after just six episodes.
Wendt is survived by his wife and three children. He’s also the uncle of “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis. His sister Kathryn is Sudeikis’s mother.
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