George Wendt, best known for playing Norm on Cheers, died peacefully in his sleep while at home early Tuesday morning, according to a family representative. He was 76.
Wendt was on Cheers for the entirety of the show’s epic run from 1982–1993. On a series full of beloved characters, his Norm Peterson was arguably the most beloved, with his entry into a scene announced each time as all the bar’s patrons exclaimed, “Norm!” As a result of that performance, he earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, but never won.
After Cheers ended in 1993, he got his own sitcom, The George Wendt Show on CBS, but it was cancelled after only a few episodes.
Norm’s appeal did not end with Cheers. Went also played the character on Frasier, St. Elsewhere, The Tortellis, The Simpsons, Wings and Family Guy (1999).
Wendt was so recognizable he played himself on shows such as The Larry Sanders Show and The Martin Short Show.
More recently, Wendt joined Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz, and Kevin Nealon in A History of the World in Six Glasses for Fox Nation. The show, from former Cheers EP Rob Long, chronicled the history of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, soda and their respective impact on the world.
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