George Wendt, the actor best known for playing Norm in long-running sitcom Cheers, has died at 76.
His death was confirmed by his publicist in a statement.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” his family said in a statement. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
He died peacefully in his sleep at home.
Wendt starred in Cheers from 1982 to 1993, appearing in all 275 episodes of the hit sitcom. He earned six Emmy nominations for his work on the show.
“The Norm you see in Cheers has been years in the making,” Wendt once said of his character. “I have some characteristics in common with him besides our fondness for beer. But I think I’m a lot happier than Norm.” He also added: “I was a beer drinker long before Cheers. When I put a couple of six packs on top of my grocery shopping cart, people are pleased. I tell ‘em I’m taking them home to rehearse.”
He went on to play the character of Norm in a number of other shows including Frasier, Wings, The Simpsons, Family Guy and The Tortellis.
On Tuesday, his Cheers co-stars paid tribute, including Ted Danson, who played the barman Sam. “I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,” he said in a statement. “I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”
Rhea Perlman, who played waitress Carla Tortelli, remembered him as “the sweetest, kindest man I ever met.”
“It was impossible not to like him,” she added. “As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn’t hurt. What a guy! I’ll miss him more than words can say.”
John Ratzenberger, who played fellow Cheers regular Cliff Clavin, said he was “heartbroken”.
“For 11 years on Cheers, we shared a stage, a lot of laughs and a front-row seat to one of television’s most beloved friendships. George brought Norm to life with a subtle brilliance — the kind that made it look easy. That was his gift,” he said in a statement.
Kelsey Grammer, who appeared in Cheers and Frasier with Wendt, told the Hollywood Reporter: “I believe mourning is a private matter. But I liked George a lot. He was beloved by millions.”
After Cheers, Wendt also led short-lived sitcom The George Wendt Show in 1995 which was cancelled after six episodes. His other television credits included Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Colombo, Portlandia and The Goldbergs.
His film credits included Guilty by Suspicion with Robert De Niro, Fletch with Chevy Chase, Space Truckers with Dennis Hopper and Forever Young with Mel Gibson. He also played Macaulay Culkin’s father in Michael Jackson’s Black or White video.
On stage, Wendt also starred in Hairspray on Broadway, playing Edna Turnblad. “It was one of my two favorite roles, apart from Norm,” he said. “Absolute utter joy and entirely different from anything in my world.”
Most recently, he appeared in a season of The Masked Singer and 2022’s festive comedy Christmas with the Campbells. He also reunited with members of the Cheers cast at the 2024 Emmys.
