George Wendt, the actor best known for playing crowd favorite Norm Peterson on “Cheers,” died Tuesday at age 76.
Wendt died in his sleep at his home, his family told TMZ. His cause of death was not immediately reported.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” Wendt’s family said in a statement. “He will be missed forever.”
Appearing in all 275 episodes of “Cheers,” Wendt endeared himself to audiences so much that he earned his own sitcom, “The George Wendt Show.” He was also nominated for six consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor during the decadelong run of “Cheers” on NBC.
Even off-screen, Wendt leaned into his persona from the beloved show. In a 2006 interview, when asked what people should do if they run into him, he replied: “If their impulse is to buy me a beer, then by all means, follow that impulse.”
Wendt was also known for appearances in the 1985 film “Fletch,” which also starred Chevy Chase, and in the 1992 movie “Forever Young,” which was headlined by Mel Gibson.
In addition to dozens of small movie and TV roles, Wendt made several appearances on Broadway. While his work in “Elf” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was relatively short-lived, he starred for multiple months in “Art” and “Hairspray,” taking on the role of nervous mother Edna Turnblad in the latter production.
Born Oct. 17, 1948, in Chicago, George Wendt got his start in show business with his hometown’s famous Second City comedy troupe. He made several small-time TV appearances before landing his break on “Cheers.”
“My agent said, ‘It’s a small role, honey. It’s one line. Actually, it’s one word.’ The word was ‘beer.’ I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of ‘the guy who looked like he wanted a beer,’” Wendt told GQ in 2012. “So I went in, and they said, ‘It’s too small a role. Why don’t you read this other one?’ And it was a guy who never left the bar.”
While “The George Wendt Show” never took off, its star went on to have a long and winding career in Hollywood. His appearances included “M*A*S*H,” “Airplane II,” “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” “Alice in Wonderland” and many more, including one spot in the “Cheers” spinoff “Frasier.”
In addition to his lengthy acting career, Wendt wrote a book titled, “Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer.” In it, he wrote: “Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn’t like. I feel the same about beer.”
Wendt is survived by his wife, Bernadette Birkett, a fellow Second City alum who earned voice credits on “Cheers” but never appeared on camera as Norm’s wife, Vera.
With News Wire Services
Originally Published: May 20, 2025 at 3:59 PM EDT
