NCS
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George Wendt, an actor and comic who was beloved for his efficiency as Norm Peterson on the long-running comedy sequence “Cheers” has died, his household introduced.
He was 76.
“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,” a consultant for the household stated in a press release to NCS.
A Chicago-native, Wendt obtained his begin in appearing when he joined within the famed improv college The Second City Mainstage in 1975. He earned six Emmy nominations all through his almost 5 decade Hollywood profession.
While at The Second City, Wendt appeared within the revue “One More with Fooling” and hung out within the troupe’s touring firm. He left in 1980 to pursue a movie and tv profession.
In the early Nineteen Eighties, Wendt started showing in a few of his first Hollywood roles, together with in TV sequence “Taxi,” “Alice” and “Making the Grade before landing his big break as Norm in “Cheers” in 1982.
The beloved NBC sitcom ran for 11 seasons and starred Wendt because the lovable, beer-gulping Norm alongside solid mates Rhea Perlman, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Shelley Long and Kelsey Grammer, amongst others.
Wendt earned six consecutive Emmy nominations between 1984 and 1989 within the supporting actor class for his efficiency as Norm on the sequence.
(*76*) Perlman instructed NCS in a press release Tuesday. “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!”
She added: “I’ll miss him more than words can say.”
Wendt was considered one of three solid members to have appeared in each single episode of the present’s run. (The others have been Danson and Perlman.) The sequence led to 1993.
In 2024 Wendt mirrored on his time on the present.
“It was a great job,” he said during an interview at the Motor City Comic Con. “Oh my God, what a great job.”
His costar, John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Clavin on the present, joked that they felt like they have been “stealing money” as a result of that they had a lot enjoyable on the present.
“We sat at a bar for 11 years cracking jokes,” Ratzenberger stated. “Imagine seeing that ad in the newspaper: ‘Looking for people to sit at a bar and crack jokes for a lot of money.’”
Wendt added “Looking for a guy who wants another beer.”
That led to him revealing that the “beer” they drank on the present was faux and never excellent, however they’d ocassionally crack open the true stuff after the viewers had left the taping.
Wendt didn’t draw back from being the “big guy” on the hit sequence and spoke about regarding Norm throughout an episode of the “Still Here Hollywood with Steve Kmetko” podcast final yr.
“I had to look like a guy who wanted another beer. That I can do!” he stated. “So, I didn’t have to put a whole lot of mustard on anything. It was pretty much just me with material supplied by some of the best comedy writers in Hollywood of the era. It was murderers’ row.”
Wendt appeared in movies like “Dreamscape,” “Never Say Die” and the 1992 movie “Forever Young” alongside Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis and a younger Elijah Wood. But tv proved to be a supply of regular work.
Wendt appeared in visitor roles on sequence, together with “Seinfeld,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “St. Elsewhere” and “The Twilight Zone.” and “The Little Rascals.” He additionally starred in his personal sequence “The George Wendt Show” in 1995 and was a sequence common on the primary and solely season of “The Naked Truth” in 1997.
Between 1991 and 2003, Wendt appeared on a number of episodes of “Saturday Night Live” to play the recurring character Bob Swerski, a diehard Chicago sports activities fan, alongside famed “SNL” alums Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel.
During the subsequent twenty years, Wendt racked up visitor star credit: “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Portlandia,” “Kirstie,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “Franklin & Bash” and extra.
In 2017, Wendt returned to his roots when he appeared within the “I Can’t Believe They Wendt There: The Roast of George Wendt” at The Second City’s Mainstage theater in Chicago, an occasion hosted by the actor’s nephew, “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis. The occasion raised $200,000 Gilda’s Club Chicago and The Second City Alumni Fund.
Wendt spoke final yr about how “proud” he was of Sudeikis, who is the son of Wendt’s sister Kathy Sudeikis, saying on the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast that he’s “such a great kid” and “so smart, so thoughtful.”
NCS has reached out to a consultant for Sudeikis for remark on Wendt’s passing.
Wendt’s closing credit score, in response to IMDb, was 2024’s “Love’s Second Act,” a TV film starring Jodie Sweetin.
Wendt is survived by his spouse Bernadette Birkett and his three kids, Hilary, Joe and Daniel, who requested privateness by a consultant.
This story has been up to date with further info.