George Wendt, best known for playing the beer-swilling 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!” What followed was usually a setup from one of his co-stars followed by a snappy one-liner from Norm.
As a result of that performance, Wendt earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, but never won.
“I have a hard time talking about Norm. It’s like he’s too close to me,” Wendt once said of the character. “I think he’s the toughest to write for because he’s not really anything. He’s just funny.”
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. Wendt also played the character on Frasier, St. Elsewhere, The Tortellis, The Simpsons, Wings and Family Guy.
Wendt was so recognizable he played himself on shows such as The Larry Sanders Show and The Martin Short Show.
It’s a good thing Wendt found acting, he once suggested.
“I was a very poor student,” he told David Letterman in 1990. “I got kicked out of Notre Dame. I’m very proud to mention my grade-point average that got me booted out: zero-point-zero-zero. … I just hung out and didn’t go to classes.”
Wendt found more success with The Second City in Chicago. He joined The Second City Mainstage in 1975 after having served time in The Second City Touring Company.
After a year, he was sent back to the Touring Company for further “seasoning” and brought back to the Mainstage in 1978. He left in 1980.
His Second City experience came in handy when he hosted SNL twice and made appearances in skits throughout the years as Chicago superfan Bob Swerski opposite Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel.
“From his early days with The Second City to his iconic role as Norm on Cheers, George Wendt’s work showcased how comedy can create indelible characters that feel like family,” said National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson in a statement “His work is proudly featured in the National Comedy Center, and we honor his legacy and the joy he brought to generations of fans.”
Even before Cheers hit, Wendt had a memorable turn on M*A*S*H, as well as appearances on Taxi, Soap and Alice.
On Broadway, Wendt appeared as Yvan in Art (1998), as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (2002), Santa in Elf (2010) and Joe Bell in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (2013). His practice as Santa prepared him for a bit of a late-career run as Kris Kringle, playing the role in Santa Baby (2006), Larry the Cable Guy’s Christmas Spectacular (2007), Santa Buddies (2009), Merry-In-Laws (2013) and What the Elf? (2023).
More recently in 2024, 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.
Complete information on survivors was not immediately available, but they include his nephew, the actor Jason Sudeikis.
