“A legendary Cheers actor has died aged 76.”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
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By EVE BUCKLAND FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 20:55 BST, 20 May 2025 | Updated: 21:00 BST, 20 May 2025
The legendary actor, played the beloved Norm Peterson on the hit NBC show from 1982-1993 and earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for the role.
Wendt’s death on Tuesday was confirmed by his publicist in a statement which read: ‘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. The family has requested privacy during this time.’
His shock passing also came exactly 32 years after the final episode of the show aired.
His iconic sitcom Cheers ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, though the show was almost canceled after its first season due to low ratings.
However, it spent eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10, becoming the most-watched show in Season 9.
It earned 28 Emmy Awards from 117 nominations, earning Outstanding Comedy Series nominations all 11 seasons, winning four.
Wendt impressively appeared in every episode until it went off air in May 1993.
Hailing from Chicago, prior to acting Wendt was expelled from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana over poor grades before moving into showbusiness, where his first job was sweeping a theatre floor.
Guest roles in Taxi and M*A*S*H were followed by his big break on Cheers, and two years after it finished he launched a self-titled sitcom on CBS, but it was canceled after eight episodes.
Other than his success in the hit sitcom, the popular entertainer has appeared in shows such as Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Columbo and Wings.
He also had a recurring sketch on SNL’s Bill Swerski’s Superfans, which was dedicated to sports fans from Chicago.
Wendt had been married to Bernadette Birkett – who played the voice of the mysterious Vera on Cheers – since 1978 and they have one daughter and two sons.
Wendt had kept a low profile in recent years, making only a handful of small appearances on screen, including his stint as a contestant in The Masked Singer in 2023.
More recently, he made a surprise appearance on stage when he reunited with the Cheers cast at the Emmy Awards in January 2023.
Wendt was joined by former co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, and John Ratzenberger around a recreated set of the show’s iconic bar.
Cast members Shelley Long and Woody Harrelson did not attend the reunion.