George Wendt, the seasoned actor best known for playing Norm Peterson on the iconic sitcom Cheers, has died. He was 76.
A rep for Wendt confirmed his passing to the media and noted he died in his sleep. An exact cause of death was not disclosed.
The rep said 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. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Wendt portrayed Norm Peterson during all 11 seasons of Cheers‘ legendary run. He’s the third member of the main cast to pass away. Nicholas Colasanto, who played Ernie “Coach” Pantusso, died in 1985 at the age of 61 during the show’s run on NBC. Kirstie Alley, who played Rebecca Howe, died in 2022 at the age of 71.
Wendt was nominated six times for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Norm Peterson, who was known for his love of beer and his hilarious one-liners when entering Cheers and being greeted with “Norm!” Below is a supercut of every time he entered the bar.
While Wendt was best known for Cheers, his acting career was filled with numerous film and television credits, including 1985’s Fletch, 1992’s Forever Young, the 1995 TV film adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, and 1997’s Spice World. He notably appeared on Saturday Night Live as Bob Swerski, the lead in the classic “Super Fans” sketch.
