George Wendt, the actor who played the character Norm on the popular sitcom Cheers for 11 seasons spanning nearly 300 episodes, has passed away at the age of 76, per Variety and multiple outlets. Per the outlet, the sad announcement was made by Wendt's publicist, Melissa Nathan. She wrote, ""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."
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He found immense success as Norm Peterson on Cheers alongside fan-favorite actors like Ted Danson and Shelley Long. In fact, he was the deserving recipient of half a dozen Emmy nominations for the memorable role.
George Wendt Was From Chicago And Cut His Comedy Teeth There
Wendt worked as a comic at The Second City back in the 1970s, per the outlet. Then he headed for small screen roles. But more than any of them, being "Norm" made his professional reputation and brought him TV legend status. Wendt also portrayed the character on two Cheers spinoffs - The Tortellis and Frasier. He also had a brief run on CBS on The George Wendt Show as auto mechanic who is a radio host, The show only lasted a month.
He Found A Home Appearing On 'Saturday Night Live'
In the 1990s, Wendt was on SNL with people like Robert Smigel, Chris Farley, and Mike Myers in the sketches featuring the Chicago Superfans. A trivia note: He co-hosted an episode of SNL in the 1980s with legendary The Godfather director, Francis Coppola.
He Earned A Degree In Economics
Wendt left Notre Dame for Jesuit Rockhurst College. There, he earned an economics degree. On the personal side, he wed Bernadette Birkett in 1978. She was the voice of Norm's unseen spouse on Cheers. The couple shared three children. Also, Wendt is the uncle of actor Jason Ted Lasso Sudeikis.
Although Wendt Is Best-Known For 'Cheers,' He Had Many Other Acting Roles
He was on numerous TV shows including George Lopez, Hot in Cleveland, Columbo, and The Twilight Zone. Wendt also had notable parts in movies such as Gung Ho and Fletch.
