George Wendt, Emmy-nominated actor known for playing Norm on ‘Cheers,’ dies at 76
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George Wendt, the actor best known for his starring role as Norm Peterson in the NBC sitcom “Cheers,” has died at 76. The actor famously appeared in nearly every episode of the show, and the role earned him multiple Emmy nominations over the course of the series.
Wendt died at home in his sleep, a family representative confirmed to The Times on Tuesday. A cause of death was not revealed.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the representative said in a statement. “He will be missed forever.”
“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,” National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson said in a statement. “Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humor to one of television’s most beloved roles. His work is proudly featured in the National Comedy Center, and we honor his legacy and the joy he brought to generations of fans.”
When “Cheers” aired from 1982 to 1993, viewers could rely on Wendt to make an appearance as much as the titular Boston bar’s owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and barkeeps could rely on Norm for business. The Cheers staff would greet him with a boisterous “Norm!” in every episode. Wendt’s character, who made the right-corner barstool his territory, always arrived with a dry joke about his personal life — and his not-so-happy marriage — and a hankering for beer, of course.
“Well, science is seeking a cure for thirst. I happen to be the guinea pig,” Norm joked in Season 1.
During the final month of “Cheers” nearly two years ago, George Wendt was being encouraged by Paramount, by NBC and by series creators James Burrows, Les Charles and Glen Charles to star in his own TV series.
As Norm, Wendt became an unexpected staple on “Cheers,” sharing the screen with Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. He received six Primetime Emmy nominations — he was first nominated in 1984 — for the role. Though he never won the prize, Wendt’s memorable performances appealed to more than just viewers and critics. Amid his “Cheers” popularity, he won over network bosses too.
After “Cheers” ended in 1993, wrapping up 11 seasons, Wendt received support from Paramount, NBC and series creators James Burrows, Les Charles and Glen Charles to lead his own show, including a potential Norm spin-off and a separate comedy that would see him as the loafing owner of a barbecue joint. But Wendt, who had portrayed Norm for nearly a quarter of his life at the time, told The Times in 1995, “I just wasn’t emotionally ready to consider them.”
“My heart wasn’t in it at the time,” he said.
The Chicago-born actor followed up his time on “Cheers” with a variety of acting opportunities ranging from stage productions of “Wild Men!” and David Mamet’s “Lake Boat” to movies including “The Little Rascals” and “Man of the House.” He returned to the sitcom scene with “The George Wendt Show,” which aired briefly on CBS in 1995. The series starred Wendt and Pat Finn as brothers who own a car garage in Wisconsin and host a radio show. To Wendt, his new sitcom character was “just Norm without a beer in his hand.”
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Ahead of the series’ premiere, Wendt acknowledged the pressure to succeed in wake of the popularity of “Cheers” and spin-off “Frasier,” led by former co-star Grammer. “So the comparisons are almost bound to be disappointing,” he said, before contending later in the interview, “I certainly am jealous.”
Despite that show’s difficulty in reaching the same heights as “Cheers” and “Frasier,” Wendt put together a varied acting career that included roles on “The Naked Truth,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Modern Men,” “Clipped” and “Portlandia.” Over the years, he would reprise the role of Norm for “Family Guy,” “Frasier” and “The Simpsons.” He was also known for appearing as Bob Swerski in several “Saturday Night Live” sketches about avid sports fans who raved about “Da Bears,” and in 2023 he competed on “The Masked Singer.”
Wendt was born Oct. 17, 1948, and attended Campion High School in Wisconsin. He was briefly a student at Notre Dame but after being dismissed transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated with a degree in economics. He was an alumnus of the renowned Second City improv troupe, which helped launch his career in the early 1980s.
When Wendt first auditioned for “Cheers,” he was expected to utter one word: “beer.” Ultimately, he told GQ in 2012, his agent said it was “too small a role” and encouraged him to read for “a guy who never left the bar.” More than 40 years and 250 episodes later, Wendt had clearly become so much more to the TV community. He also pursued a stage career that took him to Broadway in productions of “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf.”
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After the end of “Cheers,” Wendt recounted a recurring dream to The Times in 1995: In the dream, he was back on set with his co-stars and generating laughter with anything he did or said. Burrows tells him, “That’s great, let’s use that.”
“Then you wake up and there’s no show to put it in,” Wendt recalled. “You know, I have dreams about [“Cheers”]. I mean, that’s missing something.”
He is survived by his wife, Second City veteran Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm’s elusive wife Vera; his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.
Times TV editor Maira Garcia and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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