'Impeccable comedic timing and a deep loyalty to those he loved'

George Wendt’s Cheers co-stars have paid tribute to their colleague after he died at the age of 76 yesterday.  

He starred as Norm Peterson in all 275 episodes of the US sitcom from 1982 to 1993 – the only actor to appear to appear in every show aside from Ted Danson, who plated bar owner Sam Malone and Rhea Perlman who played waitress Carla Tortelli.

Danson said in a statement overnight:  ‘I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us. I am sending all my love to [his wife] Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.’

Perlman said: ‘George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him. As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn’t hurt. What a guy! I’ll miss him more than words can say.’

John Ratzenberger, who played Norm’s drinking buddy Cliff Clavin, added: ‘For 11 years on Cheers, we shared a stage, a lot of laughs, and a front-row seat to one of television's most beloved friendships.

‘George brought Norm to life with a subtle brilliance - the kind that made it look easy. That was his gift. He was a true craftsman - humble, hilarious, and full of heart.

‘What you saw on screen was exactly who he was off screen with impeccable comedic timing and a deep loyalty to those he loved. I'll miss our conversations and the quiet moments of friendship that meant the most’

His family said he died peacefully in his sleep at his home early on Tuesday morning, with his publicist releasing a statement saying: ‘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.’

Norm was initially the only customer featured in the  main cast of Cheers, later joined by best friend Cliff, Frasier Crane and Lilith Sternin. His entrance into the bar was a running gag on the show, with the whole bar yelling his name. 

Wendt once said of his iconic role. which earned  six consecutive Emmy nominations: 'The Norm you see in Cheers has been years in the making. I have some characteristics in common with him besides our fondness for beer. But I think I’m a lot happier than Norm.

'I was a beer drinker long before Cheers. When I put a couple of six packs on top of my grocery shopping cart, people are pleased. I tell ‘em I’m taking them home to rehearse.'

His death happened on the exact day that Cheers ended 32 years ago, with Norm the last character to leave the Boston bar, save for Sam:

While on Cheers, he jointly guest-hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live  with director Francis Ford Coppola. And after Cheers ended in 1993, he starred in his own sitcom, The George Wendt Show but it was cancelled after only six episodes aired, with two more remaining unseen.

His other credits included the movies Airplane II: The Sequel, Fletch and Spice World, while  on TV he was a regular on the NBC sitcom The Naked Truth and the original British edition of TV improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway? 

He also played the father of  Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson's 1991 Black or White music video and on Broadway  he played Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. He said of the latter:  'It was one of my two favourite roles, apart from Norm. Absolute utter joy and entirely different from anything in my world.'

In 2023, Wendt competed in season nine of The Masked Singer in the US as Moose and at last year's Emmy Awards her reunited with other members of the Cheers cast.

Those paying tribute last night also included Melissa Joan Hart, who worked with him on Sabrina The Teenage Witch. She said on Instagram: 'He was warm, professional and kind and our cast and crew were gifted with his presence every time.'

Wendt started in comedy by joining Chicago improv troupe The Second City in 1975. The story goes that he turned top on the first day promptly at 11:30am as instructed, whereupon  he was handed a broom told to sweep the floors with the message: ‘Welcome to the theatre, kid.'

At Second City, he met his future wife, Bernadette Birkett, who played Cliff's Halloween date in the third season of Cheers and later voiced Norm's never-seen wife, Vera. They were married since 1978, and had three children.

He was also the uncle of Ted Lasso co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis, his sister Kathryn's son.

Journey Gunderson of America's National Comedy Center said: '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. Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humour to one of television’s most beloved roles. .'

Channel 4 continues to air reruns of Cheers in the early mornings, and it is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Published: 21 May 2025