George Wendt, the actor best known for playing Norm Peterson on the long-running sitcom Cheers, has died. He was 76.
A family representative confirmed the news to ABC News on Tuesday and said that Wendt “died peacefully in his sleep while at home.”
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the rep said in a statement. “He will be missed forever.”
Wendt earned six Emmy nominations for his role on the NBC comedy series.
Born on Oct. 17, 1948, in Chicago, Wendt began his career in comedy at Chicago’s The Second City theater.
Prior to Cheers, he starred in a few roles on television, including M*A*S*H, Taxi and Soap, before his big break as Norm.
Wendt starred in all 275 episodes of Cheers, from when the show first aired in 1982 to its final episode in 1993.
In a 2021 interview with Chicago Magazine, Wendt recalled the first time he auditioned for Cheers.
“I needed to look like a guy who wanted to have another beer,” he said.
The actor added that Norm was exactly like him, just “with better writing.”
Following Cheers, Wendt appeared on Saturday Night Live, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Frasier, George Lopez and other television shows.
He also starred in several television films, including Alice in Wonderland in 1999, Strange Relations in 2001 and Santa Baby in 2006.
Wendt married his wife, Bernadette Birkett in 1978. The duo met while working at the Second City theater. They share a daughter named Hilary and two sons, Joe and Daniel.
Wendt is also the uncle of actor Jason Sudeikis.
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