George Wendt, the actor who made TV history as the lovable barfly Norm Peterson on Cheers, has died at the age of 76. His family confirmed the news Tuesday morning, saying the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep at home.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” his rep shared. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Wendt was born and raised in Chicago, where he got his start in the 1970s with the iconic improv group Second City. He later became a familiar face on Saturday Night Live as one of the Bears-obsessed superfans cheering for Mike Ditka’s team. But it was his role as Norm—a fixture at the fictional Boston bar where everybody knew his name—that made Wendt a household name.
From 1982 to 1993, Cheers captivated audiences and made Wendt a fan favorite. He was nominated for six consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series from 1984 to 1989.
Even during his Cheers run, Wendt stayed busy, appearing in films like Fletch, Gung Ho, Plain Clothes, Never Say Die, and Guilty by Suspicion. His character Norm lived on in shows like Frasier, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.
In the music world, Wendt had a memorable role as the annoyed dad in Michael Jackson’s 1991 “Black or White” video, opposite a young Macaulay Culkin.
He also made waves on Broadway, debuting in Art in 1998 and later taking on the larger-than-life role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.
Thanks to his TV barstool legacy, Wendt became something of a beer icon in real life. He starred in ads for Miller Lite and Meister Brau and co-wrote Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer. In the book, he wrote, “I’m a simple man, I don’t ask for much. Give me a nice comfortable chair, a cool breeze, a ballgame on the radio and an ice-cold beer, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Wendt is survived by his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett, whom he met at Second City. In a fun twist, Birkett provided the voice of Vera—Norm’s never-seen wife—on Cheers. Together, they shared three children: Hilary, Joe, and Daniel, and Wendt also helped raise two stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.
Comedy seems to run in the family—Wendt’s nephew is none other than SNL alum Jason Sudeikis.
George Wendt may be gone, but his legacy lives on wherever there’s a cold beer, a barstool, and a crowd that still remembers the joy of Cheers.