George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman allure who performed the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit Eighties TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage profession that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76.
Wendt’s household stated he died early Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep whereas at house, in keeping with the publicity agency The Agency Group.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the household stated in a press release. “He might be missed perpetually.” The household has requested privateness throughout this time.
Despite a protracted profession of roles onstage and on TV, it was as light and henpecked Norm Peterson on “Cheers” that he was most related, incomes six straight Emmy Award nominations for greatest supporting actor in a comedy sequence from 1984-89.
The sequence was centered on lovable losers in a Boston bar and starred Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. It would spin off one other megahit in “Frasier” and was nominated for an astounding 117 Emmy Awards, profitable 28 of them.
Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago’s famend Second City improv troupe earlier than sitting on a barstool on the place the place all people is aware of your identify, did not have excessive hopes when he auditioned for “Cheers.”
“My agent said, ‘It’s a small role, honey. It’s one line. Actually, it’s one word.’ The word was ‘beer.’ I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of ‘the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.’ So I went in, and they said, ‘It’s too small a role. Why don’t you read this other one?’ And it was a guy who never left the bar,” Wendt informed GQ in an oral historical past of “Cheers.”
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