George Wendt, Beloved as Norm on ‘Cheers’ and Broadway Mainstay, Dies at 76

George Wendt, best known for playing the lovable barfly Norm Peterson on the classic sitcom Cheers, has passed away at the age of 76. According to a statement from his family, the actor died peacefully in his sleep at home early Tuesday morning.

“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the family shared. “He will be missed forever.” They have requested privacy during this difficult time.

An Unforgettable Norm

Wendt’s portrayal of Norm — the endearing, beer-loving regular at a Boston bar where everybody knows your name — made him a television icon throughout the 1980s and early ‘90s. The role earned him six consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy from 1984 to 1989. His entrance into the bar was always met with a chorus of “Norm!” from fellow patrons, and his one-liners were a hallmark of the show’s wit.

When the Cheers pilot was being cast, Wendt didn’t expect much. His audition was originally for a one-word role: “Beer.” But producers saw something more, and offered him the role of a man who never left the bar. The rest was sitcom history.

From Second City to TV Stardom

Before he became Norm, Wendt honed his comedic chops with Chicago’s legendary Second City improv troupe. That experience shaped his grounded, everyman approach to comedy — never too flashy, always relatable.

Cheers debuted on NBC in 1982 to modest ratings but gained traction thanks to critical support and word-of-mouth. By the time the series wrapped in 1993, nearly 80 million viewers tuned in for the finale. Wendt and the cast marked the occasion with a boozy celebration and a live appearance on The Tonight Show from the Boston bar that inspired the series.

“We had been drinking heavily for two hours but nobody thought to feed us,” Wendt recalled in 2009. “We were nowhere near as cute as we thought we were.”

Rhea Perlman, who played Carla, shared a heartfelt tribute: “George was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. I’ll miss him more than words can say.”

Beyond Cheers: Stage, Santa, and the Second Act

While TV made Wendt a household name, the stage became his artistic home later in life. He starred in major productions like Art, Hairspray, Elf, and 12 Angry Men, and took on iconic roles in regional theater, including Death of a Salesman and The Odd Couple.

In true character actor fashion, Wendt also embraced playing Santa Claus — appearing in the Broadway musical Elf, the TV movie Santa Baby with Jenny McCarthy, and even Disney’s Santa Buddies. He joked, “If you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in.”

Wendt’s Comedy Philosophy

Wendt saw himself not as a showboater but as a team player — the kind of comedian who let the humor flow naturally. “My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish,” he once said. “If you’re trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn’t always work.”

That understated charm defined his work, whether he was on the Cheers set, performing Mamet, or even appearing on The Masked Singer in 2023.

A Life Poured in Beer and Laughter

A lifelong beer enthusiast, Wendt turned his passion into a book: Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer. It was part memoir, part beer-lover’s manual, and all George — complete with lists like “Five Good Bar Bets” and “(More Than) 100 Ways to Say That You’re Drunk.”

“Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn’t like. I feel the same about beer,” he wrote.

Remembering a Comedy Legend

George Wendt is survived by his wife, Bernadette Birkett — a fellow Second City alum who voiced his character’s unseen wife Vera on Cheers — as well as his children Hilary, Joe, and Daniel, and stepchildren Joshua and Andrew.

The National Comedy Center’s Journey Gunderson summed up Wendt’s legacy: “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.”

And for millions of fans, Norm was exactly that — family.