George Wendt, Beloved ‘Cheers’ Star Dead at 76 on Remarkable Unlikely Anniversary

Actor George Wendt, who starred in the long-running sitcom “Cheers,” died Tuesday at the age of 76.

His death came 32 years to the day after the final episode of “Cheers” aired on May 20, 1993, according to the Sun.

No cause of death was released, but his family issued 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. The family has requested privacy during this time.”

Wendt played beer-quaffing Norm Peterson in all 275 episodes of the show, which for 11 years brought viewers into a Boston bar where “everybody knows your name.”

Wendt was nominated for six outstanding supporting actor Emmy Awards.

In a 2021 interview, he commented about his audition for the show.

“My friend Pat Finn always reminds me what the audition was for ‘Cheers’: I needed to look like a guy who wanted to have another beer,” he said, giving credit to the show’s writers for his success.

“Norm is just me with better writing. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of actors who could have delivered on the absolute gems that I was handed on a silver platter every Wednesday morning,” he said.

The Chicago native said being more than a little bit round helped make his character connect with viewers who knew guys his size from their local bar, according to The New York Times.

“One nice thing about being fat for a living is that you don’t worry about losing weight or dieting,” Wendt once said.

“I don’t know how much I’d have to lose before it was noticeable. Anyhow, if I lost 100 pounds people would say, ‘Oh, no, not another fat comedian wanting to be a leading man!’” he said.

“The Norm you see in ‘Cheers’ has been years in the making,” he said. “I have some characteristics in common with him besides our fondness for beer. But I think I’m a lot happier than Norm.”