This post was originally published on Playbill - News
Written by: Margaret Hall
George Wendt Has Died at 76. Known to the general public for his role as Norm on Cheers, Mr. Wendt was also a man of the theatre.
Broadway vet George Wendt has died. He was 76. His family shared the news with The Hollywood Reporter May 20, saying he died peacefully in his sleep at home.
Known to the general public for his six-consecutive-times Emmy nominated role as Norm Peterson in the hit sitcom Cheers, Mr. Wendt was also a man of the theatre.
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Mr. Wendt was an alumni of the famed Second City program, honing his comedic skills as an endearing layabout, an archetype that would serve him very, very well. From 1982 to 1993, Mr. Wendt appeared as Norm Peterson in all 275 episodes of Cheers, with additional appearances in the role for the short-lived spin-off The Tortellis, in an episode of Wings, and in an episode of another Cheers spin-off, Frasier.
On Broadway, Mr. Wendt played Yvan in the play Art, Edna Turnblad in the musical Hairspray, Santa in the musical Elf, and Joe Bell in the 2013 play adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. In 2006, he toured the country for an all-star revival of the play Twelve Angry Men, where his portrayal of the law-and-order fixated foreman Juror #1 brought in significant praise. His final theatrical appearance came in 2017, where he starred as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman for St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Wendt is survived by his wife of 48 years, Bernadette Birkett, and their children.
