George Wendt, who is best known for his role as Norm Peterson on Cheers, died on Tuesday. He was 76.
Videos by Suggest
The late actor’s family issued a statement to PEOPLE confirming the news.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the statement reads. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Wendt’s cause of death was not revealed. He is survived by his wife, Bernadette Birkett, three children, Hilary, Joe, and Daniel, his sister Kathryn, and his nephew, actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis.
George Wendt Started Acting in the Late 1970s
Born on Oct. 17, 1948, in Chicago, Wendt initially attended the University of Notre Dame but was expelled after receiving a 0.00 GPA during the first semester of his junior year. He attended and graduated from Jesuit Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1971.
Seven years after graduating from college, Wendt went into acting. He appeared in the 1980 film My Bodyguard and took on small roles in the TV series M*A*S*H and Taxi. He became a series regular on Making the Grade in 1982. However, the show was canceled after six episodes.
That same year, Wendt landed the role of Norm Peterson on Cheers. He appeared in 275 episodes between 1982 and 1993. His beloved character also appeared in the Cheers spin-off, Frasier.
Wendt previously opened up about his iconic Cheers character.
“Norm is just me with better writing,” he explained during a 2021 interview with Chicago Magazine. “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.”
Following his Cheers days, Wendt appeared on other hit TV shows, including Ghost Whisperer, Kickin’ It, Portlandia, and The Goldbergs. In 2023, he was a Season 9 contestant of The Masked Singer.