George Wendt, actor who played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ dead at 76

George Wendt, an actor and comedian who was beloved for his performance as Norm Peterson on the long-running comedy series “Cheers” has died, his family announced. He was 76.

"George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," according to a release. "He will be missed forever."

A Chicago-native, Wendt got his start in acting when he joined in the famed improv school The Second City Mainstage in 1975. He received six Emmy nominations over his almost five-decade Hollywood career.

While at The Second City, Wendt appeared in the revue “One More with Fooling” and spent time in the troupe’s touring company. In 1980, he departed to pursue a career in cinema and television.

Prior to "Cheers," he starred in a few roles on television, including "M*A*S*H," "Taxi" and "Soap" before his big break in "Cheers."

Wendt was cast in guest starring roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s on shows such as "Hart to Hart" and "Making the Grade." Wendt's major break came in 1982, with the part of Norm Peterson on "Cheers."

The long-running "Cheers," which aired from 1982 to 1993, also starred Ted Danson, Rhea Pearlman, Woody Harrelson, Kirstie Alley, Shelley Long and Kelsey Grammar.

Wendt appeared in films like “Dreamscape,” “Never Say Die” and the 1992 film “Forever Young” alongside Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis and a young Elijah Wood. But television proved to be a reliable source of income.

Wendt appeared in guest roles on series, including “Seinfeld,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “St. Elsewhere” and “The Twilight Zone,” and “The Little Rascals.” He also appeared in his own series "The George Wendt Show" in 1995 and was a series regular on the first and only season of "The Naked Truth" in 1997.

Between 1991 and 2003, Wendt appeared on several episodes of “Saturday Night Live” to play the recurring character Bob Swerski, a diehard Chicago sports fan, alongside famed “SNL” alums Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel.

During the next two decades, Wendt racked up guest star credits: “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Portlandia,” “Kirstie,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “Franklin & Bash” and more.

In 2017, Wendt returned to his roots when he appeared in the “I Can’t Believe They Wendt There: The Roast of George Wendt” at The Second City’s Mainstage theater in Chicago, an event hosted by the actor’s nephew, “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis. The event collected $200,000 for Gilda's Club Chicago and the Second City Alumni Fund.

Wendt married his wife, Bernadette Birkett, in 1978. The duo met while working at Second City.

They shared a daughter named Hilary and two sons, Joe and Daniel.

Wendt was also the uncle and godparent of actor Jason Sudeikis.