Actor rge Wendt, who once played the ever-loyal Norm on “Cheers,” died Tuesday morning at his home at the age of 76, his family confirmed in a statement through his publicist.
“rge was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the statement said. “He will be missed forever.”
Wendt was one of TV’s most recognizable faces after appearing in more than 260 episodes of the popular Boston bar-set sitcom. His character, Norm, was a jovial beer lover who sat at the same stool at the bar, which shared the same name as the show.
Norm was a dedicated patron of the bar “where everybody knows your name,” proving the adage true when the bar would call out “Norm!” when he walked in.
A Chicago native, Wendt’s career began at The Second City comedy theater. He joined the improvisational group after dropping out of the University of Notre Dame with 0.0 grade-point average, according to his Second City biography. Wendt returned to higher education to study economics, however, from Rockhurst College in Kasnsas City, Missouri. He revisited some of his favorite old haunts with the Kansas City Star in 2016.
“I remember going to see Second City (in Chicago) when I was in college,” Wendt told the paper. “It looked for all the world like a bunch of young men and women goofing off onstage, and I was pretty sure they got paid. So I thought, wow, if I could do that.”
Comedy may run in the family as Wendt’s nephew is “Ted Lasso” creator Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis was also a member of The Second City before joining the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”A representative for Sudeikis did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wendt’s death.
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.” But it was in 1982 when Wendt got his big break with the role 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 was nominated for six Emmys during his tenure on “Cheers,” though he never took home the winged statuette. Following the end of the show, Wendt had a short-lived series called the “The rge Wendt Show” where he played a mechanic with a radio show.
The actor also starred in several movies throughout his career and made even small moments stand out, such as the 1994 film version of “The Little Rascals.” Wendt played a man selling lumber when the mischievous children were trying to rebuild their clubhouse.
