George Wendt, the actor best known for playing crowd favorite Norm Peterson on “Cheers,” died Tuesday at age 76.
Wendt died in his sleep at his home, his family told TMZ. His cause of death was not immediately reported.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” Wendt’s publicist, Melissa Nathan, told Variety. “He will be missed forever.”
Appearing in all 275 episodes of “Cheers,” Wendt endeared himself to audiences so much that he earned his own sitcom, “The George Wendt Show.” He was also nominated for six consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor during the decade-long run of “Cheers” on NBC.
Even off-screen, Wendt leaned into his persona from the beloved show. In a 2006 interview, when asked what people should do if they run into him, he replied: “If their impulse is to buy me a beer, then by all means, follow that impulse.”
Wendt was also known for appearances in the 1985 film “Fletch,” which also starred Chevy Chase, and in the 1992 movie “Forever Young,” which was headlined by Mel Gibson.
