George Wendt, Norm From Cheers, Dead At 76

"Cheers" star George Wendt has died at the age of 76. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Wendt died on the morning of May 20. He was reportedly at home sleeping at the time of his death. The actor is best known for playing the beloved character Norm Peterson for the entirety of "Cheers'" nearly decade-long run. Wendt's representative shared a statement about his passing, saying, "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him." They added, "He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time."

"Cheers" fans love Norm in large part due to Wendt's iconic portrayal. The character's popularity surely had a lot to do with his staying power on the series. He appeared in the titular bar for all 275 episodes of the show's run. And his work on "Cheers" earned him more than just a big fan base — it also earned him an impressive six Primetime Emmy Award nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.

George Wendt hailed from Chicago, Illinois, where he had a large family with eight siblings. While so many folks know and love Wendt, many may not know that he is the famous uncle of fellow star Jason Sudeikis. At the time of his death, Wendt had been married to his wife Bernadette Birkett since 1978, and the couple had three children together. In addition to his time on "Cheers," Wendt played Bob Swerski on "Saturday Night Live," as well as the iconic dad in the music video for Michael Jackson's 1991 hit "Black or White." You may also recognize him from movies like "The Little Rascals," "Spice World," "Fletch," "Alice in Wonderland," "Sandy Wexler," and "Santa Buddies" — to name a few. Wendt even had his own sitcom after the series finale of "Cheers," aptly titled "The George Wendt Show."

"Cheers" ended its long run in 1993, and folks have understandably wondered what happened to the cast since then. Wendt is sadly now among the "Cheers" stars who have passed away, yet his death is likely to prompt many fans to revisit the series, and perhaps it will even spark new viewers to watch it for the first time.