Tributes have been paid by the cast of US comedy series Cheers after George Wendt - who starred as Norm Peterson - died at the age of 76.
Ted Danson, who played bar boss Sam Malone, said he was "devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us".
Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane before starring in his own spin-off, said in a statement to Deadline: "I believe mourning is a private matter. But I liked George a lot. He was beloved by millions."
Wendt starred as Norm in all 275 episodes of Cheers, which ran from 1982 to 93. He earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.
The actor and comedian died peacefully in his sleep at his home early on Tuesday morning, his family said.
"George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever," a representative told the BBC.
"I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children," Danson added. "It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie."
Wendt had reunited with some of the cast, including Danson, Grammer, Rhea Perlman and John Ratzenberger, at the Emmy Awards in 2024.
Perlman described Wendt as "the sweetest, kindest man I ever met", adding that she would "miss him more than words can say".
And Ratzenberger said he was "heartbroken to hear about the passing of my friend", noting how they had "shared a stage, a lot of laughs, and a front-row seat to one of television's most beloved friendships".
Actress Melissa Joan Hart reflected on the handful of times they had worked together on the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
"He was warm, professional and kind and our cast and crew were gifted with his presence every time. Rest in peace!" she wrote on Instagram.
"Heaven just got a little funnier."
Wendt also appeared in several movies such as Dreamscape, Forever Young and Gung Ho.
He also appeared as the father of a boy played by Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson's Black or White music video, which was released in 1991.
He had been married to fellow actor Bernadette Birkett since 1978, with whom he had three children.
He was also the uncle of actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis, who is most recently known for playing the title character in the sports comedy Ted Lasso.
'Comfort and laughter'
Wendt's character Norm was a bar regular in Cheers, and was one of the few characters to appear in every episode.
His entrance into the bar was a running gag on the show, beginning with him greeting the other patrons followed by the crowd yelling his name.
Speaking 20 years after the show ended, Wendt said people still recognised him because the show had been a once-in-a-generation hit.
"I live just a few blocks from where Friends was shot and from where Seinfeld was shot and I'd see the helicopters going over the studio and I'd think, wow, I'm one of a few dozen people who have a unique perspective on what all these people are going through," he reflected.
Cheers Boston, the pub that inspired the hit television show, paid tribute by sharing a picture of Norm's spot at the bar on Instagram.
"George wasn't just an actor - he was a symbol of comfort, laughter, and that familiar feeling of walking into a place where everybody knows your name," they said.
"To George: thank you for the laughs, the memories, and the legacy you leave behind. You'll always have a stool at our bar."
A standout among the cast, Wendt earned six Emmy nods in the supporting actor in a comedy series category through his tenure as a main cast member across the 11-season run of “Cheers.” He would go on to reprise the role in appearances on the short-lived spinoff “The Tortellis” and the long-running spinoff “Frasier.” After appearing in all 273 episodes of “Cheers,” Wendt jumped to CBS to lead his own sitcom, titled “The George Wendt Show,” in which he played a radio host car mechanic. The series was quickly scrapped, running for just a month.
Wendt’s affinity for comedy made him a regular on “Saturday Night Live” through the ’90s, drawing on his Southside roots to join Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel in the recurring mustachioed Chicago Superfans sketches. (In one particularly odd bit of “SNL” lore, Wendt co-hosted a 1986 episode with director Francis Ford Coppola, then preparing to release “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Philip Glass was the musical guest.)
Born Oct. 17, 1948 in Chicago, Ill., Wendt was one of nine children and attended the University of Notre Dame before jumping to Jesuit Rockhurst College where he graduated with a degree in economics. During his time at The Second City, Wendt met Bernadette Birkett. The two married in 1978. (Though never seen on-screen, Birkett voiced the character of Norm’s wife on “Cheers.”) The couple had three children. Notably, Wendt is also the uncle to “SNL” and “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis.
After “Cheers” elevated Wendt, the actor had no trouble scoring supporting roles for the rest of his career, with film credits including comedies like “Fletch,” “Gung Ho” and “Spice World,” along with features like the 1985 horror film “House” and the 2019 American indie standout “The Climb.”
His immense resume of TV guest credits features titles like “Hot in Cleveland,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Columbo,” “George Lopez” and “Fresh Off the Boat.” Though he never found another series as enduring as “Cheers,” Wendt helped anchor several sitcoms over the years, serving as a main cast member on the TBS series “Clipped” and lending his voice talent to the animated series “Fancy Nancy.” In 2023, he competed on “The Masked Singer.”
Wendt also turned to theater in the latter portion of his career. In 2008, he took over the role of Edna Turnblad (traditionally performed by an actor in drag) in the then-ongoing Broadway production of “Hairspray.” He would reprise the role at a production in the Charlottetown Festival. He also featured as Santa in Broadway’s “Elf the Musical” and played Willy Loman in a 2017 Ontario production of “Death of a Salesman.”
