George Wendt, the actor best known for playing Norm Peterson on the long-running sitcom “Cheers,” has died. He was 76.
Wendt earned six Emmy nominations for his role on the NBC comedy series.
George Wendt as Norm Peterson in an episode of “Cheers.”
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU via Getty Images
Born on Oct. 17, 1948, in Chicago, Wendt began his career in comedy at Chicago’s The Second City theater.
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 starred in all 275 episodes of “Cheers” from when the show first aired in 1982 to its final episode in 1993.
In a 2021 interview with Chicago Magazine, Wendt recalled the first time he auditioned for “Cheers.”
“I needed to look like a guy who wanted to have another beer,” he said.
The actor added that he was exactly like Norm, just “with better writing.”
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