George Wendt, who was best known for his role as Norm Peterson in the beloved sitcom Cheers has died. He was 76.
The actor and comedian, who earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for his performance, died peacefully in his sleep, his family confirmed.
"George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," a rep for Wendt said in a statement.
"He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time."
Wendt started his career as a comedian in the 1970s before moving into TV and that's where he became a household name.
He was a main cast member across the entire 11-season run of Cheers and went on to reprise his iconic role on the short-lived spinoff The Tortellis, and the other Cheers spinoff, Frasier.
Wendt previously joked that the hardest part about his role on Cheers was the drinking.
While he was "slamming" down beers throughout his time on set, the concoction in front of him was not the real deal, instead a warm, flat non-alcoholic drink that was layered with a pinch of salt to make a head.
"There I was slamming those down for a whole day. It not only tastes disgusting, I was afraid of keeling over from high blood pressure," he told The Washington Post in 1985.
"Then I got the knack. I didn't have to put all those brews away. It only mattered when the camera was pointing my way. It took a couple of years, but now I watch the camera. That's how I make my money. That's acting."
After Cheers ended in 1993, he pivoted and starred in his own show, called The George Wendt Show. Unfortunately the sitcom never really took off, and was cancelled after just six of the eight episodes filmed went to air.
Of course his love for comedy also led to regular appearances on Saturday Night Live in the '90s too.
Wendt wasn't just a star on the small screen.
He also appeared in movies including Alice in Wonderland, The Little Rascals, Santa Buddies and Airplane II: The Sequel, to name some of the flicks.
Wendt married actress Bernadette Birkett in July 1978 and she was also the unseen, offscreen voice of Norm's wife, Vera, on Cheers.
He also has two children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.
Of his family, he had six sisters and his only nephew also went into the entertainment industry, Jason Sudeikis.
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