Jason Sudeikis Recalls the 'Incredible Influence' Late Uncle George Wendt Had on Him in Tribute After the 'Cheers' Actor's Death
The Ted Lasso actor, 49, remembered Wendt — his mother Kathy's brother — and what the late Cheers star meant to him during the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend on Friday, May 30.
While kicking off the event — a fundraiser for Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. — with a star-studded panel, Sudeikis was asked about the late actor, who was also a Big Slick mainstay.
"With regard to my uncle George, I mean, there's that old saying of like, 'Don't meet your heroes,' usually 'cause 'they let you down,' I assume, is the back half of that statement. But he's not one of those people," Sudeikis said during the panel, which was captured by NBC affiliate KSHB 41.
"He's as fun and kind and as warm as any character he played on television or in films,' the star continued on Wendt. 'He was an incredible influence to me, both as someone that plays the trail, being from the Midwest and teaching me that acting was a career you could actually have, if you really care about it."
Wendt also showed Sudeikis that it's "a career where you could meet the love of your life, like his wife, a.k.a. permanent girlfriend, Bernadette," the Saturday Night Live alum said, referring to the late actor's wife of nearly 50 years, Bernadette Birkett.
"He also always kept connected to his family, to his roots, both in Chicago, of course, where he's from, but then also the time he spent here," Sudeikis continued, highlighting his uncle's time at Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
"And to a bar called Mike's a whole bunch, where I think he logged maybe 18 credit hours," he then joked. "But it was all in preparation of a job that we all know him for, Cheers. All time well spent. But yeah, we miss him greatly, and I love him dearly."
Several others on the celebrity panel, including Rob Riggle, Eric Stonestreet and Paul Rudd, also chimed in with kind words about Wendt.
"It's going to be felt, his absence, this year, even though he's so a part of it, just as much as any of us," Rudd, 56, said. "He is a really really sweet guy. I loved him."
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Wendt — who played Norm Peterson on Cheers for the show's entire 11-season run from 1982 to 1993 — died on the morning of Tuesday, May 20. He was 76.
Wendt's publicist confirmed his death in a statement to PEOPLE, saying, "Beloved actor and comedian, George Wendt, best known for starring in the NBC hit comedy Cheers, has passed away."
"George's family confirmed the news of his death early Tuesday morning, announcing he died peacefully in his sleep while at home," the statement continued. "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."
"The family has requested privacy during this time," the statement concluded.
During a 2024 episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast, Wendt told host Steve Kmetko he was "very proud" of Sudeikis.
"Proud especially, you know, not only of the success, but he's solid," Wendt said at the time, also calling the comedian "so smart" and "so thoughtful."
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Sudeikis shared his fondest memory of Wendt in a 2017 interview with The A.V. Club, recalling a white-knuckle drive in his uncle's BMW with his dad.
"He took me and my dad for a ride. My dad sat shotgun, I was in the back all by myself," he remembered, noting that it was before wearing seatbelts were required by law. "He had my dad holding on ... and I'm just sliding around in the background just because the seats were brand new."
Wendt is survived by his wife and their three children: Hilary, Joe and Daniel.
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