Jason Sudeikis remembers 'incredible influence' of uncle George Wendt: 'An amazing guy'
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'Cheers' actor George Wendt dies at 76
George Wendt earned six consecutive best supporting actor Emmy nominations playing Norm Peterson on NBC's "Cheers."
To the world, George Wendt will always be Norm. But for Jason Sudeikis, he was just Uncle George.
Less than two weeks after the beloved "Cheers" star's death, Sudeikis opened up about the impact of his late uncle during an appearance at Big Slick Celebrity Weekend, an annual fundraising event for Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 30. Wendt died "peacefully in his sleep" on May 20 at the age of 76.
"He was an amazing guy," Sudeikis, 49, said. "With regard to my Uncle George, I mean, there's that old saying of, 'Don't meet your heroes,' usually because 'they let you down,' I assume, is the back half of that statement. But he's not one of those people."
'A well-loved friend': George Wendt, beloved bar regular Norm on 'Cheers,' dies at 76
Wendt was best known for his portrayal of the beer-quaffing barfly Norm Peterson on the classic NBC sitcom, and Sudeikis reflected that the actor's everyman charm wasn't limited to the TV screen.
"He's as fun and kind and as warm as any character he played on television or in films," the Kansas-bred actor said. "He was an incredible influence to me, both as someone that blazed the trail being from the Midwest and teaching me that acting was a career you could actually have, if you really care about it."
George Wendt remembered: 'Cheers' stars Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman pay tribute
Aside from Wendt's commitment to the craft, Sudeikis added that the Illinois-born actor's humility was just as much of an inspiration.
"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," said Sudeikis, referring to Kansas City, where Wendt attended college. "We miss him greatly, and I love him dearly."
Contributing: Bryan Alexander and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
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