How are George Wendt and Jason Sudeikis related?
'Cheers' actor George Wendt died at the age of 76 on Tuesday. Wendt is survived by his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett, their three children Joe and Daniel, and, Hilary, and his nephew Jason Sudeikis, who is the son of his sister Kathy.
Last year, Wendt had spoken about his nephew's career success, saying he is 'very proud.'
Appearing in an episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast with Steve Kmetko, Wendt said, "He's such a great kid. Very proud. Proud especially, you know, not only of the success, but he's solid. Have you read profiles and stuff? I mean he is... so smart, so thoughtful."
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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
George Wendt's cause of death revealed, death certificate discloses heartbreaking details
'Cheers' star George Wendt's cause of death has been revealed weeks after he suddenly died. Wendt, famous for playing barfly Norm Peterson in all 11 seasons of the NBC show, died from cardiac arrest, a death certificate obtained by TMZ reported. The death certificate reportedly also listed congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes. Other contributing factors that were listed were end-stage renal disease (kidney failure) and hyperlipidemia. Wendt's loved ones told the New York Post that he died 'peacefully in his sleep' on Tuesday, May 17, aged 76. 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,' the family rep's told the outlet in a statement. 'He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.' Wendt made his last few public appearances in 2024. He notably received six Emmy nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Norm. Many of Wendt's co-stars remembered him in statements to the outlet after his death. 'Cheers' co-star Ted Danson, 77, said, 'I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,' according to a rep for Danson. 'I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.' Rhea Perlman said, 'George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him. As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn't hurt. What a guy! I'll miss him more than words can say.' Wendt later played Norm in two 'Cheers' spinoffs: 'The Tortellis' and 'Frasier.' He is survived by his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett; their children Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.
Pink Villa
22-05-2025
- Pink Villa
Space Jam Actor Michael Alaimo Passes Away at 86, Day After Fellow Cheers Star George Wendt's Demise, Know Who He Was
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual's death. Michael Alaimo, a longtime character actor known for his roles in Space Jam, Cheers, and dozens of other films and TV shows, died on May 2 in Burbank, California. He was 86. His daughter, Gabriella Alaimo Thomas, confirmed the news on May 21, saying he passed away peacefully. No cause of death was shared. Michael Alaimo's career spanned more than 60 years, and while he wasn't a household name, he was a recognizable face to generations of viewers. 'He passed away peacefully,' Gabriella said in a statement to Variety. Alaimo's death came just one day after the passing of Cheers star George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on the hit sitcom. Wendt died peacefully in his sleep on May 20 at the age of 76. He was remembered as 'a doting family man' and 'a well-loved friend' by his publicist. Ted Danson said in a statement, 'I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us... I love you, Georgie.' Michael Alaimo is remembered by many for his guest appearance on Cheers in the 1985 episode 2 Good 2 Be 4 Real. He played Vinnie Claussen, a man who tries to woo Carla Tortelli, played by Rhea Perlman. The episode became popular among fans of the series. Alaimo's TV work extended far beyond Cheers. He had roles on several classic shows from the 1980s and 1990s, including Hill Street Blues, Dynasty, Night Court, Mr. Belvedere, The Paper Chase, ALF, The Wonder Years, and Scrubs. In 2004, he played Mr. Radford on Scrubs, and in 1997, he appeared on The Drew Carey Show. Alaimo's film work included roles in Space Jam (1996), where he played the team doctor opposite Michael Jordan. He also had parts in Mr. Mom (1983) with Michael Keaton and She's Out of Control (1989) starring Tony Danza. Earlier in his career, Alaimo appeared in films like The China Syndrome (1979), Graffiti (1969), and Come Play with Me (1968). Some of these low-budget genre films gained cult followings over the years. Michael Alaimo is survived by his wife, Louise; daughters Gabriella and Giovanna; son-in-law David; and granddaughters Isabella and Malia.
Mint
22-05-2025
- Mint
A tribute to Norm Peterson, comedy's greatest regular
If television is built on regular people — not to mention people who tune in regularly — then Norm Peterson was the most regular of all. For eleven seasons, he walked into the bar at Cheers with such clockwork regularity that his every entrance elicited a resounding and welcoming 'Norm!", a salute not only to a beloved character, but to constancy itself. On a show filled with sharp-tongued banter and characters in constant romantic or existential turmoil, Norm offered something rare and essential: stability. He arrived in the frame not like a man entering a room, but like a law of nature asserting itself. A sitcom's centre of gravity doesn't always sit at the heart of the plot. Norm rarely drove storylines, but his presence was gravitational. He gave the show ballast. Week after week, the late George Wendt — who passed away this Tuesday, aged 76 — played Norm with weary charm and unshakeable timing. His delivery was always dry, never deadpan. Norm wasn't bored by the world, merely tired of pretending it made sense. Wendt didn't oversell his jokes. He let them sit, like a pint on a coaster, waiting for you to notice. 'How's life treating you, Norm?" 'Like I just ran over its dog." That line was one of many. What didn't change was Norm's response: weary resignation with a fizzy head of humour. Norm didn't believe things would get better, but he believed in showing up anyway. Same seat, same drink, same problems, different day. That kind of repetition, in another character, might have read as laziness or despair. Norm made it reassuring. You didn't worry about Norm. He had complaints, sure. He complained about his job, sports, his marriage. That wasn't disloyalty, but ritual. Airing of grievances was part of his affection. For instance, Norm loved to mock The Hungry Heifer, a cheap restaurant he frequented with the grim devotion of a man who knew better. 'I'm not hungry, I'm just bored. And I'm so bored I'd eat a sock," he said once, summing up not just his relationship with that restaurant, but the way so many of us treat our habits. We complain because we care. And we keep going back. And then there was Vera. Oh, Vera. Norm's never-seen wife. A frequent subject of withering remarks, she was one of the greatest invisible characters in television history. 'She's not really a woman. She's more of a hobby." Yet he went home to her every night. For all the gags, the marriage endured. For all his talk, Norm was a man who didn't walk away. 'What would you say to a nice beer, Norm?" 'Going down?" It would be tempting to write Norm off as just a punchline machine, but that misses the quiet dramatic function of a character like his. When every other character on Cheers was in flux — Sam flirting, Diane intellectualizing, Frasier psychoanalyzing, Carla raging — Norm was the still point. He absorbed their madness and gave back one-liners. He was the audience surrogate, the peanut gallery, and the Greek chorus rolled into one beer-swigging silhouette. That silhouette belonged to George Wendt, an actor who imbued Norm with more humanity than the part required. Wendt's warmth radiated through the screen. There was something fundamentally trustworthy about him. Maybe it was the smile, the husky build, maybe just the natural lack of pretension in his line readings. Norm wasn't trying to impress anyone, and neither was Wendt. That kind of performance—the kind that wears comfort like a cardigan—is rarer than it looks. Outside Cheers, Wendt had his own comic credentials. He held his own in sketches on Saturday Night Live playing a memorable Chicago sports fan. Even among the bombast of sketch comedy, Wendt stood out by not trying to stand out. He was always the anchor, never the showboat. Later, his nephew Jason Sudeikis would go on to become one of SNL's defining stars. We talk a lot about stars. There is, however, something quietly sacred about the regular. The one who claims a stool or a chair or a place in your week and simply never lets go. There should be plaques behind those chairs. Little brass markers to honour the ones who showed up, through storms and reruns, with the same dependable rhythm. Norm Peterson was that man. He didn't bring change, he brought presence. A barfly is the reason a bar exists. He is the reason the lights stay on. A community is built not by dramatic gestures, but by the gentle insistence of being there. 'What's the story, Norm?" 'A thirsty guy walks into a bar… You finish it." In the end, it is all about loyalty. Cheers, according to its own theme song, was famously a bar where everybody knew your name, yet it was Norm Peterson's name that echoed the loudest: he was not the hero, not the brightest, not the bravest, not the most gallant. He was the one who showed up again and again and again. Here, then, is to you, George Wendt, and to your Norm Peterson. Thank you for giving us a mug as reliable as the mug he sought. Streaming tip of the week: The documentary Three Identical Strangers (now streaming on Netflix) begins as a heartwarming tale of triplets reunited, then veers into something far darker. This is a riveting, surreal true story that unpacks coincidence, cruelty, and the cost of curiosity. Also read: How autistic creators are using art to reclaim their personal narratives
