George Wendt reunited with ‘Cheers' co-stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson before his death
George Wendt celebrated 'Cheers' in his final public appearance before his death.
The actor appeared on his former co-stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson's podcast, 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name,' in Aug. 2024, nine months before he died at age 76.
During the episode, Wendt recalled how he landed the role of Norm Peterson on the beloved sitcom.
Advertisement
11 Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, Woody Harrelson in 'Cheers.'
©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
'My agent called and said, 'You know, honey, they want you to do this 'Cheers,'' said Wendt. 'Now you're not available,' because I had this other show ['Making the Grade'] at Paramount for CBS. Then they go, 'But they want you to come in anyway, and it's really small, though.' I go, 'Oh, okay.''
11 George Wendt on Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson's podcast.
TeamCoco/YouTube
Advertisement
11 Ted Danson on the podcast in August 2024.
TeamCoco/YouTube
11 Woody Harrelson chatting with his 'Cheers' co-stars.
TeamCoco/YouTube
Wendt explained that he initially auditioned to just say one word in the pilot episode. But the casting team wanted more from him and he ultimately secured the role of Norm after another audition.
'I read it and then they decided they were going to try to make it work out where I could do both shows, and then the other show got canceled,' Wendt shared.
Advertisement
11 George Wendt at the 2016 Chiller Theater Expo in New Jersey.
WireImage
'Cheers' aired on NBC from 1982 to 1993.
The cast also included Danson, 77, as Sam Malone, Harrelson, 63, as Woody Boyd, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Nicholas Colasanto as Coach Ernie Pantusso, Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, and more.
Wendt became a fan favorite, scoring six Emmy nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Norm.
Advertisement
11 George Wendt poses for a portrait in 1983.
Getty Images
11 The cast of 'Cheers' during an episode in 1988.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
11 George Wendt, Ted Danson in 'Cheers.'
©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Two months before his podcast appearance, Wendt participated in a comedy sketch at the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri alongside his real-life nephew, 'Ted Lasso' actor Jason Sudeikis.
11 George Wendt performs onstage during 2024 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend.
Getty Images
Wendt also attended the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in January 2024 for an iconic 'Cheers' reunion that also featured Danson, Perlman, Kelsey Grammer and John Ratzenberger.
At a pre-Emmy party, Wendt was seen with a cane and getting help walking from Sudeikis, 49.
11 John Ratzenberger and George Wendt at the Emmy Awards in January 2024.
REUTERS
Advertisement
The Post confirmed that Wendt died 'peacefully in his sleep' on Tuesday morning.
'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 Post in a statement. 'He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.'
11 George Wendt at Sirius XM Annual Celebrity Fantasy Football Draft in 2012.
Getty Images for Sirius XM Radio
Danson said in a statement to The Post that he was 'devastated' over Wendt's death.
Advertisement
'It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie,' the 'Good Place' actor said.
Perlman, for her part, told The Post: 'George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Popular Kids Entertainer Says She'll Risk Her Career To Stand Up For Children In Gaza
A modern-day Mr. Rogers is not backing down. Ms. Rachel, an extremely popular YouTuber whom toddlers may adore even more than chicken nuggets and bubbles, told NPR's 'Here and Now' Tuesday that she's willing to risk her career to advocate for children in Gaza. 'I wouldn't be Ms. Rachel if I didn't deeply care about all kids,' she told the outlet. 'And I would risk everything, and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for them. It's all about the kids for me.' There's quite a bit at stake. Ms. Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Accurso, has over 15 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, where kiddos tune in to watch the chipper children's educator teach and sing in her trademark overalls and pink headband. She has a Netflix deal where episodes of her interactive teaching program are available with subtitles in 33 languages. She's also got a toy chest's worth of merch. Accurso first made her stance about kids in Gaza public in May 2024, when she announced a fundraiser for children in Gaza and other war zones. Since then, she's consistently drawn attention to the tragedy in the territory — but last month, she seemed to hit a nerve. On May 21, she posted a video to her social media accounts in which she sang her popular song 'Hop Little Bunnies' while a 3-year-old girl from Gaza named Rahaf, who lost her legs in an airstrike, danced beside her. In response to the video, the pro-Israel group StopAntisemitism — which the Guardian says 'doxes people it deems antisemitic' — wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi calling on her to investigate Ms. Rachel for being 'remunerated to disseminate Hamas-aligned propaganda to her millions of followers.' Ms. Rachel admitted to NPR that she finds the pushback 'painful,' but has continued her advocacy. 'It's really painful. And I have to remind myself that people don't know my heart, and people try to tell you who you are, but you know who you are,' she said. 'And I know how deeply and equally I care for all children, and I do lean on my faith in that situation.' She doubled down on her stance on Tuesday with a statement on social media. 'I stand against all forms of hate and violence — including antisemitism, anti-Palestinian hate, anti-Arab hate, anti-Muslim hate and all hate meant to divide us and cause harm rather than bring us together,' she wrote. 'Every child, person and every family deserves to feel valued, loved and safe.' She continued, 'Let's continue to model empathy, compassion and teach our children that we are all connected.' 'When we hate, deny people human rights and attack each other, we all suffer,' she concluded. 'When we love, respect all people's human rights and show compassion, we all thrive. We all rise.' Ms. Rachel also illustrated on Tuesday how her advocacy extends to every child by posting an Instagram Story in support of the Jewish community after a man attacked a peaceful protest calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. 'Our hearts are with the Boulder Jewish Community and everyone impacted by this horrendous violence,' she wrote. Israeli Forces Kill At Least 27 People On Their Way To Aid Site In Gaza 'Indiscriminate, Unrestrained, Brutal': Former Israeli PM Calls Gaza Assault 'War Crimes' Israel's Latest Strikes In Gaza Kill 38 People Including Children
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Volunteers still needed for Cincinnati Pride Parade
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A major Pride event in southwest Ohio is still looking for volunteers. Organizers of the Cincinnati Pride Parade are looking for members of the community to help by volunteering, according to NBC affiliate WLWT in Cincinnati. The parade will be held June 28 at 11 a.m. It is expected to begin at Plum and Seventh streets in the Queen City, and end at Sawyer Point & Yeatman's Cove. Our affiliate said it takes roughly 300 volunteers to just conduct the parade. Nearly 200,000 people attended the parade in 2024. To find out how you can volunteer, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Gabby Thomas calls out ‘weirdo' heckler over ‘bragging' social media post
Olympic track and field gold medalist Gabby Thomas put a male spectator on blast after she said he yelled personal insults at her and followed her around at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Sunday. Thomas explained that she publicly called out the man because she saw him 'bragging' about heckling her on social media. 'I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win,' the man wrote under the username 'Mr 100K a day' in response to a recap post by Thomas, who finished fourth in the 100-meter race at the Grand Slam Track meet, and second place in the 200-meter sprint on Sunday. 3 Gabby Thomas of the United States competes in the women's 200m on Day 1 of Grand Slam Track at Franklin Field in on May 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images The man included an image of a bet he supposedly made online and a snapshot of Thomas and the other runners at the starting line at Franklin Field. 'This grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults,' Thomas, 28, wrote in response. 'Anybody who enables him online is gross.' Thomas called the man 'a weirdo' while replying to fans. Thomas added that she 'wasn't even going to tweet about it but since he's bragging.' 'Honestly the heckling is tolerable, it's following me around the stadium that's wild,' she wrote in another post. The man denied Thomas' claims and called her a liar in a YouTube video posted Monday under the same username — adding that she tweeted about him 'for sympathy.' He also said he does not like Thomas and called her 'a Karen.' 3 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA), left, defeats Gabby Thomas (USA) to win the women's 200m, 21.99 to 22.10, during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field on May 31, 2025. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images In the 11-minute video, he showed clips of him heckling Thomas and saying he wanted Melissa Jefferson-Wooden to win the 200m race. 'Gabby Thomas is scared I see it in her eyes,' the man yelled, before calling her a 'choke artist.' The man was also heard yelling, 'Melissa got married this year, got a Black husband, Gabby got a white guy,' referring to Thomas' fiancé, Spencer McManes, who is white. 3 Olympian Gabby Thomas and Spencer McManes are seen arriving to the Carolina Herrera fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 9, 2024 in New York City. GC Images At one point, he said Thomas 'walked past me and she spoke to me and she said, 'Hey what're you doing here? You're just a heckler… She laughed, smiled and kept walking. That was the last time I saw Gabby.' Earlier this year, Thomas shared a PSA on TikTok and explained that she feared she was being stalked by a group of middle-aged men, who allegedly followed her to and from multiple cities in the United States recently. The U.S. sprinter made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in the magazine's 2025 issue in May.
