Actor George Wendt dies at 76; Norm on 'Cheers' went to high school in Wisconsin

Yahoo

20-05-2025

George Wendt, the beloved "Cheers" actor who died May 20 at age 76, went to a Jesuit prep school in Wisconsin before finding his calling in comedy.
Publicist Melissa Nathan, a representative for Wendt, confirmed in a statement for USA TODAY that Wendt died in his sleep early on May 20 — the 32nd anniversary of the final "Cheers" episode that aired on May 20, 1993.
"George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," the statement read, asking for privacy for Wendt's family. "He will be missed forever."
Born in Chicago, Wendt was the second-oldest of seven children in a well-off family. According to a 1984 interview with The Milwaukee Journal, his family sent him to Campion High School in Prairie du Chien when he was 13 "to be groomed for success." (Campion closed in 1975.)
"I didn't particularly want to go," he told The Journal, "but our neighbors all sent their kids there and they went on to become doctors."
The experience saved him later "when I screwed up in college," he added. According to his Second City page, Wendt had a 0.0 grade point average at the University of Notre Dame.
"The admissions director from Campion had moved on to take the same job at Rockhurst College when I applied there," Wendt said. "I'm sure he broke every rule in the book to get me in."
After college, Wendt returned to Chicago and, in 1975, joined Second City, the legendary improvisational comedy troupe that has been the launching pad for scores of comedians and actors.
Wendt left Second City in 1980 and, in 1983, was cast in the role of Norm Peterson, the witticism-spouting barfly on "Cheers," which ran for 11 seasons.
Among his other memorable roles was as Bob Swerski, one of a group of Chicago Bears superfans in a recurring sketch on "Saturday Night Live," usually including "SNL" cast member and Madison native Chris Farley among the diehard fans of "Da Bears."
His scores of other credits include appearances on TV shows ranging from "The Twilight Zone" to "M*A*S*H" to "Fresh Off the Boat," and in movies including "Fletch" and "Spice World."
But it was as Norm that Wendt was most remembered. He reprised the character in cameos on several other sitcoms, including "Cheers" spinoffs "Frasier" and "The Tortellis," and voiced animated versions of Norm on shows like "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons."
According to Variety, Wendt is survived by his wife and three children.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: George Wendt, 'Cheers' star who went to school in Wisconsin, dies