Rhea Perlman was shocked over 'Cheers' co-star George Wendt's death
Rhea Perlman is weighing in on the recent death of her former 'Cheers' co-star, George Wendt.
'That was the saddest thing ever, when George passed away,' Perlman, 77, exclusively told The Post while promoting her new Netflix show, 'Too Much.'
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'Really unexpected. None of us thought he was that sick. And I don't think he thought he was that sick – because we had seen him not that long ago during the Emmys. We did some special bit during the Emmys,' she recalled, referring to the 'Cheers' reunion during the 2024 awards ceremony.
7 Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, George Wendt as Norm Peterson in 'Cheers.'
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
7 Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, George Wendt as Norm Peterson in 'Cheers.'
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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'And I would run into George and his wife, Bernadette [Birkett], often on the street in the valley where they lived,' she revealed. 'Everything seemed just fine.'
Wendt died at age 76 of cardiac arrest on May 20. His death certificate also reportedly listed congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension as underlying causes.
'Ted Lasso' star Jason Sudeikis was Wendt's nephew.
7 George Wendt and Rhea Pearlman of 'Cheers' arrive for NBC's 75th Anniversary Special May 5, 2002 at Rockefeller Center.
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'He's as fun and kind and as warm as any character he played on television or in films,' Sudeikis, 49, said in June after the star's passing.
'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, and it's also a career where you could meet the love of your life like his wife, and AKA permanent girlfriend, Bernadette,' the 'Saturday Night Live' alum concluded.
7 John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Ted Danson, George Wendt, Rhea Perlman and Kirstie Alley of 'Cheers.'
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Wendt was famous for playing Norm Peterson in the iconic sitcom 'Cheers,' which aired on NBC for eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993.
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The show followed former Red Sox pitcher-turned-bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson), and the various employees and patrons of the bar, including bar regular Norm (Wendt), barmaid Dianne (Shelley Long), bartender 'Coach' (Nicholas Colasanto) bar regular Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), and wisecracking cocktail waitress Carla (Perlman).
'He was just the sweetest man in the world,' Perlman told The Post.
7 John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, Shelley Long, Ted Danson, George Wendt, Rhea Perlman in 'Cheers.'
©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
7 helley Long as Diane Chambers, Ted Danson as Sam Malone, Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd, John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin, George Wendt as Norm Peterson, (center) Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
7 James Burrows, Ted Dasnson, Shelley Long, John Ratzenberger, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt in 2016.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
She recalled that in 'Cheers,' Norm would sit on the bar while Carla often stood nearby.
'Every once in a while, I'd give him a punch, because that's what Carla does,' she explained. 'I'm punching him out of love.'
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'He would go 'ow!' and make me feel like I really hurt him. And I'd go, 'Oh, stop it! You didn't even feel that.''
She quipped, 'He was like a pussy cat.'
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