Latest news with #TheGeorgeWendtShow
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Cheers' star George Wendt's cause of death confirmed
A cause of death has been confirmed for 'Cheers' star George Wendt, who died on May 20 at the age of 76. The beloved actor died from cardiac arrest, according to a death certificate released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and obtained by TMZ. The certificate cites congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension as underlying causes of Wendt's death, with significant contributing conditions of kidney failure and high cholesterol. Wendt reportedly died peacefully in his sleep at his home, and cremated eight days later. 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,' his family said in a statement. 'He will be missed forever.' Best known for his role as Norm Peterson on 'Cheers,' Wendt appeared in all 275 episodes of the NBC sitcom, which ran from 1982 to 1993. The six-time Emmy Award nominee later went on to headline 'The George Wendt Show,' appear in countless movies and craft a stage career that took him to Broadway in 'Art,' 'Hairspray' and 'Elf.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beloved 'Cheers' Star Dies at the Age of 76
Beloved star of Cheers, George Wendt, died Tuesday, May 20, at the age of 76, according to Variety. He starred on Cheers for 11 years, earning six consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for the role of Norm Peterson. He went on to star on The George Wendt Show and frequently appeared on Saturday Night Live as Bob Swerski, one of the Chicago Superfans along with cast members Chris Farley, Mike Myers, and Robert Smigel. 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time," said his publicist Melissa Nathan in a statement. Prior to his success on television, Wendt came up in Chicago's The Second City in the 1970s. After his TV success, he got back to his stage roots. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 In 1998, he starred alongside David Dukes and Stacy Keach in the London West End production of Art. He later reprised the role on Broadway opposite Judd Hirsch and Joe Morton. On Broadway, he also played Santa in Elf the Musical, and played Edna Turnblad in several productions of Hairspray in Canada. In 2014, he co-starred with his wife, Bernadette Birkett, in a Kansas City-area production of Never Too Late. A year later, he starred with Tim Kazurinsky in Funnyman at the Northlight Theatre in the Chicagoland area. He later reprised the role of Edna Turnblad in a Baltimore production of Hairspray. Wendt also played Willy Loman in the famous Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman in Canada in 2017. In 2023, Wendt returned to television briefly when he competed on season 9 of The Masked Singer as "Moose." He was eliminated in 11th place out of 21 contestants. Wendt is survived by his wife, Birkett, of 47 years, and three children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel, and stepsons Joshua and Andrew. Wendt was also the uncle of Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis; Sudeikis' mom, Kathy, was Wendt's sister. Notably, Wendt's Cheers wife, Vera Peterson, was never seen on screen — it was a running gag on the show — but Vera was voiced by Wendt's wife, Birkett. When Sudeikis really hit superstardom with Ted Lasso, Wendt said on an episode of Still Here Hollywood that he could not be prouder of his nephew. '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 such a mensch, so smart, so thoughtful. I mean, it all comes out in the show. Right?'
Black America Web
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
George Wendt, Beloved 'Cheers' Star, Dies at 76
Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty George Wendt, best known for playing Norm Peterson on the iconic sitcom 'Cheers', has died at the age of 76, his publicist confirmed Tuesday. Wendt passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by loved ones, as reported by TMZ. His family remembered him as a devoted family man and friend. 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time,' his publicist wrote in a statement. Wendt rose to fame as the barstool regular Norm, earning six Emmy nominations during his 11-season run on 'Cheers'. He later headlined 'The George Wendt Show', a short-lived spinoff. Before television fame, Wendt began his career in improv comedy and appeared in classic shows like 'Taxi', 'MASH*', and 'Soap'. His film credits include 'Fletch', 'The Little Rascals', 'Spice World', and 'Santa Buddies'. Born in Chicago and one of nine children, Wendt attended high school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and studied at the University of Notre Dame before entering the world of comedy and entertainment. Source: TMZ George Wendt, Beloved 'Cheers' Star, Dies at 76 was originally published on
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Cheers cast then and now after George Wendt dies aged 76
The popular US sitcom propelled several actors, including Woody Harrelson, Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer, to fame It became one of the most popular sitcoms of all time based on the antics of the regulars of a Boston bar. Cheers, which ran from 1983 to 1993, propelled stars such as Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammar and Woody Harrelson to fame. Now, with the news that one of the shows biggest stars - George Wendt - has died aged 76, we take a look at where the cast is now and what has happened to them since the show ended 32 years ago. The cause of death of the TV icon has not yet been made public. The actor's family released in a statement: 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. "He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.' George Wendt as Norm Peterson Wendt played the beloved Norm on the hit NBC show and earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for the role. The uncle of Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis appeared in every episode and would enter the bar to regulars calling out his character's first name. The actor, from Chicago, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, which coincided with the 32nd anniversary of the Cheers series finale. After finishing the series, he went on to work on The George Wendt Show, SNL, Modern Men, Clipped and some TV voice work, and films including The Independents, Forever Young and even Spice World. He also appeared on Broadway, with roles in Art, Hairspray, Elf and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Wendt competed on The Masked Singer in 2023 and reunited with his Cheers co-stars at the 2023 Emmys to present the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series. Ted Danson as Sam Malone Danson played a former baseball star and the not too bright owner of the Cheers bar. He went on to star alongside Tom Selleck and Steve Gutenberg in the film Three Men and a Baby and its sequel Three Men and a Little Lady. He also starred in a variety of TV series including Ink, Becker, Bored to Death, CSI, A Good Place, Curb Your Enthusiasm and most recently in the Netflix series A Man on the Inside. He is married to actress Mary Steenburgen and has two daughters, Kate and Alexis, from his previous marriage to Casey Coates. Shelley Long as Diane Chambers Long's graduate student character Diane Chambers stumbled into Cheers after a breakup and took a job as a waitress, soon becoming a love interest for Danson's Sam. She earned five Emmy nominations and one win for Cheers, and went on to series including Good Advice and Modern Family, as well as stepping into the role of Carol Brady in the updated Brady Bunch movies. Married twice; she has one daughter, actress Juliana, with ex Bruce Tyson. Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd Harrelson's character joined Cheers in season four as a not-so-bright bartender. The Texan earned six Emmy nominations and a win for the role. Harrelson has since had dozens of film roles starring in The People vs. Larry Flynt, Anger Management, The Messenger, No Country for Old Men, The Hunger Games, Triangle of Sadness and Natural Born Killers. He also excelled in the first season of True Detective in 2014 opposite Matthew McConaughey. He has been married to Laura Louie since 2008, with whom he has three daughters, Deni, Zoe and Makani. Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane Psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane arrived at Cheers in 1984, initially as a love interest to Long's Diane. He earned two Emmy nominations for the role as the pompous shrink, before he moved on to the popular spinoff series Frasier, for which he scored 10 Emmy nominations and four wins. The Virgin Islands native has starred in TV series including Back to You, Hank, Boss and even The Simpsons for which he also won an Emmy as the voice of Sideshow Bob. He is back on TV in a new series of Frasier, which is a bit clunky. Married four times, he has seven children. Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli Rhea's tough as nails character became Sam's cocktail waitress sidekick. The New York-born actress went on to enjoy roles in TV series such Pearl, Ally McBeal and Hung as well as having a role in the 2023 film Barbie. Prior to Cheers she starred on Taxi, where she met husband Danny DeVito. They wed on a lunch break in 1982 and together they have three children, Lucy, Grace and Jake. Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe Alley got her big break in 1987 as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, joining in season 6 following Long's exit. In 1991, she took home the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role. She later found success in both movies and TV including 1989's Look Who's Talking and 1999 cult classic Drop Dead Gorgeous. Alley also competed on the 2011 season of Dancing with the Stars. With her husband she welcomed two children through adoption. She and Stevenson split in 1997. Alley died of colon cancer in 2022, aged 71. Bebe Neuwirth as Dr. Lilith Sternin Bebe's big TV break was as Frasier's deadpan wife Dr. Lilith Sternin on Cheers. Before that, she was a classically trained dancer who had made it big on Broadway and won a Tony award for Sweet Charity. She won back-to-back Emmys for the role of Lilith, and followed on-screen husband Grammer to Frasier and appearing in the Paramount+ revival. Since Cheers she has appeared in Deadline and Madam Secretary, and in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. She also returned to the stage in Damn Yankees, Fosse, Funny Girl, The Addams Family and Chicago. She has been married twice, marrying director Chris Calkins in 2009. John Ratzenberger as Cliff Calvin Know it all postie, Cliff Calvin was a bar regular, spewing trivia whether the other patrons wanted to hear it or not. He was busy in movies prior to Cheers, with roles in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, Ragtime and Gandhi. He earned two Emmy nominations for the role. Aside from Cheers, he is perhaps best known for having voiced a character in every single Pixar movie. He also appeared on other TV series, including 8 Simple Rules and Legit. Ratzenberger has been married to Julie Blichfeldt since 2012 and has two children from his first marriage to Georgia Stiny.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘He will be missed forever' – Cheers star George Wendt dies aged 76
Wendt's family said he died early on Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep while at home, according to the publicity firm The Agency Group. 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,' the family said in a statement. 'He will be missed forever.' The family requested privacy. Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on Cheers that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89. The series was centred on lovable losers in a Boston bar and starred Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. It would spin off another megahit in Frasier and was nominated for an astounding 117 Emmy Awards, winning 28 of them. Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago's renowned Second City improv troupe before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, did not have high hopes when he auditioned for Cheers. 'My agent said, 'It's a small role, honey. It's one line. Actually, it's one word'. The word was 'beer'. I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of 'the guy who looked like he wanted a beer'. 'So I went in, and they said, 'it's too small a role. Why don't you read this other one?' And it was a guy who never left the bar,' Wendt told GQ. After Cheers, Wendt starred in his own short-lived sitcom, The George Wendt Show, and had guest spots on TV shows including The Ghost Whisperer, Harry's Law and Portlandia. In 2023, he competed on The Masked Singer. He was part of a brotherhood of Chicago Everymen who gathered over sausage and beers and adored 'Da Bears' on Saturday Night Live. He found steady work onstage: Wendt slipped on Edna Turnblad's housecoat in Broadway's Hairspray beginning in 2007, and was in the Tony Award-winning play Art in New York and London. ADVERTISEMENT He starred in the national tour of 12 Angry Men and appeared in a production of David Mamet's Lakeboat. He also starred in regional productions of Death of a Salesman, The Odd Couple, Never Too Late and Funnyman. 'A, it's by far the most fun, but B, I seem to have been kicked out of television,' Wendt told the Kansas City Star in 2011. 'I overstayed my welcome. But theatre suits me.' Wendt had an affinity for playing Santa Claus, donning the famous red outfit in the stage musical Elf on Broadway in 2017, the TV movie Santa Baby with Jenny McCarthy in 2006 and in the doggie Disney video Santa Buddies in 2009. He also played Father Christmas for TV specials by Larry the Cable Guy and Stephen Colbert. 'I think it just proves that if you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in,' the actor joked to the Associated Press in his Broadway dressing room. Born in Chicago, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Catholic boarding school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and then Notre Dame, where he rarely went to class and was asked to leave. He transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated, after majoring in economics. He found a home at Second City in both the touring company and the mainstage. 'I think comedy is my long suit, for sure. My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish,' he told the AP. 'If you're trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn't always work. There are certain performers who almost specialise in doing that, and they do it really well. But that's not my approach.' He is survived by his wife, Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm's never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on Cheers, his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew. 'From his early days with The Second City to his iconic role as Norm on Cheers, George Wendt's work showcased how comedy can create indelible characters that feel like family. Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humour to one of television's most beloved roles,' National Comedy Centre executive director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.
