Ted Danson is grieving the loss of his longtime friend and former “Cheers” co-star George Wendt.
For 11 seasons and over 250 episodes, Wendt played the beer-loving Norm for fans of the NBC sitcom. As Norm took the same stool, Danson’s Sam Malone poured him a cold one from just behind the bar.
The actors, who appeared on the show from 1982 until 1993, were close both on and off screen. So, when news of Wendt’s death on May 20 at the age of 76 reached him, Danson was devastated. 
“I’m absolutely gutted to hear the news that Georgie has passed away. I send all my love to Bernadette and the family,” an excerpt of a statement provided to TODAY from Danson, 77, reads. “It’s going to take me forever to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”
Wendt’s family confirmed his death to NBC News through his publicist, saying the actor “passed away this morning, Tuesday, November 30th, here in his home in Hollywood.
“George was a devoted family man, an adored and admired friend, colleague, and confidant to so many lucky enough to have known him,” the statement said. “He will be missed forever.”
Personal Life
Wendt married Bernadette Birkett in 1978. They have three children together: Hilary, Joe and Daniel. Jason Sudeikis is Wendt’s nephew as well.
Final Public Appearance
Wendt and Danson made one last public appearance together at the 2024 Emmy Awards. The two, along with Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer and John Ratzenberger, were in a reimagined Bull & Finch Pub to present the award for outstanding directing in a comedy series and writing for a comedy series.
Because instead of the bit, Ratzenberger referred to it as a “long-overdue class reunion.”
Starring in that promo was Shelley Long and Woody Harrelson. Kirstie Alley cause of death: Kirstie Alley died in 2022 at the age of 71.
Podcast Reunion
A few months later, Danson, Wendt and Harrelson would reunite for the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)” podcast.
The threesome also looked back on their days on the hit sitcom, and pulled pranks on one other. Wendt also remembered being cast for “Cheers” and it conflicting with another show he took as well.
“My agent called and said, ‘You know, honey, they want you to do this ‘Cheers.’ “ ‘Oh, now you’re not available,’ ” Wendt recalled, adding that he also got a part in a CBS show called “Making the Grade.” “Then they’ll be, ‘But they want you to come in anyway, and it’s really tiny, though. I go, ‘Oh, OK.’ ”
He had just one line — or word, “Beer,” in a scene with Long’s Diane Chambers. He then added that he auditioned for another part, which would be the much-later beloved Norm.
“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 recalled — and the rest is history.
