George Wendt made his final public appearance by celebrating Cheers before his passing.
The beloved actor joined his former co-stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson on their podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, in August of last year—nine months before he passed away at the age of 76.
In the episode, Wendt shared the story of how he came to play Norm Peterson on the iconic sitcom.
“My agent called and said, ‘Honey, they want you to audition for this show called Cheers,’” Wendt recalled.
“She added, ‘But you’re technically not available because you’re already doing another show—Making the Grade at Paramount for CBS. Still, they want you to come in anyway. It’s a small part, though.’ And I said, ‘Oh, okay.’”
Wendt shared that his initial audition was for a single word in the pilot episode. However, the casting team saw potential and asked for more, leading to a second audition that landed him the role of Norm.
“I read the part, and then they tried to work out a way for me to do both shows,” Wendt recalled. “But then the other show got canceled.”
Woody Harrelson shared a conversation with his Cheers co-stars.
Wendt revealed that his first audition was for a single word in the pilot episode, but the casting team saw potential and asked him to do more. After a second audition, he ultimately landed the role of Norm.
“I read the part, and then they tried to figure out a way for me to do both shows,” Wendt explained. “But the other show ended up getting canceled.”
Cheers aired on NBC from 1982 to 1993.
The cast featured Ted Danson, 77, as Sam Malone; Woody Harrelson, 63, as Woody Boyd; Shelley Long as Diane Chambers; Nicholas Colasanto as Coach Ernie Pantusso; Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli; and others.
Wendt became a fan favorite, earning six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Norm.
George Wendt poses for a portrait on the set of Cheers in 1983.
The Cheers cast pictured during a 1988 episode.
Two months before his podcast appearance, Wendt took part in a comedy sketch at the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, performing alongside his real-life nephew, Jason Sudeikis, star of Ted Lasso.
The Cheers cast during a 1988 episode.
The Post confirmed that Wendt passed away “peacefully in his sleep” on Tuesday morning.
“George was a devoted family man and a beloved friend and confidant to everyone fortunate enough to know him,” the family’s representative told The Post in a statement. “He will be missed dearly. The family asks for privacy during this difficult time.”
Danson expressed to The Post that he was “devastated” by Wendt’s passing.
“It’s going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie,” the Good Place actor said.
Perlman told The Post, “George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him.”
