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Cheers star George Wendt passed away at the age of 76 on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at his Los Angeles home. As reported by Reuters, Wendt's publicist, Melissa Nathan, stated the actor died peacefully in his sleep.
"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 actor's publicist stated.
Wendt had six sisters and two brothers: Kathryn, Karen, Marti, Loretta, Nancy, Mary, Tom, and Paul. Comedian and actor Jason Sudeikis is George Wendt's nephew, the son of his sister, Kathryn Sudeikis. The Ted Lasso star is also Wendt's godson.
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According to People magazine, George Wendt married Bernadette Birkett on July 8, 1978, and the couple had three children: Hilary, Joe, and Daniel. He was also the stepfather of Birkett's two sons, Joshua and Andrew, from a previous relationship. Not much is known about Wendt's children, who lead a private life.
What did George Wendt say about Jason Sudeikis' acting and comedy career?
On June 3, 2024, George Wendt appeared on the Still Here Hollywood with Steve Kmetko podcast. The Cheers actor shared how Sudeikis was once asked about Wendt's career advice on a late-night show. He recalled Sudeikis jokingly saying that he was told to work on "one of the greatest shows of all time." Back then, he was working on the popular comedy show, Saturday Night Live.
"It was [David] Letterman or Conan [O'Brien], he said, 'Did your uncle George have any advice for you?' And Jason goes, he's so sharp, he goes, 'Yeah, he told me just get on the best show on television and one of the greatest shows of all time and just pretty much take it from there.' And he goes, 'So I did.' He got on SNL," Wendt stated.
In July 2011, Jason Sudeikis gave an interview to Playboy Magazine and discussed his bond with George Wendt. The late actor referenced Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom's 1997 memoir, and said that while he didn't share a deep philosophical bond with his uncle, Wendt encouraged him to pursue acting.
"He's always been very encouraging, but there was no 'Tuesdays With Morrie' kind of relationship between him and I. He was just a good example that being an actor was a viable option," Sudeikis stated.
Jason Sudeikis stated that his uncle influenced him into acting. He mentioned that Wendt was just a man from the Midwest who took the risk and made a career in the film industry.
"Here's a guy from the Midwest, in my family, who took the road less traveled and it worked out for him. The advice he gave me, and I say this jokingly, is 'Get on one of the best sitcoms of all time and then ride it out,'" he said.
For the unversed, Jason Sudeikis started working on SNL as a writer in 2003. He was a cast member from 2005 to 2013 and played many characters, including Joe Biden and Mitt Romney.
He played the lead role in the Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso from 2020 to 2023. His performance in this show earned him four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
