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George Wendt passed away on May 20, 2025, at the age of 76. His publicist revealed the news while speaking to People magazine the same day, saying that the actor died in his sleep at his residence. The cause of death remains unknown for now.
His representative also told BBC that the Spice World star was an individual who always prioritized his family members and was a close "friend" and "confidant" to those who knew him over the years. Furthermore, the statement mentioned that he will always be missed by everyone.
George Wendt had the opportunity to collaborate with the comedy group The Second City at the beginning of his career, and he worked with them for around five years. According to the group’s website, the Santa Buddies star started grabbing attention for his characters on stage, following which he made his big-screen debut in 1980.
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For the unversed, the Fletch star boasted a net worth of $10 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
Also known as George Robert Wendt Jr., he became popular for portraying iconic roles on television. He was a host of Saturday Night Live and lent his voice to Grandpa Clancy in Fancy Nancy.
During an interview with Chicago Magazine on July 7, 2021, the St. Elsewhere star said that he initially worked at the wire room of the Daily News in the ‘60s. George Wendt opened up on his experience by saying:
“My shift was from 6 am to 2 pm, and I was a jack-of-all-trades. I’d run out to the Billy Goat to get the most god-awful lunches for everybody. When the proofreading ladies went to lunch, I’d sit where they sat and do the proofreading.”
George Wendt’s net worth: Career and other details explained
The Chicago, Illinois native built a huge fan base over the years for being associated with the entertainment industry and the memorable roles that he played on screen, all of which contributed to his net worth.
He even played minor roles in a few shows. The list includes titles like M*A*S*H, The Tortellis, Roc, The Naked Truth, Alice in Wonderland, Ghost Whisperer, and The Goldbergs. He was featured in the music videos of a few artists, such as Michael Jackson.
George Wendt bought a house worth $335,000 a long time back in Studio City, California, in 1985, as stated by Celebrity Net Worth. The outlet mentioned that the property’s value is estimated to be almost $4 million as of this year.
Among his long list of roles, he became famous for appearing as Norm Peterson in Cheers, which aired on NBC. According to the same publication, he reportedly received $200,000 for each episode, summing up to $5 million for a season.
Fans of Cheers seemingly connected to Norm Peterson's character. George Wendt opened up about his sitcom role while speaking to The Evening Sun of Baltimore in 1991 and stated:
“Norm was the least offensive character – except to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. The thing was, Norm never really got drunk, he was the prototypical slacker – that’s why he was so popular.”
Moreover, Wendt played Mike Shelby in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Tug Clarke in Modern Men. He even voiced a character in Family Guy and participated in the ninth season of The Masked Singer.
George Wendt also had multiple films in his credits, including Masters of Menace, Space Truckers, Outside Providence, Kids in America, The Independents, Bliss, The Climb, Opposite Day, VFW, and Americanish.
