How old was George Wendt when Cheers started? Iconic character revisited in wake of actor's death at 76

George Wendt passed away from unknown causes on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The 76-year-old actor’s family told CBS News that he died "peacefully in his sleep" at his house in Los Angeles during the early morning hours.

Wendt built a huge fan following after playing Norm Peterson in the NBC sitcom Cheers, which aired for more than ten years. George was 33 when the show premiered in 1982. The success of the series resulted in the creation of spin-offs like The Tortellis. Furthermore, Wendt’s family members also shared a statement via NBC News:

“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.”

Famous personalities expressed their grief on social media, including singer Jarrod Dickenson. The artist posted a video on Facebook and wrote:

“We’re gonna muss you, George. I’m sure they had your barstool ready for you, and everyone shouted your name when you walked through that door.”

During a previous interview with The Kansas City Star on November 24, 2016, George Wendt shared that he initially enrolled at the University of Notre Dame. He later joined Rockhurst after being expelled from the former. The actor said he began living with his parents in Chicago and wanted to get out of the place as soon as possible.

The Dreamscape star then traveled to Europe, where he aimed to establish himself in the world of comedy. George Wendt also joined a few workshops and eventually became a part of the comedy group, Second City.

In the initial stage, he played uncredited roles in films like A Wedding and slowly expanded his career to the small screen. Before appearing in Cheers, he played the main role of Gus Bertoia in the CBS sitcom, Making the Grade. Wendt continued appearing in other shows such as The Building, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Kirstie, Fresh Off the Boat, and more.

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George Wendt in Cheers: Character and other details explained

As mentioned, George Wendt appeared as Norm Peterson in Cheers in all the episodes. The character was one of the regular customers at the titular bar, and people used different names to address him as soon as he entered the place.

Norm Peterson used to order a beer, and he initially worked as an accountant until he began pursuing his career as a house painter. He was visiting the bar before it was bought by Sam Malone. Peterson always gave a witty answer to those who called him inside the bar, and apart from him, Sam and Clara were the two other characters who were featured in the entire series.

He used the same stool to sit at the bar, and in season 1, he lost his job after organizing a company party, where he even requested Diane to be the date for his boss for one particular night. Moreover, he was unemployed in season 2, and he opted to work as a dishwasher at Melville’s at a point.

George Wendt appeared for an interview on the podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name in August last year, where he opened up about his casting on the show, as he stated:

“My agent called and said, ‘You know, honey, they want you to do this Cheers, now you’re not available’, because I had this other show at Paramount for CBS. Then they go, ‘But they want you to come in anyway, and it’s really small, though. I go, ‘Oh, okay.’”

Cheers aired for eleven seasons between 1982 and 1993, and was a recipient of multiple Emmy Awards. The series also featured other popular faces among the leads, including Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Rhea Perlman, and more.