George Wendt celebrated “Cheers” in his final public appearance before his death.
During the episode, Wendt recalled how he landed the role of Norm Peterson on the beloved sitcom.
“My agent called and said, ‘You know, honey, they want you to do this ‘Cheers,’” said Wendt.
Wendt also attended the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in January 2024 for an iconic “Cheers” reunion that featured Danson, Perlman, Kelsey Grammer and John Ratzenberger.
Perlman, for her part, told The Post: “George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met.
When George Wendt made his last public appearance before passing away, he celebrated “Cheers.”.
The actor made an appearance on the podcast “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” hosted by his former co-stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson, in August of last year, just nine months before his death at the age of 76.
Wendt revealed in the episode how he got the part of Norm Peterson on the popular sitcom.
“You know, honey, they want you to do this ‘Cheers,'” Wendt said when her agent called.
I had another show [‘Making the Grade’] at Paramount for CBS, so you’re not available right now. They continue, saying, “But they want you to come in anyway, even though it’s really small.”. “Oh, all right,” I reply. “.”.
“I auditioned to say just one word in the pilot episode,” Wendt said. But after another tryout, he was finally cast as Norm because the casting crew wanted more from him.
Wendt wrote, “After reading it, they decided to try to work it out so I could do both shows, and then the other show got canceled.”.
The NBC series “Cheers” ran from 1982 to 1993.
In addition, the cast featured Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, Nicholas Colasanto as Coach Ernie Pantusso, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Danson, 77, as Sam Malone, and Harrelson, 63, as Woody Boyd.
Because of his portrayal of Norm, Wendt gained popularity among fans and received six Emmy nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Two months prior to his podcast appearance, Wendt and his real-life nephew, “Ted Lasso” actor Jason Sudeikis, appeared in a comedy sketch at the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wendt was also present at the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in January 2024, where Danson, Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger reunited for the famous “Cheers” reunion.
Wendt was spotted using a cane and receiving assistance from 49-year-old Sudeikis while walking at a pre-Emmy celebration.
Wendt passed away Tuesday morning “peacefully in his sleep,” according to the Post.
“To everyone fortunate enough to have known him, George was a loving family man, a cherished friend, and a confidant,” the family’s representative told The Post in a statement. “We shall always miss him. During this time, the family has asked to remain anonymous. “.”.
Danson expressed his shock at Wendt’s passing in a statement to The Post.
“I’ll need a lot of time to adjust to this. The actor from “Good Place” declared, “I love you, Georgie.
“George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met,” Perlman said in an interview with The Post. You couldn’t help but like him. “.”.
