Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer lead tributes to Cheers co-star

Tributes have been paid by the solid of US comedy sequence Cheers after George Wendt – who starred as Norm Peterson – died on the age of 76.

Ted Danson, who performed bar boss Sam Malone, mentioned he was “devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us”.

Kelsey Grammer, who performed Frasier Crane earlier than starring in his personal spin-off, mentioned in a press release to Deadline: “I believe mourning is a private matter. But I liked George a lot. He was beloved by millions.”

Wendt starred as Norm in all 275 episodes of Cheers, which ran from 1982 to 93. He earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for excellent supporting actor in a comedy sequence.

The actor and comic died peacefully in his sleep at his dwelling early on Tuesday morning, his household mentioned.

“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,” a consultant advised the BBC.

“I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children,” Danson added. “It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”

Wendt had reunited with a few of the solid, together with Danson, Grammer, Rhea Perlman and John Ratzenberger, on the Emmy Awards in 2024.

Perlman described Wendt as “the sweetest, kindest man I ever met”, including that she would “miss him more than words can say”.

And Ratzenberger mentioned he was “heartbroken to hear about the passing of my friend”, noting how they’d “shared a stage, a lot of laughs, and a front-row seat to one of television’s most beloved friendships”.

Actress Melissa Joan Hart mirrored on the handful of instances they’d labored collectively on the present Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

“He was warm, professional and kind and our cast and crew were gifted with his presence every time. Rest in peace!” she wrote on Instagram.

“Heaven just got a little funnier.”

Wendt additionally appeared in a number of motion pictures reminiscent of Dreamscape, Endlessly Younger and Gung Ho.

He additionally appeared as the daddy of a boy performed by Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson’s Black or White music video, which was launched in 1991.

He had been married to fellow actor Bernadette Birkett since 1978, with whom he had three kids.

He was additionally the uncle of actor and comic Jason Sudeikis, who’s most just lately recognized for taking part in the title character within the sports activities comedy Ted Lasso.

Wendt’s character Norm was a bar common in Cheers, and was one of many few characters to look in each episode.

His entrance into the bar was a operating gag on the present, starting with him greeting the opposite patrons adopted by the group yelling his identify.

Talking 20 years after the present ended, Wendt mentioned folks nonetheless recognised him as a result of the present had been a once-in-a-generation hit.

“I live just a few blocks from where Friends was shot and from where Seinfeld was shot and I’d see the helicopters going over the studio and I’d think, wow, I’m one of a few dozen people who have a unique perspective on what all these people are going through,” he mirrored.

Cheers Boston, the pub that impressed the hit tv present, paid tribute by sharing an image of Norm’s spot on the bar on Instagram.

“George wasn’t just an actor – he was a symbol of comfort, laughter, and that familiar feeling of walking into a place where everybody knows your name,” they mentioned.

“To George: thank you for the laughs, the memories, and the legacy you leave behind. You’ll always have a stool at our bar.”