‘Cheers’ star George Wendt’s cause of death has been revealed weeks after he suddenly died. Wendt, famous for playing barfly Norm Peterson in all 11 seasons of the NBC show, died from cardiac arrest, a death certificate obtained by TMZ reported.
The death certificate reportedly also listed congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes. Other contributing factors that were listed were end-stage renal disease (kidney failure) and hyperlipidemia.
Wendt’s loved ones told the New York Post that he died “peacefully in his sleep” on Tuesday, May 17, aged 76. “George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the family rep’s told the outlet in a statement. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Wendt made his last few public appearances in 2024. He notably received six Emmy nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Norm.
‘It was impossible not to like him’
Many of Wendt’s co-stars remembered him in statements to the outlet after his death. ‘Cheers’ co-star Ted Danson, 77, said, “I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,” according to a rep for Danson. “I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”
Rhea Perlman said, “George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him. As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn’t hurt. What a guy! I’ll miss him more than words can say.”
Wendt later played Norm in two ‘Cheers’ spinoffs: ‘The Tortellis’ and ‘Frasier.’ He is survived by his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett; their children Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.
