NEWSGeorge Wendt's Final Appearance: Late Star Spent Time With 'Cheers' Costars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson Before Tragic Death
George Wendt reconnected with his 'Cheers' castmates Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson before passing away.
Before his passing, George Wendt got the chance to reconnect with the friends who helped launch his iconic career.
In what became one of his final public appearances, Wendt joined his Cheers castmates Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson on their podcast, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.”
During the August 2024 episode, he looked back on the early days of the hit NBC sitcom, which aired from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993 — the exact date Wendt died 32 years later.
“My agent called and said, ‘You know, honey, they want you to do this Cheers,’” Wendt shared about how it all began. “‘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.’”
George Wendt joined his 'Cheers' costars on a podcast before he passed away.
At first, he was only supposed to audition for a one-word part in the pilot — but things quickly changed. Wendt ended up reading for another role and landed the now-famous part of Norm Peterson.
That character not only became a pop culture legend but also earned him six straight Primetime Emmy nominations.
George Wendt stayed close friends with the 'Cheers' cast for years.
He also took a moment to laugh about a wild memory from set — the time they ditched work to hang out on John Ratzenberger’s boat. Turns out, Danson decided to try hallucinogens that day and ended up seriously seasick.
Wendt remembered the aftermath with a laugh. “We were in such trouble,” he said. “I didn't think anyone would give a s---.”
Danson jumped in, saying, “They called us in, one at a time, to give a s--- the next day.”
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George Wendt died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 76.
Wendt wasn’t just known for Cheers. The Chicago-born actor had a long list of TV and film credits, including roles on Hart to Hart, Soap, Taxi and M*A*S*H. He also hit the big screen in My Bodyguard, Airplane II: The Sequel, and Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again.
Still, Cheers was his crown jewel — and the bond he shared with the cast was the real deal. He stayed especially close with Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer and Harrelson over the years.
“They get along like siblings. To somebody peeking in from the outside, they look like they’re having the greatest time in the world,” Wendt’s wife, Bernadette Birkett, whom he married back in 1978, once said of the tight-knit crew.
George Wendt's wife said the 'Cheers' crew 'get along like siblings.'
As previously reported by OK!, Wendt's publicist, Melissa Nathan, confirmed the sad news, saying he died peacefully in his sleep at home early Tuesday, May 20, in the morning.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” she said in a statement. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
In one of his final public sightings, Wendt was photographed in November 2024 outside a medical dialysis clinic in L.A.
He appeared frail in the photos, needing help from a caregiver to get from the car to a wheelchair. His wife was later seen picking him up after his appointment.
