Kelsey Grammer Pays Tribute to ‘Cheers’ Co-Star George Wendt

Kelsey Grammer is paying tribute to his late Cheers co-star George Wendt.

Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on the popular NBC sitcom for all 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday at his Los Angeles home at 76.

Grammer was a guest on Gayle King’s SiriusXM show, Gayle King In The House, and the Frasier Crane actor recalled his co-star and friend. He told King the news of his death was “a bit of a surprise. You know, George was a lovely guy. He was, I mean, it’s still odd to speak of him in a past tense right now, but I mean, it was just yesterday morning we found out.”

“And I was just sitting writing something at the moment I got a call,” Grammer continued. “But I spoke to his family yesterday and just told him how much I liked him and, you know, choked up a little bit. But George was hysterical. I mean, for 11 years, America waited for him to walk into a bar every Thursday night and say something funny. And they just knew he wouldn’t disappoint. He was extraordinary. He sort of just loped across that floor and sit down at that stool and order that beer and say something that set the world on fire. He was an extraordinary guy.”

Wendt’s beer-loving Norm was one of three characters on Cheers to appear in all 275 episodes across all 11 seasons. He earned six consecutive Emmy nominations in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category and even reprised his role in the short-lived spinoffs The Tortellis in 1987 and Frasier, which also ran for 11 seasons from 1993 to 2004. Wendt’s passing coincidentally came 32 years to the day since the Cheers finale aired on May 20, 1993.

The Cheers family has had to say goodbye to a number of bartenders and patrons over the years. Nicholas Colasanto, known as retired baseball coach and co-bartender “Coach” Ernie Pantusso, died of a heart attack in 1985, and the show killed his character off following his passing. Kirstie Alley joined the series during Season 6 as Rebecca Howe and died in late 2022 after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer earlier that year.

“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” a representative for Wendt said when his death was announced. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”