George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy 맥스카지노�Cheers맥스카지노� and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in 맥스카지노�Art,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�Hairspray맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�Elf,맥스카지노� has died. He was 76.Wendt's family said he died early Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep while at home, according to the publicity firm The Agency Group.맥스카지노�George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,맥스카지노� the family said in a statement. 맥스카지노�He will be missed forever.맥스카지노� The family has requested privacy during this time.Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on 맥스카지노�Cheers맥스카지노� that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89.The series was centered on lovable losers in a Boston bar and starred Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. It would spin off another megahit in 맥스카지노�Frasier맥스카지노� and was nominated for an astounding 117 Emmy Awards, winning 28 of them.Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago맥스카지노�s renowned Second City improv troupe before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for 맥스카지노�Cheers.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�My agent said, 맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s a small role, honey. It맥스카지노�s one line. Actually, it맥스카지노�s one word.맥스카지노� The word was 맥스카지노�beer.맥스카지노� I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of 맥스카지노�the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.맥스카지노� So I went in, and they said, 맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s too small a role. Why don맥스카지노�t you read this other one?맥스카지노� And it was a guy who never left the bar,맥스카지노� Wendt told GQ in an oral history of 맥스카지노�Cheers.맥스카지노�Video below: George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on 'Cheers,' dies at 76맥스카지노�Where everyone knows your name맥스카지노�맥스카지노�Cheers맥스카지노� premiered on Sept. 30, 1982, and spent the first season with low ratings. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff championed the show, and it was nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series in its first season. Some 80 million people would tune in to watch its series finale 11 years later.Wendt became a fan favorite in and outside the bar 맥스카지노� his entrances were cheered with a warm 맥스카지노�Norm!맥스카지노� 맥스카지노� and his wisecracks always landed. 맥스카지노�How맥스카지노�s a beer sound, Norm?맥스카지노� he would be asked by the bartender. 맥스카지노�I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in,맥스카지노� he맥스카지노�d respond.While the beer the cast drank on set was nonalcoholic, Wendt and other 맥스카지노�Cheers맥스카지노� cast members have admitted they were tipsy on May 20, 1993, when they watched the show맥스카지노�s final episode then appeared together on 맥스카지노�The Tonight Show맥스카지노� in a live broadcast from the Bull and Finch Pub in Boston, the bar that inspired the series.맥스카지노�We had been drinking heavily for two hours but nobody thought to feed us,맥스카지노� Wendt told the Beaver County Times of Pennsylvania in 2009. 맥스카지노�We were nowhere near as cute as we thought we were.맥스카지노�After 맥스카지노�Cheers,맥스카지노� Wendt starred in his own short-lived sitcom 맥스카지노�The George Wendt Show맥스카지노� 맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�too bad he had to step out of Norm and down so far from that corner stool for his debut stanza,맥스카지노� sniffed Variety 맥스카지노� and had guest spots on TV shows like 맥스카지노�The Ghost Whisperer,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�Harry맥스카지노�s Law맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�Portlandia.맥스카지노� He was part of a brotherhood of Chicago Everymen who gathered over sausage and beers and adored 맥스카지노�Da Bears맥스카지노� on 맥스카지노�Saturday Night Live.맥스카지노� Second career on stageBut he found steady work onstage: Wendt slipped on Edna Turnblad맥스카지노�s housecoat in Broadway맥스카지노�s 맥스카지노�Hairspray맥스카지노� beginning in 2007, and was in the Tony Award-winning play 맥스카지노�Art맥스카지노� in New York and London.He starred in the national tour of 맥스카지노�12 Angry Men맥스카지노� and appeared in a production of David Mamet맥스카지노�s 맥스카지노�Lakeboat.맥스카지노� He also starred in regional productions of 맥스카지노�Death of a Salesman,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�The Odd Couple,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�Never Too Late맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�Funnyman.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�A, it맥스카지노�s by far the most fun, but B, I seem to have been kicked out of television,맥스카지노� Wendt told the Kansas City Star in 2011. 맥스카지노�I overstayed my welcome. But theater suits me.맥스카지노�Wendt had an affinity for playing Santa Claus, donning the famous red outfit in the stage musical 맥스카지노�Elf맥스카지노� on Broadway in 2017, the TV movie 맥스카지노�Santa Baby맥스카지노� with Jenny McCarthy in 2006 and in the doggie Disney video 맥스카지노�Santa Buddies맥스카지노� in 2009. He also played Father Christmas for TV specials by Larry the Cable Guy and Stephen Colbert.맥스카지노�I think it just proves that if you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in,맥스카지노� the actor joked to the AP in his Broadway dressing room.Born in Chicago, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Catholic boarding school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and then Notre Dame, where he rarely went to class and was kicked out. He transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated, after majoring in economics.He found a home at Second City in both the touring company and the mainstage.맥스카지노�I think comedy is my long suit, for sure. My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish,맥스카지노� he told the AP. 맥스카지노�If you맥스카지노�re trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn맥스카지노�t always work. There are certain performers who almost specialize in doing that, and they do it really well. But that맥스카지노�s not my approach.맥스카지노�Cheers for beerHe had a lifelong association with beer. He had his first taste as an 8-year-old and got drunk at 16, at the World맥스카지노�s Fair in New York.His beer knowledge was poured into the book 맥스카지노�Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional맥스카지노�s Guide to Beer,맥스카지노� co-written with Jonathan Grotenstein. One line: 맥스카지노�Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn맥스카지노�t like. I feel the same about beer.맥스카지노�Part autobiography, part beer drinker맥스카지노�s guide, the book had Wendt맥스카지노�s conversational tone and lists, such as 맥스카지노�Five Good Bar Bets,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�77 Toasts from Around the World맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�(More Than) 100 Ways to Say That You맥스카지노�re Drunk,맥스카지노� which alphabetically lists 126 synonyms from 맥스카지노�annihilated맥스카지노� through 맥스카지노�zozzled.맥스카지노�He is survived by his wife, Second City alum Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm맥스카지노�s never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on 맥스카지노�Cheers.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�From his early days with The Second City to his iconic role as Norm on Cheers, George Wendt맥스카지노�s work showcased how comedy can create indelible characters that feel like family. Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humor to one of television맥스카지노�s most beloved roles,맥스카지노� National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.