George Wendt Dead at 76

The man who played one of the most beloved barflies in TV history has died. Relatives say George Wendt, who appeared as Norm Peterson on 11 seasons of Cheers (1982 to 1993), died peacefully at home early Tuesday. He was 76 years old. "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," a rep said, per the Hollywood Reporter. "He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time." Wendt, who grew up in Chicago, got his start in comedy with the Second City comedy troupe.

Wendt received six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series for his role on Cheers, though he never won. He had many other roles on stage and screen during his long career and starred in the short-lived George Wendt Show after Cheers ended. In one of his more recent roles, he joined Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz, and Kevin Nealon in Fox Nation's A History of the World in Six Glasses, Deadline reports. Per the Reporter, his survivors include his wife of 47 years, Bernadette Birkett—who was the off-screen voice of Norm's wife Vera—his children Hilary, Joe and Daniel, and stepchildren Joshua and Andrew. (More George Wendt stories.)