As Hollywood mourns the loss of actor George Wendt, more stories about his impact on the industry are making the rounds on the internet. I was surprised to find out the actor influenced Star Trek in a major way, despite having no role in any previous or upcoming Trek series. Thanks to him, we were gifted what may be the funniest running gag in Deep Space Nine.
Cheers is one of the best classic TV shows of all time, so it’s no surprise that it influenced a Star Trek series that came after it. Credit to Slashfilm for bringing this to my attention, because now that I know Morn was inspired by Wendt’s Norm, I love it so much more than I already did.
Morn Was Inspired By George Wendt’s Norm On Cheers
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Morn is one of the best Star Trek characters of all time, but the Deep Space Nine character almost certainly is one of the best running gags. The Lurian courier was often seen at Quark’s, hanging out, keeping to himself, and staying silent.
Despite this, everyone at the space station had some wild stories to share about Morn. The stories describing a rowdy and talkative bar patron never matched his portrayal onscreen, which made the joke funnier every time another story was mentioned.
Showrunner Ira Steven Behr confirmed in a 1999 interview with StarTrek.com that Morn was an anagram of Norm, and the character was inspired by George Wendt’s Norm on Cheers. Hilariously enough, Behr’s response seemed to indicate he’s answered the question several times before, which makes it all the more surprising that I’m just now hearing about it.
How Are Morn And Norm Similar?
Morn may be based on Norm, but how similar are the two characters? Ira Steven Behr noted the “rotund” nature of Morn, and the fact that he talks a lot, seemingly indicating that was the thing he shared with George Wendt’s character.
Beyond that, though, I think it’s more than fair to say that Norm received a great deal of story, and had more iconic moments on Cheers than Morn ever had on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. From the eye of the casual viewer, I would say the only thing they have in common is they’re both barfly-type of people, and generally fun to be around.
It is a shame that, for all the famous guest stars Star Trek has had over the years, George Wendt was not one of them. Then again, after looking at the actor’s many appearances on television, it doesn’t seem like he ever really pursued a ton of roles in the sci-fi genre. At least we’ll always have his influence in the universe, and I can guarantee I’ll never look at Morn the same way again.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is available to stream right now on Paramount+. Check it out to see Morn in action, or a lack thereof, and what many would call one of the greatest shows the franchise has ever made.
