Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger, and more ‘Cheers’ stars pay tribute to late castmate George Wendt

Tributes to the TV legend and Cheers star, George Wendt, are pouring in following his death on Tuesday at the age of 76.

Wendt played the lovable everyman and beer-guzzling barfly Norm Peterson across all 11 seasons of the NBC sitcom, from 1982-1993. More often than not, when Norm walked into the titular Boston bar, it was Ted Danson‘s dashing bartender Sam Malone who led the chorus crying out “Norm!” to welcome him.

Danson mourned his friend and costar in a statement to Entertainment Weekly: “I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us. I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”

John Ratzenberger, one of only four core cast who remained on the show throughout its 11-year run — Wendt, Danson, and Rhea Perlman being the others — also poured his heart out for Wendt in a statement to EW.

“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of my friend George Wendt,” he shared. “For 11 years on Cheers, we shared a stage, a lot of laughs, and a front-row seat to one of television’s most beloved friendships. George brought Norm to life with a subtle brilliance — the kind that made it look easy. That was his gift.”

Ratzenberger’s postal worker Clifford “Cliff” Clavin was Norm’s best friend and faithful drinking buddy. The actor, 78, described Wendt as “a true craftsman — humble, hilarious, and full of heart.”

“What you saw on screen was exactly who he was off-screen with impeccable comedic timing and a deep loyalty to those he loved. I’ll miss our conversations and the quiet moments of friendship that meant the most,” Ratzenberger said.

The actor joined Danson in extending special sympathies to Wendt’s wife of 47 years, Bernadette Birkitt, as well as their three children, Hilary, Joe, and Daniel, “and everyone who loved him.”

Perlman shared many memorable scenes with Wendt as the sardonic and sharp-witted waitress Carla Tortelli. In a statement to EW, the actress remembered her late friend and costar as “the sweetest, kindest man I ever met.”

“It was impossible not to like him,” Perlman said. “As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it, and he loved pretending it didn’t hurt. What a guy! I’ll miss him more than words can say.”

Wendt, Danson, Ratzenberger, and Perlman remained close in the decades since Cheers went off the air. All four of them appeared on various episodes of Frasier, the Cheers spinoff built around psychiatrist and former bar dweller Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). The 2002 episode “Cheerful Goodbyes” saw Crane travel back to Boston, where he encounters Norm, Carla, and Cliff.

Ratzenberger, Wendt, and Perlman also appeared on episodes of The Tortellis, another Cheers spinoff based around recurring characters Nick and Loretta Tortelli (Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem), Carla’s ex and his bubbly new wife.

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In 2023, Danson, Wendt, and Ratzenberger rang in the 30th anniversary of Cheers‘ finale by revisiting some of their wilder behind-the-scenes stories. Wendt recalled one night when production “had catered Chinese food, and [Woody Harrelson] found out after about 20 minutes that he was eating pork, and he decided to go purge. So I told him, ‘Out of solidarity, I will purge with you.’ And Ted said, ‘I’ll purge, too.'”

“There were only three stalls in the Stage 25 men’s room,” Wendt said, “and I’ll tell you this: You don’t want to laugh while puking.”