# George Wendt dead at 76 {Norm!} **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [May 20, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597 "2025-05-20T20:14:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/21 "2025-05-20T22:53:51Z")
A talk show host commented to Wendt that he’ll probably never have to pay for a beer at a bar ever again. Hope it worked out that way. There’s a terrible rumor about beer and Heaven but I’m sure if there is a Heaven George is drinking a beer there right now. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/22 "2025-05-20T22:56:08Z")
How about his role on MASH? He’s the Marine who gets the pool ball stuck in his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/23 "2025-05-20T23:03:21Z")
RIP George. I loved watching you. Thanks for the great entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/24 "2025-05-20T23:33:39Z")
I also remember his brief appearance on MASH. Considering that he had a pool ball in his mouth most of the time, and could only issue a series of desperate grunts, he still managed to be very funny. Rest well, George. You done good. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/25 "2025-05-20T23:42:45Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > For something not-Cheers, he was a real dirtbag killer-of-the-week in Columbo too He’s also horrific in the movie King of the Ants. > **[King of the Ants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_the_Ants)** > > King of the Ants is a 2003 American independent neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Stuart Gordon, written by Charlie Higson, and starring Chris McKenna, Kari Wuhrer, George Wendt, Vernon Wells, and Daniel Baldwin. It was adapted from Higson's 1992 novel of the same name, and was one of the first films produced by The Asylum. > Sean Crawley is a young man struggling to make ends meet in suburban Los Angeles. "Duke" Wayne introduces Sean to his boss, Ray Matthews, a shady real estate develop... ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/26 "2025-05-20T23:42:58Z")
“How’s life treating you?” “Like I kicked its’ dog.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/27 "2025-05-20T23:48:06Z")
He really deserved the six consecutive Emmys he won. It’s why everybody knows his name. I was listening to Bill Burr on comedy radio today, the one where he makes fun of Philadelphia for worshipping a fictional character. “They play the Rocky song every time the Eagles score a touchdown. I’m from Boston? Can you imagine if we played the theme song from _Cheers_ every time we scored? _Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got_… ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/28 "2025-05-20T23:54:24Z")
Better said by him: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wxl0nJGnGSE/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHOBYACnASKAgwIABABGHIgSig2MA8=&rs=AOn4CLAqE86VCGssPaNkG7z4hEQbaidZrA "Cheers Clips: Milk bone underwear") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxl0nJGnGSE) RIP Norm… ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/29 "2025-05-21T01:09:06Z")
One for the road: **WOODY:** What’s shakin’, Mr Peterson? **NORM:** All four cheeks and a couple of chins. RIP, Norm. The bar is closed. 😢 I remember when his IRL doctor advised him to lose weight around the middle of the third season or so, and he did. He got it down to well under 300, but gained it all back again. If you watch those episodes of _ **Cheers** _, you’ll notice he looks thinner than usual. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/30 "2025-05-21T01:15:27Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What madness dost thou wrought? What madness _hast_ thou wrought? (I’m pretty sure.) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/31 "2025-05-21T01:30:12Z")
D’oh! I did hesitate at that word. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/32 "2025-05-21T02:21:01Z")
Cheers customer walks in, sits down, talks to Woody — “Two decades ago, my job took me to Alaska. This is the first time I’ve been back to Cheers since the 60s. See those stairs? They used to go down the other side of that wall. And the floor used to be ugly green tile. I guess everything changes in 20 years. They’ve even changed the paneling.” Woody — “Where?” Cheers customer — “[Over there, behind Norm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FNHD_RyoL8).” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/33 "2025-05-21T03:16:12Z")
That was my favorite opening of Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/34 "2025-05-21T13:10:17Z")
I was reading an LA Times story about Wendt, which listed his survivors. I was surprised to learn that his wife, Bernadette Birkett, was the voice of Norm’s wife Vera on Cheers. Birkett, as Vera, actually appeared on just one episode of Cheers, where her face was covered by a pumpkin pie. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/35 "2025-05-21T13:31:04Z")
Mine too. I could see the punchline coming but still made me smile. ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/36 "2025-05-21T14:27:31Z")
My friend loved that movie when we were kids. We watched House and Spaceballs at a sleepover for his 11th or 12th birthday. We watched House II the following year, which features fellow Cheers star John Ratzenberger. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/37 "2025-05-21T14:31:47Z")
In memory I watched the episode of Columbo where he was the murderer and an episode of Cheers. A while ago I wondered if Norm holds the record for most airtime for a character in one spot. Cheers was a long running show, taking place mainly in the bar, and he was almost always in his corner chair. I couldn’t come up with anyone with more. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/38 "2025-05-21T14:38:44Z")
I always enjoyed George’s entrance and funny lines on Cheers. Cheers is the best example of an ensemble cast. Each character had a specific role in creating the comedy. AFAIK Cheers never had an episode without George’s entrance into the bar? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/39 "2025-05-21T14:41:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > AFAIK Cheers never had an episode without George’s entrance into the bar? A few openings took place outside the bar. In one he ends up helping Carla fix a car, but in reality she’s stealing a car battery. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597/40 "2025-05-21T15:32:47Z")
As a bonus, the gang were at a bowling alley, and he entered the bar area and everybody there shouted his name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-wendt-dead-at-76-norm/1018597.md?page=3)