Ted Danson is elevating a glass to the one and solely George Wendt.
Hours after information of Wendt’s loss of life at age 76 broke, the “Man on the Inside” star, 77, shared a heartfelt sentiment for his fallen co-star.
“I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,” a rep for Danson shared with The Submit. “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.”
Rhea Perlman, who performed cocktail waitress Carla Tortelli on the present, additionally addressed Wendt’s passing.
“George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him,” Perlman instructed The Submit. “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’s household rep confirmed he handed on Tuesday, telling The Submit he “died peacefully in his sleep while at home.”
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the assertion learn. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Danson and Wendt starred in “Cheers” collectively for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, with Danson portraying Sam Malone, and Wendt starring as Norman Peterson.
Throughout their time on the sequence, Wendt garnered six consecutive Emmy nominations for his efficiency as Norm, whereas Danson earned 11 and gained two.
The “Cheers” nostalgia was at an all-time excessive in recent times, because the forged reunited on the Emmys in January 2024.
Wendt, Danson, Perlman Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger got here collectively as a part of a particular tribute on the awards ceremony honoring essentially the most beloved exhibits in tv historical past.
The forged appeared at a reproduction of the long-lasting Boston bar, with host Anthony Anderson calling the NBC sitcom “one of the greatest television shows of all time.”
“This feels nice to be here in front of you,” Danson stated, earlier than Ratzenberger, 78, remarked that the occasion was a “long overdue class reunion.”
Grammer, 70, famous, “Being together brings back some great memories of a show we’re all very proud of.”
Absent from the festivities was Woody Harrelson, who starred within the present’s fourth season as bartender Woody Boyd.
“Woody Harrelson couldn’t make ‘Cheers’ because he’s in a play,” Jesse Collins, an government producer for the Emmys, instructed the Hollywood Reporter on the time.
Added Collins, “So there were a few people where there were just logistical challenges. But we were lucky to get so many people who were willing to participate.”
In April, Danson obtained candid on some behind-the-scenes drama of the present, setting the file straight on a 30-year-long rift he had with Grammer.
Whereas speaking to the “Frasier” actor on his and Harrelson’s, 63, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast final October, Danson instructed Grammer: ”I missed out on the final 30 years of Kelsey Grammer, and I really feel prefer it’s my unhealthy, my doing, and I virtually really feel like apologizing to you.”
Wendt’s reason for loss of life has not been revealed.
The comic is survived by his spouse of 46 years, actress Bernadette Birkett; their youngsters Hilary, Joe and Daniel; his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew; and his well-known nephew Jason Sudeikis.
