Overview

• George Wendt, best known as Norm Peterson on Cheers, died peacefully in his sleep at home on May 20 at age 76.
• On May 30 at the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Sudeikis described Wendt as “fun and kind” and credited him with teaching him that acting could be a viable career.
• The event concluded with attendees joining in a singalong of the Cheers theme song to honor Wendt’s memory.
• Fellow panelists, including Rob Riggle and Paul Rudd, recalled Wendt’s decades-long participation in Big Slick and his easygoing presence.
• Speakers underscored Wendt’s Midwest roots, devotion to family and enduring influence on both his Cheers co-stars and his nephew’s path in entertainment.