The TV world lost an icon Tuesday when George Wendt, 76, passed away peacefully in his sleep, according to family. The actor was best known for his role as Norm Peterson on Cheers, and following the sad news, many of Wendt’s former co-stars, like Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman, were quick to pay tribute. Meanwhile, Kelsey Grammer didn't immediately share his thoughts. However, he has now opened up about Wendt’s death, including why he didn’t speak out immediately.
Kelsey Grammer, who joined the cast of Cheers in Season 3 as Frasier Crane before going on to star in another of the best sitcoms of all time in the spinoff Frasier, did not immediately pay tribute to George Wendt upon hearing about his death. As he told Deadline:
I believe mourning is a private matter. But I liked George a lot. He was beloved by millions.
It was somewhat strange to hear such a restrained response from Kelsey Grammer. It also came as Rhea Perlman called George Wendt the “sweetest, kindest man I ever met” as she spoke of their time on set together, and Ted Danson reminisced on having a front-row seat to the performance of a man everyone wanted to grab a drink with.
After a couple of days to process the loss, however, Kelsey Grammer did speak more about his former co-star, saying on the Gayle King in the House radio show:
It was a bit of a surprise. You know, George was a lovely guy. He was, I mean, it's still odd to speak of him in a past tense right now, but I mean, it was just yesterday morning we found out.
George Wendt reportedly died of natural causes, and one has to respect Kelsey Grammer being caught off-guard and not wanting to speak publicly right away. Despite not issuing a statement or paying tribute in the press, Grammer said he did reach out to Wendt’s family. The Frasier star continued:
And I was just sitting writing something at the moment I got a call. But I spoke to his family yesterday and just told him how much I liked him and, you know, choked up a little bit. But George was hysterical. I mean, for 11 years, America waited for him to walk into a bar every Thursday night and say something funny. And they just knew he wouldn't disappoint. He was extraordinary. He sort of just loped across that floor and sit down at that stool and order that beer and say something that set the world on fire. He was an extraordinary guy.
George Wendt was one of just three actors to appear on every episode of Cheers during its 11-season run (along with Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman), so he’s undoubtedly one of the reasons the sitcom remains so rewatchable decades later. In fact, if you are looking for your next long binge, or if Wendt’s passing has you nostalgic for the place where everybody knows your name, Cheers is available to stream in full with a Paramount+ subscription.
It’s clear that George Wendt was extremely beloved by those around him, and our condolences continue to go out to his family, friends and everyone else affected by his death.
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