Cheers star George Wendt’s cause of death revealed

The beloved sitcom actor George Wendt - who starred on hit show Cheers for all 11 seasons - died suddenly last month.

George Wendt’s cause of death has been revealed weeks after his sudden passing.

The Cheers star, famous for playing barfly Norm Peterson in all 11 seasons of the beloved NBC show, died from cardiac arrest, according to the death certificate obtained by TMZ on Thursday.

The certificate also reportedly lists congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension as underlying causes.

Other contributing factors include end-stage renal disease (kidney failure) and hyperlipidemia, per the outlet.

Wendt’s loved ones confirmed to The Post that the TV icon died “peacefully in his sleep” on Tuesday, May 17, at age 76.

“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the family rep’s told The Post in a statement. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”

George Wendt as Norm Peterson.

Wendt, who earned six Emmy nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Norm, made his final few public appearances in 2024.

In August of that year, he reunited with his Cheers co-stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson on their podcast, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”.

He seemed happy to be in the company of his famous colleagues and even addressed how he landed the role in the sitcom that ran from 1982 to 1993.

In June 2024, he made his last public appearance with his nephew, Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.

The actor’s mum, Kathy, was one of Wendt’s sisters.

The uncle and nephew shared several laughs while appearing in a comedy skit at the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, alongside comedian Robert Smigel and NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Ted Danson and George Wendt.

Dressed in Chicago Bears gear, Wendt and Smigel channelled their characters Bob Swerski and Carl Wollarski in the bit “Super Fans,” marking the first time they played the characters since Chris Farley’s death in 1997, reported KCTV5.

Sudeikis stepped in as Farley’s character, Todd O’Conner, and the trio hounded Kelce about his romance with Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wendt also appeared alongside his famous nephew in January 2024 at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The late star walked with a cane as Sudeikis guided his uncle down the red carpet before he joined some of his Cheers castmates on stage during a special tribute honouring the most beloved shows in television history.

Several of Wendt’s co-stars broke their silence about his death.

“I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,” Danson, 77, shared with The Post. “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.”

The cast of Cheers (l-r) Nicholas Colasanto as Coach, Ted Danson as Sam Malone, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, John Ratzenberger as Cliff Calvin, Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, and George Wendt as Norm Peterson.

Rhea Perlman said: “George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him. 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.”

Despite Cheers ending after 11 seasons and 28 Emmys, Wendt’s character lived on.

He went on to play Norm in two Cheers spin-offs: The Tortellis and Frasier, as well as shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Wings and more.

Wendt starred as himself on Seinfeld and The Larry Sanders Show, and was featured as a recurring character on The Naked Truth and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Wendt is survived by his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett; their children Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.

This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission