'Cheers' actor George Wendt has passed, aged 76

Actor George Wendt, best known for his role as Norm Peterson on Cheers, has died at the age of 76.

George's family said he died peacefully in his sleep at his home early Tuesday morning, though his official cause of death was unclear at the time of publication.

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

Born in 1948, George got his first big break with the famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe in the 1970s and appeared in several television shows and films before landing his signature role on Cheers in 1982.

Despite a rocky start with low ratings that nearly saw the show cancelled after its first season, the sitcom grew to become a defining sitcom of its era, spending eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10 shows and peaking as the most-watched programme in its ninth season.

The series received 117 Emmy nominations, winning 28 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series four times.

George said in a past interview: “I was lucky to be part of something that became such a beloved part of people’s lives.”

He appeared in all 275 episodes from 1982 to 1993 - an accomplishment only matched by Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman - and receiving six consecutive Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.

He also appeared as Bob Swerski in the iconic reoccurring 'Bill Swerski's Superfans' Saturday Night Live skits as the brother of the title character, played by Joe Mantegna in the original sketch that aired when he hosted the show on January 12, 1991, with Bob taking over as host in subsequent sketches.

George's film credits also include Dreamscape (1984), House (1985), Fletch (1985), Gung Ho (1986), Plains Clothes (1987), Never Say Die (1988), Guilty by Suspicion (1991), Forever Young (1992) and Spice World (1997).

The actor was also the uncle of Ted Lasso star and former SNL cast member, Jason Sudeikis, who is the only son of one of his six sisters.

This article was first written by iHeart.com, with additional writing from Bang! Showbiz and is republished here with permission.