Jump to content

George Wendt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by EauZenCashHaveIt (talk | contribs) at 23:40, 25 October 2020 (→Career: moved paragraph to the relevant section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

George Wendt
Wendt at the 41st Primetime Emmy Awards in September 1989
Born
George Robert Wendt III

(1948-10-17) October 17, 1948 (age 76)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materRockhurst University
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian
Years active1978–present
Notable workNorm Peterson in Cheers
Spouse
Bernadette Birkett
​
(m. 1978)​
Children3
Relatives

George Robert Wendt III (born October 17, 1948)[1] is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom Cheers (1982–93), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also appeared in films Fletch, Gung Ho, Dreamscape, House, Forever Young, Hostage for a Day, Man of the House, and Lakeboat.

Early life

Wendt was born in the Beverly neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, the son of Loretta Mary (née Howard) and George Robert Wendt, an officer in the Navy and a realtor.[2][3] His maternal grandfather was photographer Tom Howard.[3] Wendt is of Irish and one quarter German descent.[4]

He attended Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He was expelled from the University of Notre Dame after he received a 0.00 GPA the first semester of his junior year. He later attended the Jesuit Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, where he graduated with a B.A. in economics.

Wendt is an uncle of actor and former SNL writer and cast member Jason Sudeikis, his sister's son.[5]

Career

Early career

Wendt is a 1975 alumnus of The Second City, which he discovered shortly after college. A viewing had inspired him to join and on his first day of employment, he showed up promptly at 11:30 am as he was instructed. The woman working there handed him a broom and said "Welcome to the theater, kid"; thus, his first job in show business was sweeping the floors.[6] Second City was also where he met his future wife, Bernadette Birkett, who played Cliff's Halloween date in the third season of Cheers and later in the series played the voice of Norm's never-seen wife, Vera.[7]

Wendt appeared in the 1980 film My Bodyguard. He played a handyman working behind the check-in counter at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago (now the Public Hotel).

In 1981 Wendt appeared on an episode of the TV series Taxi as an exterminator and on an episode of the TV series Soap as a counterman in a diner. He starred as Private LaRoche in a 1982 episode of M*A*S*H, where he suffered from having a pool ball stuck in his mouth for much of the episode. He had an uncredited appearance in Airplane II: The Sequel as the ticketing agent who tells a woman that she can only have one carry-on bag.[citation needed]

Cheers

From 1982 to 1993, Wendt appeared as Norm Peterson in all 275 episodes of Cheers. For his work on Cheers, Wendt earned six Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

His first appearance on Saturday Night Live was in a season 11 (1985–1986) episode where he shared hosting duties with director Francis Ford Coppola. In 1988 he played the part of "Witten" in the New Zealand-made film, Never Say Die. In the early 1990s, Wendt made cameo appearances on several episodes of SNL as Bob Swerski, one of the Chicago Superfans (along with cast members Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Robert Smigel, and one-time host, Joe Mantegna). Having grown up as a lifelong fan of his hometown Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears, Wendt's Bob Swerski character is said to be a "spot-on" characterization of Chicago's south-side citizens.

Post-Cheers

Wendt's handprints in cement, in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.

In 1989, Wendt appeared as the eponymous protagonist in a BBC TV dramatization of Ivan Goncharov's novel Oblomov. He has also appeared twice on the original British edition of Whose Line Is It Anyway? In 1991, Wendt played the father in Michael Jackson's music video "Black or White". He had roles opposite Robert De Niro in 1991's Guilty by Suspicion and with Mel Gibson in 1992's Forever Young.

Following his success on Cheers, Wendt starred in the short-lived The George Wendt Show, which featured him as a garage mechanic with a radio show, based on the NPR radio show Car Talk. The George Wendt Show aired from March through April, 1995.

Wendt starred as the killer in one of the last episodes of the TV series Columbo, portraying a thoroughbred horse owner in the 1995 episode Strange Bedfellows. Wendt appeared as himself on Seinfeld and has reprised the character Norm Peterson on The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying", two episodes of Family Guy, "Road to Rupert" and "Three Kings", as well as the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes". In the same year as his Frasier guest appearance, Wendt played the bartender to Ted Danson's character in Becker (the inverse of their relationship on Cheers). In 1994, he appeared in the film Man of the House as Chet Bronski, the stepfather of Norman (Zachary Browne), and starred with Chevy Chase, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Farrah Fawcett. He also played the role of Old Man Dunphy's closeted homosexual friend Joey in the 1999 film Outside Providence.

In 1998, he was one of the three characters in a London West End production of 'Art' with David Dukes and Stacy Keach. He would later join the Broadway production of the play, starring alongside Judd Hirsch and Joe Morton.

In 2003, Wendt appeared as a celebrity fisherman in the music video for Cobra Verde's "Riot Industry" along with Rudy Ray Moore (of "Dolemite" fame) and The Minutemen's Mike Watt. He appeared in several episodes of The WB's Sabrina, The Teenage Witch in 2001 as the title character's boss. He also was the host of the A&E reality show House of Dreams in 2004. In January 2006, Wendt was seen again on television screens as part of the cast of Modern Men.

He has also appeared on The Larry Sanders Show as a guest on the show. In 2006, Wendt made several appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien where he performed short skits. His appearances on Late Night were in all likelihood because the show was having a week-long event in his home town of Chicago. He starred in a 2006 episode of Masters of Horror entitled "Family", directed by John Landis, and played Santa Claus in the ABC Family original film Santa Baby. Wendt performed alongside Richard Thomas in Twelve Angry Men in October 2006 in the Eisenhower Theatre in Washington, D.C.. After the show opened, Wendt was interviewed by local film critic Arch Campbell for a piece on the NBC Washington affiliate WRC. Wendt was asked, "What should people do when they see you around town?" After hesitating for a moment, Wendt held his thumbs up and replied, "If their impulse is to buy me a beer, then by all means, follow that impulse."[8] In spring 2007, Wendt performed in 12 Angry Men in Los Angeles. Wendt appeared as an American GI in the 2007 Christmas Special episode of British sitcom The Green Green Grass.

George starred in the Broadway musical Hairspray as the character of Edna Turnblad until November 2008. He appeared with his former Cheers co-star John Ratzenberger as a talent scout on Last Comic Standing during Season 6. He briefly appeared as Santa Claus in A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!. He also appeared in the 2008 horror film Bryan Loves You directed by Seth Landau.

On October 1, 2009, Wendt appeared on The Colbert Report the day before the IOC announced which city will host the 2016 Summer Olympics. In their way of supporting Chicago's bid for the games, Wendt and Stephen Colbert humorously insulted the three other bidding cities, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and Tokyo, all while drinking Chicago's favorite Old Style Beer. In 2009, Wendt starred as Santa Claus in Santa Buddies and also had a small role in the film Opposite Day.

2010s

Wendt appeared in a production of Hairspray, reprising his role as Edna Turnblad, from September 8 to October 9, 2010,[9] at the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Wendt played Santa in Elf the Musical on Broadway. The show opened November 14, 2010, and ran through January 2, 2011. Wendt starred in a production of Hairspray as Edna Turnblad at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from August 2, 2011, to August 21, 2011. Wendt also guest-starred in the TV series Hot In Cleveland as Yoder, based on his character Norm in Cheers. His first of two scenes took place in an Amish bar, where everyone in the bar yelled "Yoder!," referencing what the cast of Cheers would yell whenever he walked in.

Wendt is among the thespians who participated in a poster campaign touting live theatre in Chicago. Other celebrities included John Mahoney, John Malkovich, Terry Kinney, and Martha Plimpton. Wendt has a cameo as a newspaper reporter on Portlandia on January 25, 2013. Wendt was set to play the role of Pap in the Hank Williams bio musical Lost Highway at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, New York.[citation needed][when?]

Beginning in the fall of 2013, Wendt appeared in a television commercial for State Farm Insurance.[10] Wendt and Robert Smigel reprise their roles from SNL as the Chicago Superfans, who encounter quarterback Aaron Rodgers.[11] The commercial continued the theme of State Farm commercials featuring Rodgers, using the "discount doublecheck" slogan.

From November 6, 2013, to January 19, 2014, Wendt starred in Never Too Late, a comedy with his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett, at New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas. In this play, Wendt plays a successful lumber yard owner who is king of his castle and whose life is going exactly the way he wants until his wife comes back from a doctor appointment with some big news.[12]

In 2015, Wendt starred opposite his former Second City co-star Tim Kazurinsky in Bruce Graham's new comedy Funnyman at Northlight Theatre. The same year, Wendt appeared in the TBS sitcom Clipped, which aired for one season.[13]

Wendt appeared as Tracy Turnblad's mother in a production of Hairspray featuring John Waters and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Baltimore in June 2016.

Wendt starred in The Fabulous Lipitones at New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas from November 30, 2016, to February 12, 2017.[14]

Wendt starred as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at St. Jacob's Country Playhouse in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, from October 18 to November 4, 2017.[15]

Personal life

Wendt has been married to Bernadette Birkett since July 8, 1978. They have three children: Hilary (b. 1985), Joe (b. 1987), and Daniel (b. 1990).

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1978 A Wedding Caterer Uncredited[16]
1980 Bronco Billy Bartender Uncredited
1980 My Bodyguard Engineer
1980 Somewhere In Time Student #2
1980 The Gift of the Magi Shopkeeper Short film
1982 Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Injured Man
1982 Airplane II: The Sequel Ticket Agent Uncredited[citation needed]
1984 Young Lust Unknown
1984 Dreamscape Charlie Prince
1984 Thief of Hearts Marty Morrison
1984 No Small Affair Jake
1985 Fletch Fat Sam
1986 House Harold Gorton
1986 Gung Ho Buster
1988 Plain Clothes Chet Butler
1988 Never Say Die Mr. Witten
1989 Cranium Command Stomach Short film
1990 Masters of Menace Dr. Jack Erheart
1991 Guilty by Suspicion Bunny Baxter
1992 Forever Young Harry Finley
1994 Hostage for a Day Warren Kooey
1994 The Little Rascals Lumberyard Clerk
1995 Man of the House Chet Bronski (Chief Running Horse)
1996 Space Truckers Keller
1997 The Lovemaster Therapist
1997 Spice World Film Producer
1998 Anarchy TV Abbey Archer
1998 Dennis the Menace Strikes Again Policeman Video; uncredited[citation needed]
1998 Rupert's Land Ivan Bloat
1999 Outside Providence Joey
2000 Garage: A Rock Saga Pitching Coach
2000 Lakeboat First Mate Collins
2000 The Prime Gig Archie
2000 Wild About Harry Frankie
2001 Prairie Dogs Actor Short film
2001 Odessa or Bust The Chef Short film
2002 Teddy Bears' Picnic General Edison "Pete" Gerberding
2003 My Dinner with Jimi Bill Uttley
2003 King of the Ants Duke Wayne
2005 As Seen On TV Donald Short film
2005 Edmond Pawn Shop Owner
2005 Kids in America Coach Thompson
2005 The Life Coach George
2007 LA Blues Mickey
2007 Saturday Morning Harold
2008 Clean Break Chuck
2008 Bryan Loves You Mr. Flynn
2008 Unnatural Causes Chuck
2009 Opposite Day Corporate Exec #1
2009 Santa Buddies Santa Claus Direct-to-DVD
2016 Wake Up America! Richard
2017 Sandy Wexler Testimonial
2018 The Independents Eduardo
2018 Dream Flight Randall Short film
2018 Dr. Sugar Marvin Saccharine Short film
2018 The Deadbeat The Great Kazoo Short film
2019 Grand-Daddy Day Care Big Lou Direct-to-video
2019 The Climb Jim
2019 I Lost My Body Georges (voice) English dub
2019 Bliss Pops
2019 VFW Thomas Zabriski
2019 Thank You Kindly Neighbor Bradley Walden Short film
2020 Stealing a Survivor Mister Martin

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Hart to Hart Sgt. Tate Episode: "Murder Is a Drag"
1981 Soap Counterman Episode #4.15
1981 Taxi The Exterminator Episode: "Latka the Playboy"
1982 Alice Monty Episode: "Monty Falls for Alice"
1982 Making the Grade Gus Bertoia 6 episodes
1982 M*A*S*H Pvt. La Roche Episode: "Trick or Treatment"
1982–1993 Cheers Norm Peterson 275 episodes; directed 1 episode
1983 Garfield on the Town Ràoul (voice) TV short
1983 Likely Stories, Vol. 4 Wary Witness Television film
1984 Garfield in the Rough Ranger #2 (voice) TV short
1984 The Ratings Game Mr. Sweeney Television film
1985 The Romance of Betty Boop Johnny Throat / Punchie (voice) TV short
1985 St. Elsewhere Norm Peterson Episode: "Cheers"
1986 The Twilight Zone Barney Schlessinger Episode: "The World Next Door"
1986–1991 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) 2 episodes
1987 The Tortellis Norm Peterson Episode: "Frankie Comes to Dinner"
1988 Mickey's 60th Birthday Norm Peterson TV special
1989 Day by Day Stan Episode: "Fraternity"
1989 The Magical World of Disney Norm Peterson Episode: "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration"
1990 The Earth Day Special Norm Peterson TV special
1990 Wings Norm Peterson Episode: "The Story of Joe"
1991 Tales from the Crypt Mr. Crosswhite Episode: "The Reluctant Vampire"
1991–2003 Saturday Night Live Bob Swerski 8 episodes
1992 Roc Stan Mason Episode: "The Stan Who Came to Dinner"
1992 Seinfeld Himself Episode: "The Trip: Part 1"
1992 The Edge Various Episode #1.16
1993 Bob Himself Episode: "Da Game"
1993 The Building Cappucino Guy Episode: "The Waiting Game"
1994 The Larry Sanders Show George Wendt Episode: "Hank's Night in the Sun"
1994 The Simpsons Norm Peterson (voice) Episode: "Fear of Flying"
1995 The George Wendt Show George Coleman 8 episodes
1995 Columbo Graham McVeigh Episode: "Strange Bedfellows"
1995 Shame II: The Secret Mac Television film
1995 Bye Bye Birdie Harry MacAfee Television film
1996 Alien Avengers Charlie Television film
1996 Spin City Dan Donaldson Episode: "The High and the Mighty"
1997 Alien Avengers II Charlie Television film
1997 The Naked Truth Les Polansky 3 episodes
1997 The Price of Heaven Sam Television film
1997 Whose Line Is It Anyway? Himself 3 episodes
1999 Alice in Wonderland Fred Tweedledee Television film
2000 The Pooch and the Pauper Sheldon Sparks Television film
2000 Madigan Men Carl 4 episodes
2000 The List Guest Host 1 episode
2001 Strange Relations Howard Television film
2001 Robertson's Greatest Hits Tom Robertson Television film
2001–2002 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Mike Shelby 6 episodes
2002 Becker Frank Episode: "V-Day"
2002 Frasier Norm Peterson Episode: "Cheerful Goodbyes"
2004 House of Dreams Host Television series
2004 Rock Me Baby Monty Episode: "Not-So-Grand Parents"
2004 George Lopez Ed 2 episodes
2006 Modern Men Tug Clarke 6 episodes
2006 Masters of Horror Harold Thompson Episode: "Family"
2006 Santa Baby Santa Claus Television film
2007 Imperfect Union Duke Television film
2007 Larry the Cable Guy's Christmas Spectacular Santa Claus Television film
2007 The Green Green Grass Cliff Cooper Episode: "Special Relationship"
2007–2009 Family Guy Norm Peterson (voice) 2 episodes
2008 A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! Santa Claus TV special
2010 Cubed George Wendt Episode #1.20
2010 Less Than Kind Tiny Episode: "Road Trip"
2010 Ghost Whisperer George the Plumber Episode: "The Children's Parade"
2011 Hot in Cleveland Yoder Episode: "Where's Elka?"
2011 Harry's Law Franklin Chickory Episode: "American Girl"
2012 The Seven Year Hitch Mr. Henderson Television film
2012 Kickin' It Uncle Blake Episode: "Kickin' It On Our Own"
2012 A Christmas Wedding Date Mr. Destiny Television film
2012 Merry In-Laws Santa Claus Television film
2013 Portlandia George Heely Episode: "Off the Grid"
2014 Kirstie Duke Episode: "Thelma's Ex"
2014 Verdene and Gleneda Uncle Beanie Episode: "A Town Called Peculiar"; web series
2014 Franklin & Bash Henry "Hank" Shae Episode: "Honor Thy Mother"
2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Himself Episode: "Jesse Tyler Ferguson Wears a Brown Checked Shirt and Stripey Socks"
2015 Clipped Buzzy 10 episodes
2016 Childrens Hospital Governor Jasper Ruth Episode: "By the Throat"
2017 Mommy, I Didn't Do It J.D. Pierce Television film
2017 Bill Nye Saves the World Hacked Support Group Member / Polio 2 episodes
2018 The Greatest American Hero Bob Rice Television film
2018 Fresh Off the Boat Harv Episode: "Workin' the 'Ween"
2018 Fancy Nancy Grandpa Clancy (voice) Episode: "Nancy Goes to Work"
2019 Eddie's The Captain Television film
2019 Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell Famine Episode: "The Poor Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
2019 Peyton's Places Bob Swerski Episode: "Da Bears"
2019 The Goldbergs Ned Frank Episode: "Food in a Geoffy"[17]
2019 Christmas 9 to 5 Manny O'Quinn Television film

Music videos

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Ray Parker Jr.: Ghostbusters George Wendt Uncredited cameo
1991 Michael Jackson: Black or White Father Uncredited
1993 Soul Asylum: Black Gold Guy Pushing Car
1993 Dangerous: The Short Films Father "Black or White" video segment
1995 Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits Father "Black or White" video segment
2000 MxPx: Responsibility Boss Uncredited

References

  1. ^ "George Wendt". Biography. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  2. ^ "George R. Wendt, Realtor". Chicago Sun-Times. June 18, 1993. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Kogan, Rick (July 28, 2010). "Loretta M. Wendt, 1922–2010". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017.
  4. ^ "Nineteen years on American funnyman Wendt returns to Kilkenny". www.irishexaminer.com. May 26, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ McRady, Rachel (February 12, 2012). "Jason Sudeikis Hangs Out With Uncle, Cheers Star George Wendt: See the Epic Picture!". US Weekly. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  6. ^ "George Wendt in Auburn production". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  7. ^ "The 25 Best TV Characters You Never See On Screen". NME, June 14, 2016.
  8. ^ ABC7. "Guest List: George Wendt | ABC7 Chicago | abc7chicago.com". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved June 10, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "'Norm!' Wendt plays Charlottetown Festival". Canada: CBC. August 3, 2010. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  10. ^ McMains, Andrew (September 6, 2013). "Ad of the Day: Aaron Rodgers Is Hounded by 'Da Bears' Fans for State Farm It's brats vs. cheese with Robert Smigel and George Wendt". Adweek. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  11. ^ "Bears' Superfans in State Farm commercial with Mike Ditka". Chicago Sun-Times. November 5, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  12. ^ Newtheatre.com Archived January 13, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Clipped, n.d., retrieved May 27, 2015
  14. ^ The Fabulous Lipitones, retrieved December 14, 2016
  15. ^ "St. Jacobs Country Playhouse | Death of a Salesman". www.draytonentertainment.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  16. ^ Responding to whether he appeared uncredited in A Wedding (1978) and Bronco Billy (1980), Wendt said in Lovece, Frank (December 5, 2017). "George Wendt plays Santa in 'Elf: The Musical'". Newsday. New York City / Long Island. Retrieved January 3, 2018. I don't remember 'Bronco Billy,' but there was one summer they shot 'A Wedding' in Chicago and they were looking for extras to play caterers, waiters and waitresses and the like. So all these guys from [The Second City and] Steppenwolf were waiters: Me and Dennis Franz, John Malkovich, Alan Wilder, Tim Evans — lots of people. And we had fun; it was a bonding summer with the Steppenwolf guys. We'd turn up at dawn every morning and just hang out and wait around in our outfits. ... I don't even know if anything I shot is in the movie. (subscription required)
  17. ^ Dawn, Randee (September 17, 2019). "A mini-'Cheers' reunion is coming to TV! See the pics". Today. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Wendt.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Wendt&oldid=985438950"