George Wendt has been out of the public eye in the past year and was recently spotted going into a dialysis clinic in a wheelchair. The 76-year-old, who played Norm in Cheers, looked frail as he was wheeled out of the Los Angeles facility by his wife Bernadette Birkett.
Neither George nor his wife have revealed his health condition; however, he was hospitalized in 2012 while filming in Chicago. He reportedly suffered chest pain, which was from a constricted artery following coronary bypass surgery.
What is George Wendt up to now?
Cheers star George Wendt, 76, looks frail in wheelchair during rare outing https://t.co/rtI1TBz0mI
— Metro Entertainment (@Metro_Ents) November 24, 2024
George was seen earlier this year at the 75th Emmy Awards event at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, where he reunited with his co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, and John Ratzenberger. Together, they reenacted a typical Cheers bar scene to the audience’s delight.
Before then, George gave a memorable show on The Masked Singer season nine while doing most of his numbers sitting down. Fans have taken to social media to express their concern about George’s condition, hoping he provides details soon. “Obvious if went into a dialysis clinic the poor man’s kidneys are shot,” someone speculated, while another added that he is probably just aging.
Life after ‘Cheers’
After Cheers’ finale in 1993, George attempted his show, The George Wendt Show, which featured him as a garage mechanic. After the short-lived production, George went back to sitcoms with appearances as Norm in Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Frasier. The creators of Becker also featured him alongside Ted Danson, switching their Cheers roles with George as a bartender.
George explored commercials and theater in the 2010s, appearing in Broadway’s production of Elf the Musical and earning praise for playing Santa Claus. Despite his undisclosed health issues, George’s legacy as a comedic icon resonates with fans, who are hoping for his recovery and return to the spotlight.