On May 20, George Wendt, who was best known for playing Norm on the famed sitcom Cheers, died. It wasn’t long before his costars and friends took to social media to remember the comedic actor and how he touched their lives.
Ted Danson, who played Sam Malone, told Us Weekly that he was âdevastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us. I am sending all my love to [his wife] Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.â
One person many were waiting to hear a response from was Wendt’s nephew and godson, Jason Sudeikis. At a fundraiser for Children’s Mercy Hospital, the Ted Lasso star shared with the crowd how much his uncle George had meant to him.
Jason Sudeikis and Other Stars Share Fond Memories of His Uncle with Big Slick Audience
As Sudeikis stood in front of the panel at the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend fundraiser, he began talking about Wendt. “With regard to my uncle George, I mean, thereâs that old saying of like, âDonât meet your heroes,’ usually ’cause ‘they let you down,’ I assume, is the back half of that statement. But heâs not one of those people,” Sudeikis told the audience.
“Heâs as fun and kind and as warm as any character he played on television or in films,” he continued. “He was an incredible influence to me, both as someone that blazed a trail, being from the Midwest and teaching me that acting was a career you could actually have, if you really care about it.”
Along with Sudeikis, the Big Slick panel consisted of Eric Stonestreet, Heidi Gardner, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Rob Riggle. Many chimed in on how much Wendt, who had always been a part of Big Slick, meant to them.
“It’s going to be felt, his absence, this year, even though he’s so a part of it, just as much as any of us,” Paul Rudd said. “He is a really, really sweet guy. I loved him.”
Sudeikis’ Admiration and Pride Were Returned By Wendt
Sudeikis told the crowd another anecdote, about Wendt’s time going to a bar called Mike’s to prepare for his Cheers role. “We miss him greatly, and I love him dearly,” he said.
Sudeikis lights up when he talks about his uncle. The former SNL star previously shared a favorite memory he had of Wendt with the AV Club. He and his family visited him in California. Wendt took him and his dad for a ride in his new BMW, which ended up feeling more like a rollercoaster.
“My dad sat shotgun, I was in the back, all by myself. This was not when you [had] mandatory seatbelts,” he recalled. “He drove us through Laurel Canyon as a man who had driven that thing hundreds of thousands of times. We had not been on that. He had my dad holding on … and I’m just sliding around in the background just because the seats were brand new. I hold that memory very fondly.”
Wendt, for his part, always spoke highly of Sudeikis, as well. “He’s such a great kid. Kid, he’s 45 or something. My godson. Very proud. Proud, especially, you know, not only of the success, but he’s solid,” Wendt told the Still Here Hollywood podcast in 2024. “Have you read profiles and stuff? He’s so… such a mensch, so smart, so thoughtful.”
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