George Robert Wendt III was born on 17 October 1948, in Chicago, Illinois USA, of Irish and German descent. George is an actor, perhaps best known for appearing in the television show “Cheers” as the character Norm Peterson. He’s also been seen in films such as “The Little Rascals”, and “Dennis the Menace Strikes Again”. All his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is George Wendt? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $45 million, mostly earned through a successful career in acting. Aside from film and television, George has also made a name for himself in various stage productions. He’s been acting since the 1980s, and as he continues his career his wealth will likely increase.
George Wendt Net Worth $45 Million Dollars
Wendt attended Campion High School, and after matriculating attended the University of Notre Dame. During his junior year he was expelled due to failing grades and he would then attend Rockhurst College, from where he eventually graduated with a degree in economics.
After graduating, he went to watch a theatre production by The Second City, which inspired him to join the group. He started there as a sweeper, but eventually got his chance to act on stage and gained some recognition. One of his first films was “My Bodyguard”, in which he played a handyman. A year later he started making guest appearances in shows such as “Taxi” and “Soap”. He also appeared in an episode of “M*A*S*H”, in which he had a pool ball stuck in his mouth for most of the episode. Afterwards, he appeared in “Airplane II: The Sequel” playing a minor role. In 1982, he was cast in the show “Cheers”, and would appear in all 275 episodes from 1982 to 1993, gaining considerable recognition and which increased his net worth significantly. After “Cheers”, he started appearing in “Saturday Night Live” in cameos and even hosting several shows. He would then continue his work in television shows and films such as “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, “Outside Providence” and “Oblomov”. He is also seen in the music video “Black or White” by Michael Jackson. His net worth was increasing steadily.
George tried to start his own show entitled “The George Wendt Show”, a move that was prompted by the success of “Cheers”. The show was short-lived however, as it only ran for one month before being cancelled. Afterwards, he found himself making guest appearances in popular shows including “Columbo”, “Family Guy”, “The Simpsons”, “Frasier” and “Seinfeld”. He also appeared in “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch” for several episodes. After this string of shows, his appearances on television reduced, and he didn’t really start again until 2006, in the show “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”. He also returned to the stage in productions of “Twelve Angry Men”, “Hairspray”, and “Elf the Musical”. Wendt then contributed to commercials for State Farm Insurance. He also continued to do shows, including a comedy with his wife entitled “Never Too Late”.
For his personal life, George has been married to Bernadette Birkett since 1978. They met while Wendt was a part of Second City, and they now have five children, two of whom are his step-children.
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Movies
“The Little Rascals”, “Dennis the Menace Strikes Again”, “My Bodyguard”, “Taxi” , “Oblomov”
TV Shows
“Cheers” (1982-1993), “The George Wendt Show” (1995), “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, “Outside Providence”, “Black or White”, “Columbo”, “Family Guy”, “The Simpsons”, “Frasier”, “Seinfeld”, “Never Too Late”
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Quote
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Improvising is best left to those who really love it. Improvising itself is kind of fun, but the apprehension before the improv is not. I don’t think that fast; I can’t write that fast. Some people can look at a bunch of suggestions and can come up with a premise, but that was never my long suit.
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Fact
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Opened in the play, “12 Angry Men” in Dallas, co-starring Richard Thomas. [February 2007]
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Playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway [March 2008]
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He is of German (from his paternal grandfather) and Irish descent.
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Uncle of Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Sudeikis and Lindsay Sudeikis.
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Children: Hilary Wendt (b. 1985), Joe Wendt (b. 1987) and Daniel Wendt (b. 1990) with Bernadette Birkett.
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Brother-in-law of Joe Birkett.
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Is an avid Notre Dame football fan. Always attends the Notre Dame-vs.-USC game when held in Pasadena, California, every two years.
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In a tribute George wrote for the Second City book, he said that when he joined Second City, it wasn’t directly through the troupe as a performer. He had studied the shows for a while and befriended an employee whom he asked about joining. She told him to show up after a performance one day in the afternoon, which he subsequently did. The stage area was littered with cigarette butts, when the woman handed him a broom and said “Welcome to the theater, kid.”
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Along with Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman, he is one of only three actors to appear in all 273 episodes of Cheers (1982).
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Along with John Ratzenberger, Richard Belzer and Paul Fusco, he is one of only four actors to play the same character (Hilary Norman ‘Norm’ Peterson) on six different shows: Cheers (1982), Frasier (1993), Wings (1990), St. Elsewhere (1982), The Tortellis (1987) and The Simpsons (1989). He has appeared in episodes of all six series with John Ratzenberger.
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Has played Norm Peterson on seven different shows: Cheers (1982), St. Elsewhere (1982), The Tortellis (1987), The Simpsons (1989), Wings (1990), Frasier (1993), and Family Guy (1999).
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Wendt’s maternal grandfather was Tom Howard, a photographer for the Washington bureau of P & A Photographs, who took one of the most famous news photos ever: of murderess Ruth Snyder as she was executed at Sing Sing Prison on January 12, 1928. He modified his miniature plate camera with a long shutter release, then smuggled it into the witness room by strapping it onto his left ankle. The photo was on the front page of the next morning’s New York Daily News under the headline: DEAD! The camera is at the Smithsonian Institution.
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Attended University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana for 2 years.
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Graduate of Rockhurst College (now known as Rockhurst University) in Kansas City, MO.
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Played Macaulay Culkin’s father in Michael Jackson’s video ‘Black or White’.
“The George Wendt Show” (1995) “Black or White” “Cheers” (1982-1993) “My Bodyguard” “Oblomov” “Outside Providence” “The Little Rascals” $45 Million 1948 1948-10-17 5′ 8″ (1.73 m) 95th Street (Chicago) Actor Airlines for America Albany International Airport American Apartment Arista Records Associated Press Athletic director Baltimore Bernadette Birkett Cheers (1982) Chicago Columbo Dennis the Menace Strikes Again Director Family Guy Fletch (1985) Forever Young (1992) Frasier George Robert Wendt George Wendt Net Worth House (1986) Illinois Libra October 17 one daughter Seinfeld Soundtrack Taxi The Simpsons Two sons two step-children U.S. Whose Line Is It Anyway?