Ted Danson is raising a glass to the one and only George Wendt.
Hours after news of Wendt’s death at age 76 broke, the “Man on the Inside” star, 77, shared a heartfelt sentiment for his fallen co-star.
“I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,” a rep for Danson shared with The Post. “I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”
Rhea Perlman, who played cocktail waitress Carla Tortelli on the show, also addressed Wendt’s passing.
“George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him,” Perlman told The Post. “As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn’t hurt. What a guy! I’ll miss him more than words can say.”
Wendt’s family rep confirmed he passed on Tuesday, telling The Post he “died peacefully in his sleep while at home.”
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the statement read. “He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Danson and Wendt starred in “Cheers” together for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, with Danson portraying Sam Malone, and Wendt starring as Norman Peterson.
During their time on the series, Wendt garnered six consecutive Emmy nominations for his performance as Norm, while Danson earned 11 and won two.
The “Cheers” nostalgia was at an all-time high in recent years, as the cast reunited at the Emmys in January 2024.
Wendt, Danson, Perlman Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger came together as part of a special tribute at the awards ceremony honoring the most beloved shows in television history.
The cast appeared at a replica of the iconic Boston bar, with host Anthony Anderson calling the NBC sitcom “one of the greatest television shows of all time.”
“This feels nice to be here in front of you,” Danson said, before Ratzenberger, 78, remarked that the event was a “long overdue class reunion.”
Grammer, 70, noted, “Being together brings back some great memories of a show we’re all very proud of.”
Absent from the festivities was Woody Harrelson, who starred in the show’s fourth season as bartender Woody Boyd.
“Woody Harrelson couldn’t make ‘Cheers’ because he’s in a play,” Jesse Collins, an executive producer for the Emmys, told the Hollywood Reporter at the time.
Added Collins, “So there were a few people where there were just logistical challenges. But we were lucky to get so many people who were willing to participate.”
In April, Danson got candid on some behind-the-scenes drama of the show, setting the record straight on a 30-year-long rift he had with Grammer.
While talking to the “Frasier” actor on his and Harrelson’s, 63, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast last October, Danson told Grammer: ”I missed out on the last 30 years of Kelsey Grammer, and I feel like it’s my bad, my doing, and I almost feel like apologizing to you.”
Wendt’s cause of death has not been revealed.
The comedian is survived by his wife of 46 years, actress Bernadette Birkett; their children Hilary, Joe and Daniel; his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew; and his famous nephew Jason Sudeikis.
