NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty The beloved sitcomCheersstarred Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt It aired on NBC from 1982 to 1993 Cheersstar George Wendt died on May 20, 2025, on the 32nd anniversary of the show's finale Everybody knew their names. The hit sitcomCheershelped launch the careers of several actors who stayed in the spotlight years after the series ended on May 20, 1993. The NBC show starredTed Danson,Kelsey Grammer,Rhea Perlman,John RatzenbergerandGeorge Wendtas they played a group of friends talking about their everyday lives at their favorite bar in Boston. The show lost a cast member on May 20, whenWendt diedat the age of 76. He died on the 32nd anniversary of the series finale. "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever," his publicist told PEOPLE in a statement at the time. The cast, who allreunited at the Emmy Awardsin January 2024, remained close years after the series came to an end. Here, in the wake of George Wendt's death, take a walk down memory lane with the stars of NBC'sCheers,then and now. Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Daniel Boczarski/Getty George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on the sitcom, died on May 20, 2025 — the 32nd anniversary of theCheersseries finale. He was 76. His publicist Melissa Nathan told PEOPLE in a statement, "Beloved actor and comedian, George Wendt, best known for starring in the NBC hit comedyCheers, has passed away." The statement continued, "George's family confirmed the news of his death early Tuesday morning, announcing 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. He will be missed forever." The Chicago native, who was born in 1948, was one of nine children. His sister isKathryn Sudeikis, who is the motherto actor and comedianJason Sudeikis. He started training in comedy at Chicago's The Second City theater in 1974. He later met Bernadette Birkett, whom he married in 1978, at the theater. The two shared three children: Hilary, Joe and Daniel. Wendt got his big break onCheers, where he earned six Emmy nominations. In a chat onMarc Summers Unwrapped,Wendt recalledbeing offered a "small" role in the pilot, with a one-word line: "Beer." The casting director gave him more to read, and he was ultimately offered a role, which he couldn't take since he was involved in a different CBS series,Making the Grade. He was allowed to work as a guest star on theCheerspilot, however — and whenMaking the Gradewasn't picked up by a network, he was offered his iconicCheerspart, dropping what Summers called "Norm-isms" through many an episode. After finishing the series in 1993, he went on to work onThe George Wendt Show, SNL, Modern Men, Clippedand some TV voice work, and films includingThe Independents, Forever Youngand evenSpice World.Like several of his costars, he also did Broadway, with roles inArt, Hairspray, ElfandBreakfast at Tiffany's. Wendt maintained his close friendship with Danson, Long, Perlman, Ratzenberger, Grammer and Harrelson over the years. His wife told PEOPLE in 1993, "[The cast]get along like siblings. To somebody peeking in from the outside, they look like they're having the greatest time in the world." Prior to his death, Wendt competed onThe Masked Singerin 2023 and reunited with hisCheerscostars at the 2023 Emmys to present the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series. Throughout his career, Wendt always emphasized that the most important thing for him was to "have fun." "I just look for fun things to do," he told theChicago Tribunein 2002. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty As Sam Malone, a former baseball star and the owner of Cheers,Ted Dansonkept "everyone's sanity" on set, as Ratzenberger told PEOPLE in 1987. "He absorbs the angst." Best known for his part onThe Doctorsprior toCheers,the San Diego native earned 11 consecutive Emmy nominations and two wins for his work. After leaving the bar hewent on to much success, starring alongsideTom SelleckandSteve GuttenberginThree Men and a Babyand its sequelThree Men and a Little Lady, and leading a host of TV series includingInk, Becker, Bored to Death, CSI,The Good Place, Curb Your EnthusiasmandMr. Mayor. Off-screen, he has been married to actressMary Steenburgensince 1995. He hastwo children, daughters Kate and Alexis, from his previous marriage to Casey Coates. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; David Livingston/Getty Shelley Long's graduate student character Diane Chambers stumbled into the bar after a breakup and took a job as a waitress — though ultimately became a love interest for Danson's Sam. Though rumors of a rift between the two stars swirled, especially as Long left the show in 1987, "we did our jobs with a caring for each other," Long told PEOPLE that year. "That doesn't mean that there weren't days that were harder than others." The Indiana native, who came up through Chicago's Second City improv troupe, had a few roles prior toCheers,though the series launched her into superstardom. She earned five Emmy nominations and one win forCheers,and went on to series includingGood AdviceandModern Family,in addition to stepping into the role of Carol Brady in the updatedBrady Bunchmovies. Long has been married twice; she has one daughter, actress Juliana, with ex Bruce Tyson. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic PEOPLE once describedRhea Perlman's Carla Tortelli as "man-hungry" and "tough-as-nails." The cocktail waitress was Sam's eternal sidekick and a mother of eight. For her,Cheers"was huge," the New York City-born actress told PEOPLE in 2022. "And I wouldn't have had any of the career that I — well, who knows what I would've had? Nobody knows what doesn't happen, but it was the best job in the world." She scored 10 Emmy nods and four wins for her work as Carla. The role opened doors to parts on TV series likePearl, Ally McBealandHung,plus costarKirstie Alley'sKirstieand more recently,The Mindy Project.She also had a touching part in 2023'sBarbiemovie. Prior toCheersshe starred onTaxi,where she met husbandDanny DeVito(according to PEOPLE, they wed on a lunch break in 1982). Together they havethree children, Lucy, Grace and Jake. Fun fact:Perlman's father, the late actor Philip Perlman, also acted onCheersas a regular patron of the bar. Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Jon Kopaloff/WireImage John Ratzenberger's know-it-all mail carrier Cliff Calvin was a bar regular, spewing trivia whether the other patrons wanted to hear it or not. He was busy in movies prior toCheers,with roles inStar Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, RagtimeandGandhi. He actually made up the role of Cliff during his audition. "I had already worked 10 years in London, doing my own comedy shows, touring through Europe," the Connecticut native shared in a 2014 interview withFox 11 Los Angeles. "And I really just wanted them to know that I knew what I was doing. So as I walked out I asked, 'Do you have a bar know-it-all?' And then I just launched into this character." He earned two Emmy nominations for the role. Aside fromCheers,Ratzenberger is perhaps best known for having voiced a character in every single Pixar movie. "It's good luck for me," he shared with Fox. "The beauty of Pixar, they do things the old-fashioned way. They have a very high standard. So by the time you walk into the recording booth, the writer or director, they know every nuance, every comma, so I just simply listen. It's their child, I'm just babysitting." He also appeared on other TV series, including8 Simple RulesandLegit. Ratzenberger has been married to Julie Blichfeldt since 2012 and has two children from his first marriage to Georgia Stiny. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Kelsey Grammer's psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane arrived atCheersin 1984,first as a love interest to Long's Dianebut ultimately marrying Bebe Neuwirth's Lilith. He earned two Emmy nominations for the role, but more notably moved on to his ever-popular spinoffFrasier,for which he scored 10 Emmy nominations and four wins. He, too, was fairly new to television when he landedCheers,first starring on Broadway inMacbethandOthello.But Grammer holds a soft spot for what he called his "first job in Hollywood." "It's such a wonderful show and an institution," the actor toldUSA Todayat the 2023 Emmys. "It deserves its place in history." Aside fromFrasier,the Virgin Islands native has starred in TV series includingBack to You, Hank, Bossand evenThe Simpsons,for which he also won an Emmy as the voice of Sideshow Bob. Most recently,he's back on-screen as Dr. Frasier Crane once againin a Paramount+ revival of the beloved series. He's also stayed busy on Broadway inFinding NeverlandandLa Cage aux Folles(for which he earned a Tony nomination). Outside of work,he's been married four times, marrying Kayte Walsh in 2011. He hasseven children, several of whom have followed him into acting. CBS via Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty ThoughBebe Neuwirth's big TV break was as Frasier's deadpan wife Dr. Lilith Sternin onCheers,the New Jersey native and classically trained dancer was already big on Broadway when she joined the cast, having starred inA Chorus Line, Little MeandSweet Charity,for which she won a Tony Award. "It's really fun to play Lilith," she told PEOPLE in 1991 of her pivot. "We have some things in common, like honesty." She won back-to-back Emmys for the role, and followed on-screen husband Grammer toFrasier,earning one more Emmy nomination there. Sheappeared on the Paramount+ revival, too. In the years sinceCheersended she's starred on everything fromDeadlinetoMadam Secretary,and inHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.She also returned to the stage inDamn Yankees, Fosse, Funny Girl,The Addams FamilyandChicago. She has been married twice, marrying director Chris Calkins in 2009. Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty; Paul Morigi/Getty Woody Harrelson's Woody Boyd joinedCheersin season 4 as a not-so-bright but very cute bartender. The Texas native earned six Emmy nominations and a win for the role. He recalled almost passing on the role in an interview withHoward Stern, as Broadway was calling. "Everybody told me, you've gotta do this show," Harrelson said. "I'd never seen it, then I watched one or two episodes and I was like yes, this is a great show." Calling it "the best" gig, he said his costars were "so fun." He missed theCheersreunion at the Emmysdue to the theater work he was doing in London, but in 2023, hegot to work on a podcast about the serieswith Danson. Harrelson had several film roles under his belt when he joined the show, and hasn't really stopped since, starring inThe People vs. Larry Flynt, Anger Management, The Messenger, No Country for Old Men,The Hunger Games, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriandZombieland,picking up three Oscar nods along the way.He's been buzzing on TV again recently, too, onWhite House PlumbersandTrue Detective,for which he had two more Emmy nominations. Harrelson has been married to Laura Louiesince 2008; together they havethree daughters, Deni, Zoe and Makani. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Steve Granitz/WireImage Wichita nativeKirstie Alleygot her big break in 1987 as Rebecca Howe onCheers,joining in season 6 following Long's exit. "She waltzed in and danced out with everyone's heart," according to a 1987 PEOPLE article,which noted she showed up to work her first daydressed as Long (complete with a blonde wig!) to break the ice. In 1991, she took home the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role. She went on to great success in movies and TV, notably onVeronica's Closetfrom 1997 to 2000 and in the 1989 favoriteLook Who's Talkingand 1999 cult classicDrop Dead Gorgeous.Alley also competed on the 2011 season ofDancing with the Stars. With her then-husband Parker Stevenson, she welcomed two children by adoption afterCheerswrapped:son William True and daughter Lillie Price. She and Stevenson split in 1997. On Dec. 5, 2022,Alley died of colon cancerat age 71. Read the original article onPeople
