George Wendt, the actor and comedian who cut his teeth at Chicago’s improvisational comedy troupe Second City before finding fame as part of the ensemble cast of the beloved 1980s NBC sitcom

Jason Sudeikis' uncle earned Emmy nominations six years running after getting started on Second City in his hometown of Chicago.

NEW YORK — George Wendt, an actor with an everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76.