George Robert Wendt Jr. (born October 17, 1948) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom Cheers (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also played the role in the short-lived spin-off The Tortellis and in an episode of Wings, which was made by the same creators. Wendt has also appeared in his own sitcom, The George Wendt Show, following Cheers, but it was cancelled after only a few episodes. His numerous film roles include Fletch, Gung Ho, Dreamscape, House, Forever Young, Hostage for a Day, Man of the House, and Lakeboat.