The entertainment industrylost one of its most beloved actorswhenCheersstarGeorge Wendt— "NORM!" — passed away at age 76 earlier this week. Sadly, the fan-favorite character actor was actually the secondCheersstar to die this month. News broke on Wednesday, May 21, that actorMichael Alaimodied on May 2 at age 86. The actor — who appeared in such iconic '90s films asSpace Jam,The Sandlot,Air Budand more — portrayed Vinnie Claussen onthe 1985Cheersepisode"2 Good 2 Be 4 Real." The Season 4 episode features Alaimo's character attempting to wooRhea Perlman's no-nonsense Carla Tortelli at the bar after sending her a letter in the mail. The ruse of the episode, however, is that the rest of theCheersbartenders and bar patrons, feeling sorry for Carla's single status, create a fictional suitor for the blunt barmaid, causing her to turn down actual potential love interests like Vinnie. Alaimo's daughter, Gabriella Alaimo Thomas, confirmed her father's death in a statement toVarietyon Wednesday. While she did not cite a cause of death for the actor, she told the outlet that her dad "passed away peacefully." The statement of Alaimo's death echoes that of Wendt's family's own announcement of his passing. Wendt — who starred in every episode ofCheersand earned six Emmy nominations for his portrayal of beloved barfly Norm Peterson — died peacefully in his sleep at home on Tuesday, May 20. "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 actor's publicist said in a statement on Tuesday. "The family has requested privacy during this time." Wendt is survived by wife Bernadette Birkett, as well as their three children and his two stepchildren. He was also the uncle of fellow actorJason Sudeikis. Wendt's longtimeCheersco-stars paid tributeto the iconic star following the announcement of his death — including Perlman,Ted Danson(who played bar owner Sam Malone), andJohn Ratzenberger, who portrayed Norm's best friend Cliff Claven on 11 seasons of the hit sitcom. Danson, 77, shared a particularly poignant statement about the passing of his longtime friend and co-star. "I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us," theGood Placealum told theNew York Postin a statement via his rep. "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."
