Jason Sudeikis shared some of his fondest memories of his real-life uncle George Wendt in an interview that resurfaced following the Cheers actor’s death at age 76 on Tuesday, May 20.
A spokesperson for Wendt’s family confirmed to Us Weekly on Tuesday that the six-time Emmy Award nominee “died peacefully in his sleep” while surrounded by family and friends.
Wendt was the maternal uncle of the Ted Lasso star — and they actually shared similar career paths by training at Chicago’s famed Second City improv theater before becoming TV stars. Sudeikis was in attendance when Second City hosted “The Roast Of George Wendt” in 2017 and even walked the red carpet with his uncle.
While speaking to The AV Club at the event, Sudeikis revealed one of his favorite memories of Wendt was his uncle taking him and his father Daniel Sudeikis on a wild car ride through Los Angeles.
“We all went out to California to visit and George had just gotten a new car … It was a badass BMW with, like, manual drive, which I’d never seen before, you know, I was pretty young,” Sudeikis, 46, recalled in the 2017 interview. “He took me and my dad for a ride. My dad sat shotgun. I was in the back all by myself. This is not when you needed, you know, mandatory seatbelts. He drove us through Laurel Canyon.”
Wendt laughed along as Sudeikis explained how both himself and his father were unprepared for the hilly environment they were driving through.
“He had my dad holding onto [the car] like nothing you’ve ever seen,” Sudeikis remembered. “I’m just like sliding around the background just because the seats were brand new. I hold that memory very fondly.”
Wendt shared his own perspective on the SNL star during a 2024 appearance on the “Still Here Hollywood Podcast” when asked if he ever gave his nephew career advice.
“It’s funny because he gets asked that a lot … He’s so sharp,” Wendt recalled. “[Jason] goes, ‘Yeah, [Uncle George] told me, just get on the best show on television [Saturday Night Live], one of the greatest shows of all time, and just pretty much take it from there. So, I did.’”
The Cheers star went on, “He’s such a great kid. Kid? You know, he’s 45 … I’m very proud. Proud, especially, not only for his success but have you read profiles [of Sudeikis]? He’s such a mensch, so smart, so thoughtful.”
The two rarely got a chance to act together, but Sudeikis did appear with his uncle in a 1998 comedy sketch on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. They are both connected to Saturday Night Live as well — as Wendt made regular guest appearances on the NBC show as part of the Chicago Bears-loving “Superfans” sketches over a decade before Sudeikis joined the SNL cast in 2005.
Several of Wendt’s Cheers costars paid tribute to the late actor following the announcement of his death on Tuesday.
“[I’m] devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,” Ted Danson — who played bartender Sam Malone on Cheers — told Us. “I am sending all my love to [his wife] Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.”
John Ratzenberger said he was “heartbroken to hear about the passing of [his] friend George Wendt.” (Ratzenberger and Wendt played drinking buddies Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom.)
“He was a true craftsman — humble, hilarious, and full of heart,” Ratzenberger said. “What you saw on screen was exactly who he was off screen with impeccable comedic timing and a deep loyalty to those he loved. I’ll miss our conversations and the quiet moments of friendship that meant the most.”
Wendt is survived by his wife, Bernadette Birkett, whom he wed in 1978, and their three children: Joe, Hilary and Daniel.
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