American trumpet player
Played Macaulay Culkin s father in Michael Jackson s video Black or White.
Graduate of Rockhurst College (now known as Rockhurst University) in Kansas City, MO.
Attended University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana for 2 years.
Wendts maternal grandfather was Tom Howard, a photographer for the Washington bureau of P & A Photographs, who took one of the most famous news photos ever: of murderess Ruth Snyder as she was executed at Sing Sing Prison on January 12, 1928. He modified his miniature plate camera with a long shutter release, then smuggled it into the witness room by strapping it onto his left ankle. The photo was on the front page of the next mornings New York Daily News under the headline: DEAD! The camera is at the Smithsonian Institution.
Has played Norm Peterson on seven different shows: "Cheers" , "St. Elsewhere" , "The Tortellis" , "The Simpsons" , "Wings" , "Frasier" , and "Family Guy" .
Along with John Ratzenberger , Richard Belzer and Paul Fusco , he is one of only four actors to play the same character (Hilary Norman Norm Peterson) on six different shows: "Cheers" , "Frasier" , "Wings" , "St. Elsewhere" , "The Tortellis" and "The Simpsons" . He has appeared in episodes of all six series with John Ratzenberger.
Along with Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman , he is one of only three actors to appear in all 273 episodes of "Cheers" .
In a tribute George wrote for the Second City book, he said that when he joined Second City, it wasnt directly through the troupe as a performer. He had studied the shows for a while and befriended an employee whom he asked about joining. She told him to show up after a performance one day in the afternoon, which he subsequently did. The stage area was littered with cigarette butts, when the woman handed him a broom and said "Welcome to the theater, kid."
Is an avid Notre Dame football fan. Always attends the Notre Dame-vs.-USC game when held in Pasadena, California, every two years.
Brother-in-law of Joe Birkett.
Children: Hilary Wendt (b. 1985), Joe Wendt and Daniel Wendt with Bernadette Birkett.
Uncle of Jason Sudeikis , Kristen Sudeikis and Lindsay Sudeikis.
He is of German (from his paternal grandfather) and Irish descent.
(March 2008) Playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway
(February 2007) Opened in the play, "12 Angry Men" in Dallas, co-starring Richard Thomas.
Was Originally going to play Steve Harveys roommate on The Steve Harvey Show but the role had went to Cedric The Entertainer.
