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

For 11 years, fans watched George Wendt saunter onto the screen and into Cheers bar as his friends and its patrons shouted out “Norm!” to which he always responded with a sarcastic one-liner that had everyone belly laughing for days.

A burly, easygoing Chicago native, he became a staple of living rooms across the country for more than a decade as one of America’s favorite barflies.