Chicago / Mt. Greenwood: Actor George Wendt - Who Played NORM on the TV Series "CHEERS" provides laughs, inspiration at St. Xavier graduation
And of course the media couldn't report this without including a Negro somewhere in the story....
The South Side Chicago native is most famous for his role as barfly Norm Peterson on the long-running, iconic sitcom "Cheers." It's that character — and the accompanying catchphrase announced each time he entered the fictional bar — for which he's most-often recognized, Wendt, 67, said.
But his success as a comedian and actor came only after he spent several years figuring out who he was and what he wanted to do, Wendt said. He urged the graduating students of the university's colleges of arts and sciences to do the same, if they don't already know.
After earning his bachelor's degree in economics from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo., Wendt said he spent a few "gap" years in Europe to continue to grow. He told the students he knows going to Europe can be expensive, but "not when you're sleeping on the side of a road."
When Wendt returned to Chicago, he tried to think of careers he wouldn't hate, "A policeman, no ... a teacher, no ... a cowboy, no."
Then he remembered seeing "young men and women goofing off on stage" at The Second City comedy improv theater in Chicago, and "I was pretty sure I wouldn't hate it."
"I now had a goal and I was determined not to live up to anyone's expectations," Wendt said.
He started at Second City children's theater program, where he would sweep and remove cigarette butts and other trash before the shows. He spent six years there before starting his career in television.
In fact, many comedians got their start at Second City, including Dan Aykroyd, Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. But Wendt told the Daily Southtown there were only 14 performers when he was there. Today, there are about 3,000.
"It's a much more crowded field these days," he said.
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