Per Wendt’s family, the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday morning. Hours later, Variety received statements from Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman about their late co-star. Danson, who played Sam Malone, owner of the Cheers bar and its main bartender, had this to say about Wendt:

George Wendt, the actor who made Norm Peterson an icon in Cheers, passed away at the age of 76, and his co-stars and fellow actors paid tribute.