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.

George Wendt, the actor best known for playing lovable barfly Norm Peterson on the iconic sitcom Cheers, has died at age 76. A representative on Tuesday confirmed his death, marking the loss of a television legend whose presence defined one of the most beloved series of the 1980s and early '90s.

"He will be missed forever," George Wendt's family said in a statement announcing the May 20 passing of the beloved actor.

The cause of death for Cheers star George Wendt is now known. The actor died from cardiac arrest, according to the death certificate obtained by TMZ.