Wendt's publicist, Melissa Nathan, confirmed that he had died earlier that morning in a statement shared with PEOPLE

Kelsey Grammer is reflecting on his longtime pal George Wendt. The actor, 70, starred alongside the actor, who died at age 76 on Tuesday, on the NBC sitcom “Cheers” for eight seasons from 1984 to 1993. Now, Grammer is speaking out following Wendt’s passing, revealing that “it was a bit of a surprise.”