Wendi McLendon-Covey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wendi McLendon-Covey
McLendon-Covey in 2012
Born	Wendi McLendon (1969-10-10) October 10, 1969 (age 55) Bellflower, California, U.S.
Alma mater	California State University, Long Beach
Occupation	Actress comedian property manager former academic journal editor
Years active	2001–present
Spouse(s)	Greg Covey ​ (m. 1996)​

Wendi McLendon-Covey (born October 10, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is famous for her funny and improv roles. From 2013 to 2023, she played Beverly Goldberg in the TV show The Goldbergs. For this role, she was nominated for two Critics' Choice Television Awards.

Wendi grew up in Long Beach, California. After high school, she worked many jobs. She earned a degree from California State University, Long Beach in 2000. She then joined The Groundlings, a comedy group in Los Angeles. She was a member until 2009.

McLendon-Covey started acting while with The Groundlings. She played Deputy Clementine Johnson in Reno 911! (2003–2008, 2020–present). She also had a main role in Lovespring International (2006). She appeared in movies like Bewitched (2005) and Over Her Dead Body (2008). She also had a recurring role on the sitcom Rules of Engagement (2010–2013).

After her big role in the movie Bridesmaids in 2011, Wendi appeared in many films. These include What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) and Blended (2014). She also starred in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018) and Elemental (2023). In 2019, she took on a serious role in the drama film Blush.

Early Life and Education

Wendi McLendon-Covey was born in Bellflower, California. Her parents are Carolyn and Robert McLendon. She grew up in Long Beach, California. She attended DeMille Junior High and Millikan High School.

She went to Long Beach City College and Golden West College. Later, she graduated from California State University, Long Beach. She earned a degree in liberal studies and creative writing.

After college, Wendi worked at a hotel in Anaheim. She also took a class at The Groundlings. This is a famous improvisational comedy group in Los Angeles. She officially joined The Groundlings in 2002. For a while, she also worked as an editor for a university journal. She kept this job until 2012.

Acting Career Highlights

McLendon-Covey performing with Michael Hitchcock and Karri Turner at an improv comedy show in 2010

Starting in Comedy (2001–2010)

While at The Groundlings, Wendi was classmates with other comedians. These included Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. She later worked with them in the movie Bridesmaids. Wendi tried out for many TV and film roles. She didn't have an agent at first, which made it hard to get jobs.

In 2003, she auditioned for Reno 911!. She got the role of Deputy Clementine Johnson. The show was picked up by Comedy Central. During the third season of Reno 911!, she also starred in the comedy show Lovespring International in 2006. She also appeared in Reno 911!: Miami (2007).

Wendi also guest-starred on popular TV shows. These include The Office, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Cougar Town.

Breakthrough and Beyond (2011–Present)

In 2011, McLendon-Covey starred in the hit comedy film Bridesmaids. She acted alongside Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy. The movie was very successful and praised by critics.

From 2010 to 2013, she had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement. She also appeared in Hot in Cleveland and Modern Family.

McLendon-Covey with The Goldbergs cast in 2014

In 2013, Wendi was cast as the main character in the ABC comedy series The Goldbergs. She played Beverly Goldberg, the family mom. Her performance was highly praised. She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award in 2014. The show ran for ten years and had 229 episodes. She also worked as a producer on the series.

In 2015, McLendon-Covey co-starred with Sally Field in the film Hello, My Name Is Doris. She also hosted the ABC reality comedy show Repeat After Me. In 2016, she played a main role with Nicolas Cage in Army of One.

McLendon-Covey in 2007

Wendi took on a serious role in the 2017 political thriller Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. She also starred in the drama film Blush in 2019. She appeared in the horror comedy Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018). She also co-starred with Taraji P. Henson in What Men Want (2019).

Since 2018, she has voiced Nancy Green in the Disney Channel animated series Big City Greens. In 2020, she reunited with Bridesmaids co-stars Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo in the comedy film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.

Wendi also returned for the seventh season of Reno 911! in 2020. In 2021, the movie Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon was released. The eighth season, Reno 911!: Defunded, came out in 2022. In 2023, she co-starred with Owen Wilson in the film Paint. She also played Vicky White in the Lifetime movie Bad Romance: The Vicky White Story.

Personal Life

Wendi McLendon-Covey has been married to Greg Covey since 1996. Greg Covey is a property manager.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Wendi McLendon-Covey para niños