Wendy Makkena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wendy Makkena
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|---|---|
| Born |
Wendy Rosenberg Makkena
October 4, 1958 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Juilliard School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Bob Krakower
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) |
|
Wendy Rosenberg Makkena (pronounced mə-KEE-nə; born October 4, 1958) is an American actress. She is famous for playing Sister Mary Robert in the movies Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). Wendy has also appeared in many other films and TV shows. She has been acting on stage since the 1980s. Some of her other well-known movies include Air Bud (1997) and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019).
Contents
Early life and education
Wendy Makkena was born in Manhattan, New York City. She went to the Juilliard School, a famous performing arts school. Her mother, Diana K. Rosenberg, was an astrologer.
Acting career
Wendy Makkena started her acting career on Broadway in 1987. Her first Broadway show was Pygmalion. She also appeared in other plays like Lend Me a Tenor. In 1988, she made her first movie appearance in Eight Men Out.
Becoming a singing nun
In 1992, Wendy got a big role in the musical comedy movie Sister Act. She played Sister Mary Robert, a shy nun with a beautiful singing voice. She acted alongside the famous actress Whoopi Goldberg. Wendy played this role again in the sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, in 1993. Even though Sister Mary Robert sings wonderfully in the movies, another singer named Andrea Robinson actually provided the singing voice.
Other film and TV roles
After Sister Act, Wendy Makkena continued to act in many movies. In 1994, she co-starred with Christopher Lloyd in the comedy film Camp Nowhere. She also appeared in the family movie Air Bud in 1997. In 1998, she had a main role in the comedy-drama Finding North.
On television, Wendy starred in the CBS sitcom A League of Their Own in 1993. She also had recurring roles on popular shows like NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, and NCIS. She played regular characters in other TV series such as Oliver Beene (2003–2004) and Listen Up (2004–2005).
Personal life
Wendy Makkena is married to Bob Krakower. He is an acting coach. They got married in 1997 and have one child together.
Filmography
Movies
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Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Eight Men Out | Kate Jackson | |
| 1992 | Sister Act | Sister Mary Robert | |
| 1993 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Sister Mary Robert | |
| 1994 | Camp Nowhere | Dr. Celeste Dunbar | |
| 1995 | Napoleon | Napoleon's Mom | |
| The Whiskey Heir | Maggie | Short film | |
| 1997 | The People | Jean Leary | |
| Air Bud | Jackie Framm | ||
| 1998 | Finding North | Rhonda Portelli | |
| 1999 | 4 a.m.: Open All Night | Woman | Short film |
| 2004 | Noise | Del | |
| 2009 | State of Play | Greer Thornton | |
| 2017 | The Discovery | Mom | |
| 2018 | Wanderland | Sandy Tanner | |
| 2019 | The Tomorrow Man | Beverly St. Michaels | |
| Fair Market Value | Jessica | ||
| A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Dorothy Vogel | ||
| 2021 | Spiked | Margaret | |
| 2024 | Sunday Strips | Mrs. Tomas | Short film |
| 2025 | Whispers of Freedom |
Karin Gueffroy | |
| TBA | Sister Act 3: Kicking the Habit |
Sister Mary Robert |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Santa Barbara | Katie Timmons | TV series |
| 1989 | Dream Street | Harry's Ex-Wife | Episode: "True Love" |
| 1991 | Monsters | Maggie Price | Episode: "Desirable Alien" |
| 1991 | Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace | Brenda | TV movie |
| 1991 | Law & Order | Officer Nicki Sandoval | Episode: "A Death in the Family" |
| 1992 | Black Magic | Sally Rowe | TV movie |
| 1993 | Class of '96 | Margaret Parsons | Episode: "The Accused" |
| 1993 | A League of Their Own | Mae Mordabito | 6 episodes |
| 1994 | NYPD Blue | Det. Sharon LaSalle | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Robin Dunwoody | Episode: "The Heart of the Matter" |
| 1995 | Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story | Mary Newcombe | TV movie |
| 1995 | Strange Luck | Louise Brooks | Episode: "The Box" |
| 1996 | Death Benefit | Wynn Burkholder | TV movie |
| 1996 | On Seventh Avenue | Nadine Jacobs | TV movie |
| 1997 | Lies He Told | Patty | TV movie |
| 1997 | C-16: FBI | Melanie Harmon | Episode: "Orange Kid" |
| 1997 | Dellaventura | Episode: "Fathers" | |
| 1998 | Trinity | Episodes: "No Secrets", "Hang Man Down" | |
| 1999–2000 | Judging Amy | Susie Nixon | 8 episodes |
| 2001–2002 | The Job | Karen McNeil | 6 episodes |
| 2002 | Law & Order | Janet Weston | Episode: "Born Again" |
| 2002 | Philly | Amanda Royce | Episode: "San Diego Padre" |
| 2003–2004 | Oliver Beene | Charlotte Caraline Beene | 24 episodes |
| 2004–2005 | Listen Up | Dana Kleinman | 18 episodes |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Jean Godfrey | Episode: "A Grave Matter" |
| 2007 | House | Dr. Julie Whitner | Episode: "Needle in a Haystack" |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Doris Babinkian | Episode: "Ending Happy" |
| 2007 | The Nine | Suzanne | Episode: "Confessions" Episode: "Man of the Year" |
| 2007 | Chuck | National Intelligence Director | Episode: "Chuck Versus the Intersect" |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ellen Van Kuren | Episode: "Transitions" |
| 2009 | Desperate Housewives | Fran Schulman | Episode: "Marry Me a Little" |
| 2009 | Without a Trace | Jubilee | Episode: "True" |
| 2009–2010 | Numb3rs | Kath Berry | Episodes: "Shadow Markets", "Growin' Up" |
| 2010 | The Deep End | Judge Joan Anderson | Episode: "An Innocent Man" |
| 2010 | Miami Medical | Didi | Episode: "What Lies Beneath" |
| 2011 | Melissa & Joey | Suzanne Reback | Episode: "Going the Distance?" |
| 2011, 2012 2014 |
NCIS | Dr. Rachel Cranston | 4 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | The Mob Doctor | Daniella Devlin | 13 episodes |
| 2014 | Alpha House | Molly P. Andresun | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Rizzoli & Isles | IAB Agent Hitchcock | Episode: "The Platform" |
| 2018 | The Last O.G. | Krystal | Episode: "Swipe Right" |
| 2019 | Bull | Sherri Gibson | Episode: "Security Fraud" |
| 2023 | Rabbit Hole | Debra |
See also
In Spanish: Wendy Makkena para niños
