While McLendon-Covey was working at a hotel in Anaheim and after graduating from college, she enrolled in a weekend class for non-actors at The Groundlings, an improvisational group in Los Angeles.[5] She officially joined The Groundlings in 2002, and meanwhile worked as an editor for California State University's academic journal of social work, a job she kept until 2012.[6]
While a member of the Groundlings, McLendon-Covey was a classmate of comedians Kaitlin Olson,[7]Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, the latter two of whom she later starred alongside in the film Bridesmaids.[8] While a member of the Groundlings, McLendon-Covey steadily auditioned for television and film roles, but did not have an agent at the time and was unable to book jobs.[7]
In 2003, she auditioned for the role of Deputy Clementine Johnson in the comedy series Reno 911![9] "I went in, and I thought, Fuck this. I'm not gonna get it, but you know what? I'm just gonna go in [and try]," she recalled.[7] At the time, the series had previously been considered by Fox.[7] McLendon-Covey was cast in the role, and the series was subsequently picked up by Comedy Central.[7][9]
McLendon-Covey appeared in the 2012 romantic comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, directed by Kirk Jones,[16] and Steven Soderbergh's film Magic Mike.[17] She had roles in the Christmas comedy movie A White Trash Christmas about a mom visited by three ghosts intent on showing her a path to a brighter future,[18] and in the comedy-drama film The Breakup Girl directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning Stacy Sherman about three estranged sisters dealing with the death of their father.[19]
In February 2012, McLendon-Covey was cast in the HBO comedy pilot The Viagra Diaries, created by Sex and the City creator and executive producer Darren Star, but when Goldie Hawn exited the pilot, McLendon-Covey also left the show.[20] After she received five offers, she won the female lead role on ABC's comedy pilot Only Fools And Horses.[21][22] She also played one of the leads in Tyler Perry's film The Single Moms Club (2014).[23][24] Also in 2014, she starred in A Merry Friggin' Christmas as Robin Williams' character's daughter,[25]Blended, as Drew Barrymore's character's best friend,[26][27] and Think Like a Man Too.[28]
In January 2013, McLendon-Covey was cast in the lead role of the ABC comedy series The Goldbergs, created by Adam F. Goldberg.[29][30] Her portrayal of the character received critical praise,[31] and she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014.[32] The series lasted ten years and 229 episodes was produced.[33] She also served as a producer and later as an executive producer of the series.[34]
From April 2020 to July 2022, McLendon-Covey co-hosted the pop culture podcast Generation Ripe with surfographer/photo art director and producer Dfernando Zaremba. The podcast's audience was teenagers over 40 and featured interviews with guests from all realms of the entertainment industry and the arts. Also in 2020, McLendon-Covey returned for the seventh season of Reno 911! which was aired on Quibi. In 2021, the movie Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon was released on Paramount+. The eighth season of the series, now titled Reno 911!: Defunded, premiered on The Roku Channel in February 2022. She co-starred with Owen Wilson in the comedy-drama film Paint, it was released on April 7, 2023.[44]
McLendon-Covey has been married to Greg Covey since 1996.[46]
Filmography
Film
Television
References
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^"Wendi McLendon-Covey insists Bridesmaid sequel is not going to happen". celebretainment.com. Celebretainment. January 18, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021. I think maybe one of Rita's kids knocked up a teacher. And I think she's divorced and seeing that, you know, 'Oh, I had it so much better when I was married. I wonder why I was so miserable all the time?' I kind of patterned her off of any of the 'Real Housewives' of wherever, where there is always something wrong but there's really nothing wrong. It's just that she's bored and needs to get a job.
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