Wendi McLendon Covey

Early life

McLendon-Covey was born in Bellflower, California, the daughter of Carolyn (née Lewis), an accountant, and David Robert McLendon, a former delivery driver for Coca Cola. She has a younger sister who is a therapist in Portland, Oregon. She was raised Baptist, and has Scottish and English ancestry. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.A. in Liberal Studies and Creative Writing in 2000.

After graduating from college, while McLendon-Covey was working at a hotel in Anaheim, she enrolled in a weekend class for non-actors at The Groundlings, an improvisational group in Los Angeles. 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.

2001–10

McLendon-Covey is well known for her ability as an improvisational actress. She was a member of The Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles from 2002 to 2009. While a member of the Groundlings, she was a classmate of comedians Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, with whom she later starred in the film Bridesmaids.

From 2003 to 2008, McLendon-Covey starred as Deputy Clementine Johnson on the Comedy Central television series Reno 911! She also starred in the Lifetime comedy show Lovespring International in 2006 and has provided commentary for E!, TV Guide Channel, and VH1. In 2007, she starred in the comedy film Reno 911!: Miami, based on Comedy Central's "Reno 911!" and also appeared in Bewitched (2005) and Over Her Dead Body (2008). She produced, wrote, and starred in the 2007 independent comedy film Cook-Off!. McLendon-Covey also guest-starred on television series such as The Office, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Cougar Town.

2011–present

In 2011, McLendon-Covey starred in the financially successful and critically lauded comedy film Bridesmaids with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, and Ellie Kemper. Beginning in July that same year, she began starring in national TV ads for a new campaign by Hillshire Farm. From 2010 to 2013, she had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement. She also had guest-starring roles in Fox's short-lived sitcom I Hate My Teenage Daughter, TV Land' Hot in Cleveland, and ABC's Modern Family.

McLendon-Covey appeared in the 2012 romantic comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, directed by Kirk Jones, as well had cameo in Steven Soderbergh's movie Magic Mike. She will have roles in the Christmas comedy movie A White Trash Christmas about a white-trash mom visited by three ghosts intent on showing her a path to a brighter future, 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. She also starred in the 2012 comedy pilot Waffle Hut.

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. After she received five offers, she won the female lead role on ABC's comedy pilot Only Fools And Horses. She also played one of the leads in Tyler Perry's film The Single Moms Club (2014). Also in 2014, she starred in A Merry Friggin' Christmas as Robin Williams' character's daughter, Blended, as Drew Barrymore's character's best friend, and Think Like a Man Too.

In January 2013, McLendon-Covey was cast in the lead role of the ABC comedy series The Goldbergs, created by Adam F. Goldberg. Her portrayal of the character received critical praise, and she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014.

In 2015, McLendon-Covey starred opposite Sally Field in the comedy-drama film Hello, My Name Is Doris. Also that year, McLendon-Covey hosted ABC reality comedy series Repeat After Me, produced by Ellen DeGeneres. Also in 2015, she played the female leading role opposite Nicolas Cage in the comedy film Army of One, directed by Larry Charles.

In 2016, McLendon-Covey was cast in dramatic role of Mark Felt's secretary Carol Tschudy in the political thriller film The Silent Man directed by Peter Landesman.

Personal life

McLendon-Covey has been married to Greg Covey since 1996. They live in Long Beach, California.