An American actress and comedian by the name of Wendi McLendon-Covey. She is particularly recognized for her comic and improvised roles. Wendi McLendon-Covey has been a family matriarch since 2013 on the ABC comedy series The Goldbergs, for which she received two nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
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Early Life
McLendon-Covey was born into the Carolyn and Robert McLendon family in Bellflower, California. She was raised in Long Beach, California, as a Baptist. She attended Millikan High School and DeMille Junior High before graduating. She studied at California State University, Long Beach, Golden West College, and Long Beach City College before earning a B.A. in liberal studies and creative writing there.
McLendon-Covey enrolled in a weekend workshop for non-actors at The Groundlings, a Los Angeles improvisational group, while she was working at a hotel in Anaheim and after graduating from college. Before formally joining The Groundlings in 2002, she worked as an editor for the academic social work magazine at California State University, a position she held until 2012.
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Career
The comedians Kaitlin Olson, Melissa McCarthy, and Kristen Wiig were classmates of McLendon-Covey’s when she was a member of the Groundlings; the latter two went on to co-star in the movie Bridesmaids with her. McLendon-Covey steadily tried out for roles in television and movies while a Groundling, but she was unable to land any because she didn’t have an agent at the time.
She went through an audition to play Deputy Clementine Johnson in the comedic series Reno 911 in 2003. “When I entered, I said to myself, “Fuck this. I won’t understand it, but what the heck? She recalled, “I’m simply going to walk in and try. Fox has previously considered the show at the time. After McLendon-Covey was chosen for the part, Comedy Central decided to air the show.
She co-starred in the comedy series Lovespring International on Lifetime in 2006, while also appearing in the third season of Reno 911! She has also provided commentary for E!, TV Guide Channel, and VH1. She also starred in Bewitched (2005) and Over Her Dead Body (2007), both comedies that were based on the Comedy Central series Reno 911.
She was involved in every aspect of the independent comedy Cook-Off! from production to acting. Additionally, McLendon-Covey appeared as a guest star on several TV shows, including The Office, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Cougar Town.
In the commercially successful and critically acclaimed comedy Bridesmaids from 2011, McLendon-Covey co-starred with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, and Ellie Kemper. She started starring in national TV commercials for a new Hillshire Farm campaign in July of that same year. She played a recurring character on the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement from 2010 to 2013.
She also appeared in guest-starring roles on TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland, ABC’s Modern Family, and Fox’s short-lived sitcom I Hate My Teenage Daughter.
Darren Star, the creator and executive producer of Sex and the City cast McLendon-Covey in the HBO comedy pilot The Viagra Diaries in February 2012. However, when Goldie Hawn departed the pilot, McLendon-Covey quit the production as well.
She accepted the female lead part in ABC’s comedy pilot Only Fools And Horses after receiving five offers. In Tyler Perry’s movie The Single Moms Club, she also portrayed one of the main characters.
She also appeared in Think Like a Man Too and Blended in 2014. She played the daughter of Robin Williams’ character in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas and the best friend of Drew Barrymore’s character in Blended.
McLendon-Covey received the lead role in Adam F. Goldberg’s ABC comedy series The Goldbergs in January 2013. She was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award in 2014 for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her depiction of the role, which earned positive reviews from critics.
McLendon-Covey and Sally Field co-starred in the comedy-drama Hello, My Name Is Doris in 2015. McLendon-Covey hosted the Ellen DeGeneres-produced ABC reality comedy series Repeat After Me the same year. In the comedy picture Army of One, directed by Larry Charles, she co-starred with Nicolas Cage as the female lead.
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Together with fashion art director and producer Dfernando Zaremba, McLendon-Covey launched the pop culture podcast Generation Ripe in April 2020 while the entire world was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews with guests from the entertainment and arts industries are featured on the podcast, which caters to teenagers over 40. In the upcoming comedy Paint, she shared the screen with Owen Wilson.
McLendon-Covey made a comeback in 2020 for Reno 911!’s seventh season, which was shown on Quibi. The film Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon was made available on Paramount+ in 2021. Reno 911!: Defunded, the new title of the eighth season of the show, debuted on The Roku Channel in February 2022.
Awards & Nomination
For their role in Bridesmaids, Wendi McLendon-Covey and her team won the MTV Movie Award for Best Jaw-Dropping Moment. She was given the LA Femme Filmmaker Award that year in the comedic actress category.
She received the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Comedy Performance in a Closing Scene in 2007 Cook-Off and Escrow! She was nominated for two Critics’ Choice Television Awards for The Goldbergs, Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
Wendi McLendon-Covey’s Husband
According to ABC7 News, Wendi McLendon-Covey makes people laugh on “The Goldbergs,” but she is aware that she wouldn’t be where she is today without Grey Covey’s support.
According to reports, the couple first connected while attending Los Angeles Community College. They have been married for 23 years. Wendi raved about her spouse: “I am so lucky that I have him in my corner. I really am. And I’m not letting go. I’ve got my claws in that man.” She continued by saying that Greg stood by her side as she pursued her acting career.
“He was really there and the only one who was encouraging me for a time. So that meant the world to me because sometimes you only need one person to encourage you, but it has to be the right person,” she added.
Wendi revealed to People in April 2016 that she and her husband remain very much in love “He makes my breakfast every day. We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because what’s the point? Every day is pretty good, you know?”
Greg Covey appears to be a rather straightforward man by the standards of a Hollywood husband. He defines himself as a “cat wrangler” and a “vintage Italian scooter aficionado” on Instagram.
He enjoys photographing his cats (don’t we all? ), calling some of them “ginger loaves,” and writing about his Siamese cats’ observations of hummingbirds. He spends his free time fiddling with Vespas and creating Lambretta engines when he’s not worried about his pets. On #WatchWednesdays, he seems to like showcasing watches from his collection as well.
Greg McLendon-Covey, a producer, is most known for the 2012 films “Janeane from Des Moines” and “Celebrity Family Feud,” according to his IMDb. His wife, Wendi McLendon-Covey, isn’t the only renowned member of the family.
In October 2019, Greg sent a heartfelt birthday tribute to Wendi on Instagram, “I want to wish a happy birthday to @wendi_mclendon_covey, the love of my life, the woman who motivates me to get up in the morning, and my best friend. I love you so much and here’s to another 50 years”
Wendi McLendon-Covey Is Suffering From Depression
Fans were unaware until recently that, despite Wendi McLendon-Covey portraying a cheerful disposition on-screen, she has a depression diagnosis off-screen. Although Wendi can’t ignore her depression, she never lets it stop her from doing the things she likes to do.
By contrasting her actions and feelings with those of her family, Wendi realized in kindergarten that she displayed signs of sadness. Wendi’s mother opted to take her to therapy when she started experiencing signs of anxiousness in her tween years. Unfortunately, mental health issues like sadness and anxiety were not as widely discussed as they are now in the 1970s and 1980s.
This meant that, even though therapy might have helped Wendi McLendon-Covey, her sadness and anxiety were not effectively addressed as they would have been in the present.
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When Wendi was younger, she had no access to any of the medications or other treatments available today to help persons with depression, anxiety, or any other mental condition. This is because many adults did not view the link between brain chemistry and the impact it had on sadness and anxiety as a significant issue.
Wendi McLendon-Covey Growing Up With Depression
Wendi McLendon-Covey has firsthand experience with the value of getting the treatment that works for those who are depressed. In this manner, individuals avoid simply accepting their sadness and learning to live with it while doing nothing to help cope because the circumstances in some situations might be fatal. Wendi acquired this knowledge through the unpleasant experience of seeing it firsthand in her own family.
Wendi McLendon-depression Covey’s traveled to college with her, and when it unexpectedly returned, it did so with a vengeance. Many people are unaware that even though you may be feeling better, your mental illness does not totally go away and can occasionally recur. Wendi remembers the period when her melancholy returned and says, “the first time it became debilitating, I was 23 years old, and I just couldn’t get off the couch. I couldn’t stop sleeping. I felt helpless. I just couldn’t function.” Wendi recalls that although she originally did not “love this diagnosis, it makes sense, and at least we’re getting somewhere,” she eventually accepted the formal diagnosis of depression.
Wendi McLendon-Covey Uses Depression For Comedy
Wendi McLendon-Covey is no different from other comedians in that she draws on her experiences in her routines. In reality, when she does humor, she draws on her struggles with depression. “All comedy originates from misery—trying to right something that’s wrong and failing at it,” as Wendi puts it. That is where comedy originates, which explains why it may be so challenging. You need to connect with your dark side before you can be amusing. Even though they now are pleased with Wendi’s success, her parents freely confess that they were worried when she started acting and doing stand-up.
Since seeing comedians like Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller, Mary Tyler Moore, and Flip Wilson as a child, Wendi McLendon-Covey has always shown an interest in the genre. She took the time to research what they do in their performances and discovered ways to combine what was successful for them into her own.
Wendi’s parents wanted her to succeed and pursue her aspirations, but they were against her going into acting because they believed it would harm her mental health. The spotlight can be wonderful for some people but terrible for others, and the last thing Wendi’s parents wanted was for their daughter to be targeted by haters and critics, who would undermine her self-esteem and make her feel unhappy.
Wendi McLendon-Covey Became An Advocate for Those Suffering from Depression
Wendi McLendon-Covey has created a platform for herself so that she can start talking about what living with depression was like for her. In addition, Wendi wants people to know that despite her past emotional struggles, she has developed coping mechanisms, managed to create a wonderful life for herself, and is now able to support her family.
Wendi genuinely thinks we were all “not put on earth to be miserable. That’s not why we’re here. I know what it feels like. I know how awful it is. I don’t want anybody to feel that way. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re in that hopeless place—but it’s all because of your brain chemistry. Get help. Don’t deprive the world of whatever it is you bring to it.”
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Celebrities like Wendi McLendon-Covey serve as a kind of reminder that we are not alone and that anyone can experience mental illness. Advocates work with groups like #BellLetsTalkDay every day to eliminate the stigma associated with discussing mental illnesses like sadness and anxiety. Additionally, it serves as a reminder to be a friend to anyone who is experiencing depression and to support and encourage them to seek the care they require.
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Wendi McLendon-Covey’s Net Worth
American actress and comedian Wendi McLendon-Covey has a $5 million fortune. Wendi McLendon-Covey, who was born in Bellflower, California, on October 10, 1969, gained the moniker “The Queen of Improv” thanks to her sharp tongue and innate gift for humor. As a member of the renowned improv and sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings, where she created absurd characters that had audiences in stitches, she gained her comedic chops.
