Wendi McLendon-Covey

Born with a Mission
A Childhood Revelation of a Life Purpose

“I never wanted to do anything else. I was born with a mission to entertain and lift people’s spirits. I remember being totally enamoured of everyone I saw on TV and thinking I have to do that.

It can take people decades to develop enough self-awareness that they discover a job or career that they love and believe is their purpose. Many of us try on several before figuring it out, but Wendi McLendon-Covey’s earliest memories are of feeling compelled to be on stage. In this episode, Wendi discusses the childhood discovery and challenges that led her to becoming a successful actress and comedian. 

Wendi McLendon-Covey is an American actress and comedian. She is known and loved as family matriarch, Beverly, on the comedy series, The Goldbergs, for which she was nominated for two Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. She was a member of The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy group in Los Angeles, during which she launched a successful career in both film and television with her breakout performances in Bridesmaids and Reno 911. Wendi enjoys using her celebrity as a platform to raise awareness of the importance of the arts. 

What You’ll Learn from This Episode:

  • Some of Wendi’s greatest inspirations as a child
  • The unusual reason that ended up putting Wendi on her first stage
  • Wendi’s difficulties as a young girl 
  • How surprisingly young Wendi was when first writing comedy sketches
  • How being on stage helped to prevent Wendi from being bullied
  • Wendi’s Groundlings journey and how it was helpful
  • The unexpected side job that she kept even after launching a successful career as an actress
  • Why she believes the arts are important
  • Her impression of Washington and politicians
  • Wendi’s advice if you think politicians don’t care
  • The importance of WriteGirl and why it deserves to expand
  • Why Wendi nearly gave up acting and the interesting twist that followed
  • How she feels about the role of Beverly Goldberg

Featured on the Show:

Twitter | WriteGirl | The Groundlings