Wendi McLendon-Covey

WENDI MCLENDON-COVEY, who is best known for her hilarious film and television roles, starred as the villainous owner of an orphanage for little girls in the Disney home- video movie The Search for Santa Paws, a heartwarming holiday film.

McClendon-Covey has a large body of work on unscripted television shows and feature films, and she is best known for her role as Deputy Clementine Johnson on the Comedy Central television program Reno 911! In 2006, she also starred in an unscripted show for Lifetime Television about a matchmaking service run by losers called Lovespring International. She has also had guest-starring roles on Rules of Engagement (CBS), 10 Things I Hate About You (ABC Family), The Office (NBC) and Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel), and her work in numerous independent films such as Spooner, Douchebag and Boutonniere has been seen in film festivals from Sundance to Cannes.

At the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2007, she was given a Film Discovery Jury Award, which was created specifically to commemorate her starring roles in two entirely improvised films: Closing Escrow and Cook-Off!, which she also co-wrote and co-produced.

Raised in Long Beach, California, McClendon-Covey developed an affinity for Bill Cosby, Flip Wilson, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett and the Smothers Brothers. However, it wasn't until after college that she decided to explore her own comedic aspirations by enrolling in The Groundlings Theatre & School. McClendon-Covey wrote and performed with the main company of the Groundlings Theatre for an amazing seven years and now serves on its board of directors. She is very involved in charity work and, this past New Year's, she and a group of Groundlings alums traveled to the Middle East with Stars for Stripes to entertain the troops. This was her third trip with Stars for Stripes.

McClendon-Covey has been married for 14 years to superhusband Greg Covey. They often say that one of the secrets of their long marriage is that they both hate Valentine's Day.

©2011 Universal Pictures