Wendi McLendon-Covey Reveals Family Was ‘Shocked and Appalled’ She Wanted to Be an Actress

After 10 seasons playing matriarch Beverly Goldberg on TV’s The Goldbergs, you can’t blame Wendi McLendon-Covey for being a little nostalgic for the 1980s-set sitcom. “I recently watched the whole series from beginning to end because I was missing everybody,” she tells Closer. “I’m really proud of the show we made. And, yes, Beverly was a smotherer, but that is just good parenting. An over- bearing mother who means well, who acts first and apologizes later, is universal.”

Wendi, 54, will be returning to television this fall on St. Denis Medical, a mockumentary-style sitcom following the harried medical workers at an underfunded Oregon hospital.

You grew up in Southern California, but you’re the first person in your family to be involved in the entertainment industry, right?

“Yes, my family were so shocked and appalled that this is what I wanted to do. But I’ve known since I was a little kid. When it was time to declare a major in college, I said, ‘Well, I think you know I want to major in theater.’ [My parents said,] ‘No, no, we’re not paying for that. What are you going to do with that?’”

That must have been difficult.

“It’s fine because everything worked out exactly the way it was supposed to. After 25 years, they’re OK with it.”

You started out your comedy career with the Groundlings comedy troupe. What was that like?

“I was like 27, and the company at that time had Jennifer Coolidge, Mindy Sterling, Ana Gasteyer, Cheri Oteri — all these heavy hitters. I was just like, if I could do what they’re doing, I’d feel like such a superhero.”

What was your big break?

“Well, up until 2013, I had a side job. I edited a social work journal at California State University Long Branch. It was great because I could do it from anywhere and my hours were flexible. When I finally got The Goldbergs is when I quit.”

You had a side job when you did Reno 911! and the movie Bridesmaids?

“Yes. Those things didn’t pay any money.”

How did you get hired for Bridesmaids?

“The two girls who wrote the movie, Annie [Mumolo] and Kristen [Wiig], were from the Groundlings. I did a table read for that movie in 2007. Three years go by and I get a call to audition. When I got there, the room was full of famous people.”

That must have felt good.

“Sure. It was a fun way to spend a summer in 2010. No one had any expectations of it. It was just a fun thing we did. And here we are 14 years later still talking about it.”

If you could go back and give yourself advice, what would you say?

“I would say, ‘Wendi, nothing else in life has happened for you the normal way, so quit looking for things to happen the normal way. They just don’t for you. It’s OK.’ Some people walk straight through the front door, others of us climb in through the window or the chimney or the air-conditioning duct. That’s what I do. And that’s all right. It’s actually better and more fun.”

Did you enjoy playing Beverly on The Goldbergs?

“It was so fun, because I’m not a mom in real life. I also think how fortunate I was to get to live through the ’80s twice. Once as a teenager and again as a not-real mother. It was great and really fun.”

What was it like working with George Segal?

“That was such an honor. It was crazy that he didn’t have a star on the Walk of Fame until The Goldbergs. It was nice to just sit next to him and listen to his stories — or be chastised by him for always being on our phones, which he couldn’t stand. It was like being in the presence of the most beautiful angel.”

Tell us about your new role on St. Denis Medical. You play Joyce.

“She is really fun to play but probably an annoying person to know. What I love about Joyce is that she is so corporate that it is her whole personality. Her whole life is about work. And she expects that from everybody else. She is also so efficient that it’s annoying. I think she is very good at what she does but she will die alone.”

You have such a funny, dry sense of humor. Is that something that came naturally?

“It’s something that runs in my family. Both my parents have it. My grandmother had it. I learned it from my sister, who had it big-time. Sometimes it’s taken as just being obnoxious, but it works.”

Have you had to make a lot of sacrifices for your career?

“Yes. I’ve had to say no to many vacations. I’ve had to drop out of many birthday parties and life events. Luckily, my real friends understand that when I work, I’m very myopic. I can’t go out on weekends. I have to say home and get rest. But I have a nice husband who gets me.”

Yes, you’ve been married 28 years. How did you meet?

“We met in community college — interpersonal communication class. It’s one of those dumb classes where you have to go in front of a proctor and have conversations to show that you are an active listener. It’s so stupid, but we are very good communicators! We say as a joke, ‘Thank you for dialoguing with me.’”

What makes your marriage work?

“My husband’s such a love bug. I wish I could be like him because he has the patience of a saint. But opposites attract — I hate that cliché, but we are very much opposites.”

What do you do for fun?

“My husband and I love going to concerts. We see as many live shows as we can. We have seven pets — all rescues. It’s just something that happens. If they keep showing up, I will keep feeding them. I also roller-skate. There’s a big park near me, and I can skate the whole thing in an hour. That’s like the little vacation I give myself. An hour of just listening to my music and rolling it out.”