Spring Break
Unscripted Success
Wendi McLendon-Covey brings comic genius to small and big screens
Lindsay Turner
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: Life & Style
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Mainly recognized for her role as Deputy Clementine Johnson on Comedy Central's hit show "Reno 911!," Wendi McLendon-Covey is busy making people laugh worldwide with her improv talents and sex appeal.
As a rising improv-comedy star, McLendon-Covey began earning respect in Los Angeles comedy circles and quickly earned a spot in the acclaimed Groundlings improv company.
Growing up she always knew she wanted to be an actress, more specifically, a comedic actress. "I think that comedy is harder than drama in some ways" McLendon-Covey said.
One night a casting director from "Reno" spotted her while she was understudying for Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") in a Groundlings performance.
They quickly cast her as Clementine, the sexy cop of the Reno Sheriff's Department. "This is a very specific kind of sexy… this woman goes to keno every night, drinks a lot and wears a feathered roach clip in her hair," McLendon-Covey said.
"The walls were very thin at the casting office so I could hear what was going on. Everyone was playing sexy as stupid. [Clementine] may not be a very good cop, but she has to think that she is," McLendon-Covey said. Clemey cannot be too stupid because "at some point she had to make it through the [police] academy." Clemey doesn't go to the gym; she smokes pot and drinks gin and tonic. "She is sexy as defined by Reno," McLendon-Covey explained.
McLendon-Covey's first understanding of her character was confusing and she figured it would be a short-lived role for her. She was wrong; people loved the show and Clemey. Maxim even voted Clemey as one of TV's top 10. "When people figure out who I am they come up to me and talk to me as though I am that horny all the time," she said.
"Reno" is an unscripted sitcom that parodies the long-time running Fox's reality series, "Cops." The show was created by co-stars-writers-executive producers Robert Ben Garant (Deputy Travis Junior), Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle) and Kerri Kenney-Silver (Deputy Trudy Wiegel) and was picked up by Comedy Central in 2003.
As a rising improv-comedy star, McLendon-Covey began earning respect in Los Angeles comedy circles and quickly earned a spot in the acclaimed Groundlings improv company.
Growing up she always knew she wanted to be an actress, more specifically, a comedic actress. "I think that comedy is harder than drama in some ways" McLendon-Covey said.
One night a casting director from "Reno" spotted her while she was understudying for Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") in a Groundlings performance.
They quickly cast her as Clementine, the sexy cop of the Reno Sheriff's Department. "This is a very specific kind of sexy… this woman goes to keno every night, drinks a lot and wears a feathered roach clip in her hair," McLendon-Covey said.
"The walls were very thin at the casting office so I could hear what was going on. Everyone was playing sexy as stupid. [Clementine] may not be a very good cop, but she has to think that she is," McLendon-Covey said. Clemey cannot be too stupid because "at some point she had to make it through the [police] academy." Clemey doesn't go to the gym; she smokes pot and drinks gin and tonic. "She is sexy as defined by Reno," McLendon-Covey explained.
McLendon-Covey's first understanding of her character was confusing and she figured it would be a short-lived role for her. She was wrong; people loved the show and Clemey. Maxim even voted Clemey as one of TV's top 10. "When people figure out who I am they come up to me and talk to me as though I am that horny all the time," she said.
"Reno" is an unscripted sitcom that parodies the long-time running Fox's reality series, "Cops." The show was created by co-stars-writers-executive producers Robert Ben Garant (Deputy Travis Junior), Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle) and Kerri Kenney-Silver (Deputy Trudy Wiegel) and was picked up by Comedy Central in 2003.
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