Elmarie Wendel
Born(1928-11-23)November 23, 1928
Howard County, Iowa, U.S.
Diedc. July 21, 2018(2018-07-21) (aged 89)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1956–2018

Elmarie Louise Wendel (November 23, 1928 – c. July 21, 2018)[1][2][3] was an American actress and singer best known as Mamie Dubcek on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Early life

Born on a farm in Howard County, Iowa, one of five siblings, Wendel spent her childhood travelling with her musical parents and dancing with her sisters in and around the Midwest in club and concert hall venues,[4][5] including the Grand Ole Opry. She eventually made her way to New York City where she appeared in, among other productions, the original 1959 off-Broadway production of Little Mary Sunshine, starring Eileen Brennan and John McMartin.[6]

Career

A national touring company of Annie took her to Los Angeles,[4] where she made a successful transition into film and television.[6] She garnered the role of the eccentric Mrs. Dubcek on 3rd Rock from the Sun. From 1996 to 2001, she appeared in about 70 episodes of the show.[5][7] She made appearances on such shows as Seinfeld, Love & War, Murphy Brown, Murder, She Wrote, and Empty Nest.[8][9] She appeared in And the Band Played On and Far from Home.[citation needed] She had a recurring role as Gina, a lascivious assembly line co-worker of the title character on George Lopez.[5][8] In 2008, she appeared on General Hospital in the recurring role of Peg.[10] Her musical theatre credits include Wonderful Town, Cole Porter Revisited, Little Mary Sunshine and Gigi.[citation needed]

Personal life and death

Wendel's daughter, J.C. Wendel, is also an actress.[5] Her death was announced on her daughter's Instagram on July 21, 2018.[11] No cause or place of death was given but Wendel had resided in Studio City, California, at the time of her death.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1961 A Bowl of Cherries Daphne Short comedy film written and directed by William Kronick
1990 The Immortalizer Agnes
[13]
1991 Going Under Sonar Comedy film directed by Mark W. Travis [14]
1995 Rumpelstiltskin Gypsy Woman Comedy fantasy horror film directed by Mark Jones [15]
2000 Attraction Beehive Waitress Drama romantic thriller film directed by Russell DeGrazier [16]
2011 A Bag of Hammers The Mark Comedy drama film directed by Brian Crano and written by Crano and Jake Sandvig [17][18]
2012 The Lorax Aunt Grizelda
[19][20]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1982 Crisis Counselor Guest Episode: "Aging Woman"
1982 Knight Rider Woman Episode: "No Big Thing"
1985 The Jeffersons Mrs. Pardella Episode: "State of Mind"
1987 The Facts of Life Jackie Episode: "Sweet Charity" [21]
1990 Sugar and Spice Bag Lady Episode: "Breaking in Is Hard to Do"
She Said No Guest Television film directed by John Patterson concerning acquaintance rape [22][23]
1991 Babes Sister Katherine Episode: "All Bummed Out"
Murphy Brown Mrs. Beale Episode: "Everytime It Rains... You Get Wet"
Major Dad Mona Episode: "On the Line" [21]
1992 Empty Nest Vivian Episode: "Charley for President" [21]
Seinfeld Helene Episode: "The Trip" [21]
Santa Barbara Landlady Episode: "Ep 2,053"
1993 Murder, She Wrote Nurse Receptionist Episode: "The Petrified Florist"
Love & War Maude Episode: "They Can't Take That Away from Me"
The Pink Panther Guest Episode: "Pilgrim Panther/That Old Pink Magic"
1994 Empty Nest Agnes Episode: "The Ballad of Shady Pines"
Weird Science Mrs. Wilder Episode: "She's Alive" (Pilot)
1996–2001 3rd Rock from the Sun Mrs. Dubcek
  • Recurring role: Seasons 1–2 (1996–97)
  • Contract role: Seasons 3–6 (1997–2001)
 [7]
1998 Jenny Doris Episode: "A Girl's Gotta Merger"
2000 The Angry Beavers Doris Rabbit Voice, episode: "Driving Misses Daggett/Big"
2001–2002 NYPD Blue Susan Hornby Recurring role, 4 episodes [21]
2003–2007 George Lopez Gina Sorenstam Recurring role, 12 episodes [24]
2008 General Hospital Peg
[10]
2011 American Dad! Beverley Billingsley Voice, episode: "Stanny Boy and Frantastic"
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Paula Episode: "Devotion"
2014 The Exes Ruthie Episode: "The Old Man and the Holly"

Video games

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 Fallout 4 Mandy Stiles / Cathy / Pulowski Preservation Shelter [25]
2018 Fallout 76 Pulowski Preservation Shelter Posthumous release [20]

References

  1. ^ On April 11, 1930, in New Ogen Township, Howard County, Iowa, Elmarie L. Wendel's age is given for the census as "1 3/12" (i.e. 1 year and 3 months = 15 months); in the 1940 census in Cresco, Howard County, Iowa on April 10, 1940, her age is given as 11. Given her November birthdate this means she was born in 1928, not 1932.
  2. ^ Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: New Oregon, Howard, Iowa; Roll: 659; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0014; Image: 159.0; FHL microfilm: 2340394. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.
  3. ^ Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: Cresco, Howard, Iowa; Roll: T627_1167; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 45-19. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.
  4. ^ a b Shoemaker, Allison (July 23, 2018). "R.I.P. Elmarie Wendel, 3rd Rock From The Sun's salty Mrs. Dubcek". The A.V. Club. Chicago: The Onion, Inc. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Hoahing, Cheryl A. (July 22, 2018). "Elmarie Wendel Of '3rd Rock From The Sun' Dies At 89". The Inquisitr. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Petski, Denise (July 22, 2018). "Elmarie Wendel Dies: '3rd Rock From The Sun' Actress Was 89". Deadline Hollywood. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Elmarie Wendel Credits: 3rd Rock From the Sun". TV Guide. New York City: NTVB Media. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Lenker, Maureen Lee (July 22, 2018). "Elmarie Wendel, '3rd Rock From the Sun' actress, dies at 89". EW.com. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  9. ^ Bell, Amanda (July 22, 2018). "3rd Rock Actress Elmarie Wendel Passes Away at 89". TV Guide. New York City: NTVB Media. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Eades, Chris (July 23, 2018). "GENERAL HOSPITAL Actress Elmarie Wendel Dead at 89". ABC Soaps In Depth. United States: Bauer Media Group. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  11. ^ Perez, Lexy (July 22, 2018). "Elmarie Wendel, '3rd Rock From the Sun' Star, Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (Eldridge Industries). Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "Jc Wendel on Instagram: "#ripelmariewendel you were a great mom and a badass dame. #thirdrockfromthesun #mrsdubcek #georgelopez #thegeorgelopezshow…"". Instagram. United States: Facebook. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  13. ^ "The Immortalizer". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  14. ^ "Going Under". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  15. ^ "Rumpelstiltskin". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  16. ^ "Attraction". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  17. ^ "A Bag of Hammers". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  18. ^ "A Bag of Hammers". Fandango. Los Angeles: NBCUniversal (Comcast) (70%) Warner Bros. (Time Warner) (30%). Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  19. ^ "The Lorax". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Behind the Voice Actors – Elmarie Wendel". behindthevoiceactors.com. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  21. ^ a b c d e "Elmarie Wendel List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. New York City: NTVB Media. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  22. ^ "She Said No". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  23. ^ Strasburger, Victor C.; Wilson, Barbara J.; Jordan, Amy B. (2013). Children, Adolescents, and the Media (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-4129-9926-7.
  24. ^ "Elmarie Wendel". TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  25. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (September 5, 2015). "Bethesda Completes Recording Of Fallout 4's 111,000 Lines Of Dialogue". Game Informer. Minneapolis: GameStop. Retrieved July 19, 2017.

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