Wendie Jo Sperber, a talented actress and comedienne, is best known for her hilarious portrayals of excitable and whiny characters in various films and television shows. However, in the later years of her life, she revealed a brave, compassionate, and humane side as she battled breast cancer.
Born on September 15, 1958, in Los Angeles, California, Wendie developed a passion for acting in her teenage years. She attended the Summer Drama Workshop at California State University, Northridge, where she was discovered by producer Allan Carr. He gave her an unbilled part in the 1978 musical film Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, which marked the beginning of her career.
Wendie's early film roles included I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) as a die-hard Beatles fan, and the role of Linda McFly in Back to the Future (1985) and its sequel. She also appeared in Corvette Summer (1978),Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979),and Bachelor Party (1984) alongside Tom Hanks. Despite some of her film roles being criticized for using her weight as a joke, Wendie proved to be a game actress, taking on lowbrow comedies like Moving Violations (1985) and Stewardess School (1986).
Wendie's biggest laughs came from her two-year run on the TV show Bosom Buddies (1980),where she starred alongside Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari. She also had series co-leads in Private Benjamin (1981),Women in Prison (1987),Babes (1990),and Hearts Afire (1992). In between, she appeared on the L.A. stage in various productions, including "Pizza Man," "Isn't It Romantic," "Reality and Other Nightmares," and Shakespeare's "As You Like It" starring Ron Silver.
At the age of 39, Wendie was diagnosed with breast cancer, which significantly impacted her career momentum. However, she continued to pursue roles, even appearing on a poignant breast cancer episode of Murphy Brown (1988). Her cancer went into remission, but it returned in 2002 and spread throughout her body.
Instead of retreating, Wendie founded the weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks, California, which provided free services, including support groups, information on the latest research, and classes, to cancer patients, their families, and friends. Her selfless determination to help others earned her several honors.
Eight years later, on November 29, 2005, Wendie lost her battle with cancer. She was survived by her parents and two children from a former marriage. Per her request, her close friend, former actress Nancy Allen, succeeded her as executive director of weSPARK, which continues to serve cancer patients and their families to this day.
