Wendie Jo Sperber

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Wendie Jo Sperber (September 15, 1958 — November 29, 2005)1 was an American television/movie actress best known for her comedy roles.

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[edit] Biography

Sperber was born in Hollywood and aimed for a performing-arts career from high school onward. She attended the summer Teenage Drama Workshop at California State University, Northridge, during the 1970s, and began her screen career at a young age when she was cast in the small role of Kuchinsky in Matthew Robbins' 1978 teen comedy Corvette Summer, alongside Mark Hamill. She appeared in Robert Zemeckis' period comedy I Wanna Hold Your Hand, as the irrepressible Beatles fan Rosie Petrofsky. Sperber weighed over 200 pounds (90 kg ) but was able to move quickly on screen, and her “girl-next-door” appearance helped her to overcome the stigma of her weight.

She played the title role in the made-for-television feature Dinky Hocker and engaged in physical comedy in Steven Spielberg's 1941. Zemeckis, who also worked on 1941, brought Sperber back to the big screen in 1980 with a role in his comedy Used Cars, but it was on television that year that Sperber finally began to receive more serious attention. She was cast in the role of Amy Cassidy—a character that was funny, romantic, and exuberant— in the series Bosom Buddies, starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari. Following its cancellation in 1982, Sperber appeared in the comedy The First Time, and worked a year on the series Private Benjamin. She then resumed her feature work in the Tom Hanks theatrical vehicle Bachelor Party, directed by Neal Israel. Israel used her again in Moving Violations in 1985. That same year, she appeared as Linda McFly in Zemeckis' highly successful Back to the Future.

In 1983, Sperber married Richard Velasquez, and had a son, Preston, in 1986, and a daughter, Pearl, in 1990. The marriage ended in divorce in 1994.

Sperber's roles grew larger in the wake of Back to the Future, and over the next decade she starred in the series Babes (a comedy about three zaftig women), and had a major supporting part in the series Hearts Afire, as well as numerous big-screen comedies interspersed with the occasional drama. By her own account, however, she preferred comedy if given the choice. As she told TV Guide in 1990, “I'm an actress who likes to say something funny—everybody laughs and your job is done.”

In 1997, Sperber was diagnosed with breast cancer, which seemed to go into remission following treatment. She revealed in April of 2002, though, that the cancer had reappeared and spread throughout her body. She continued to work in television and movies during this period, including episodes of Unhappily Ever After, Home Improvement, Will & Grace, Grounded for Life, and the movies Desperate But Not Serious (1999) and Sorority Boys (2002). Her last work was lending her voice to “Roger & Me,” an episode featured on American Dad in 2006, after her death. The producers of the show credited her character as Wendie Jo in her honor.

[edit] Other works

In addition to her work on TV and movies, Sperber also was the founder of weSPARK Cancer Support Center, an independent organization formed in 2001 to advance and help support individuals and their families fighting various forms of cancer through free emotional support, information and social events/activities. In addition to being the founder, Sperber also served on the board of directors and wrote the quarterly newsletter.

In 1998, Sperber also helped the United States Post Service unveil and promote a breast-cancer stamp.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] TV work

[edit] Notes

Note 1: As is often the case in Hollywood, Sperber's age was a matter of contention at the time of her death. Some reports stated she “died in her 40s.” According to an Associated Press report on December 1, 2005: “Her publicist first said that Sperber was 46, but later said she was 43 based on an Internet resource. The Associated Press reported in September that Sperber was 47.” Her year of birth was widely published as 1962, but her California birth record shows her birthdate to be September 15, 1958.

[edit] External links

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