Biography
Who is Wendy Schaal?
Early life and background
Wendy Schaal was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 2, 1954. Her father was actor Richard Schaal, and her mother was Lois Schaal. From birth until she was five years old, she lived with her parents in Crete, Illinois. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Newport Beach, California.
She studied acting with Viola Spolin in Chicago when she was nine years old. Later, she moved to Wisconsin and then to California when she was 11. When she was 14, a trip to New York to visit her father and his then-wife Valerie Harper led her back to California when her family settled in Hollywood.
She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Los Angeles City College. During her time there, she studied acting and worked in set construction. After attending an acting workshop led by her father, she began working professionally on television.
Television and film career
Early television roles for Wendy Schaal included appearances on Fish, Little House on the Prairie, Phyllis, Rhoda, and Welcome Back, Kotter. In 1981, she joined the cast of the ABC series Fantasy Island, playing Julie, the niece of Mr. Roarke. Her other television credits from that decade included portraying Bonnie Hornback in AfterMASH, Debbie Pepper in Good Grief, Vickie Allen in It's a Living, and Liz Dooley in Nearly Departed.
Her film career features appearances in Joe Dante projects such as Innerspace, The 'Burbs, and Small Soldiers. Additional film credits include Where the Boys Are '84, Creature, Going Under, and Munchies.
Since 2005, her work has focused primarily on voice acting. She is widely recognized for voicing Francine Smith on the animated comedy television series American Dad!
Personal life and legal history
Wendy Schaal was married to Stephen M. Schwartz on September 4, 1977. The couple divorced in October 1987, and they share one son.
In 2012, following the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, she joined several other actors as a plaintiff in a lawsuit. The group sued the incumbent union leadership in an attempt to overturn the merger, though the plaintiffs dropped the legal action several months later.
Birthday and age
Wendy Schaal was born on July 2, 1954, which makes Wendy 72 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Wendy shares the date with 52 other famous people.
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