- Wendie Jo Sperber
Infobox actor
name = Wendie Jo Sperber
birthdate = birth date|1958|9|15|mf=y
birthplace = Hollywood,California , U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|2005|11|29|1958|9|15|mf=y
deathplace =Sherman Oaks, California , U.S.
yearsactive = 1978-2003
spouse = Richard Velasquez (m. [http://imdb.com/MarriedInYear?1983 1983] div. 1994) 2 childrenWendie Jo Sperber (
September 15 ,1958 –November 29 ,2005 ) was an American actress, best known for her performances in the films "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (1978), "Bachelor Party" (1984) and "Back to the Future " (1985) as well as the television sitcom "Bosom Buddies " (1980–1982).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," inMatthew Robbins ' 1978 teen comedy "Corvette Summer ," alongsideMark Hamill . She appeared inRobert Zemeckis ' period comedy "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," as the irrepressible "Rosie Petrofsky." Sperber was overweight, but was able to move quickly on screen ("Entertainment Weekly " described Rosie Petrofsky as "a screamingBeatlemania c who, among other things, climbed through elevator shafts and leapt from a moving car"), [cite web | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318371,00.html |date = 1990-10-12 | title = One Fun Babe | publisher = "Entertainment Weekly". | accessdate = 2007-01-25] 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 inSteven 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 ," starringTom Hanks andPeter 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 byNeal 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 ."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 threezaftig women; her costarSusan Peretz would also lose her fight with breast cancer several years later), 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 1983, Sperber married Richard Velasquez and had a son, Preston, in 1986, and a daughter, Pearl, in 1990. Pearl also goes by the name "Daphne." The marriage ended in divorce in 1994.
In 1997, Sperber was diagnosed with
breast cancer , which seemed to go intoremission 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 of "American Dad " in 2006, which aired after her death. The producers of the show renamed her character as Wendie Jo in honor of the actress.Involvement in social issues
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.
Each year, weSPARK has put on an extravagant benefit show called weSPARKLE to raise funds for the organization. The event has been attended by many of Sperber's friends and colleagues, including
Tom Hanks ,Bryan Cranston ,John Ritter , andEric McCormack .In 1998, Sperber also helped the
United States Postal Service unveil and promote a breast-cancer stamp.Documentary film
Sperber is the subject of the documentary "The Show Must Go On", directed by
Beth Murphy . The film follows the actress through her treatments to battle breast cancer during the production of the 2004 weSPARKLE event.Film and television work
Film
*"
My Dinner with Jimi " (2003) as Louella
*"Sorority Boys " (2002) as Professor Bendler
*"Pissed" (2000) as Wendy
*"Desperate But Not Serious " (1999) as Landlady
*"Big Packages " (1996)
*"The Return of Hunter " (1995) (TV) as Lucille
*"" (1995) as Woman With Kitten
*"Mr. Write " (1994) as Roz
*"Love Affair " (1994) as Helen
*"Back to the Future Part III " (1990) as Linda McFly
*"The Image" (1990) (TV) as Anita Cox
*"Delta Fever " (1987) as Claire
*"Stewardess School " (1986) as Jolean Winters
*"Back to the Future " (1985) as Linda McFly
*"Moving Violations " (1985) as Joan Pudillo
*"Bachelor Party" (1984) as Dr. Tina Gassko
*"The First Time " (1983) as Eileen
*"Used Cars " (1980) (as Miss Wendie Jo Sperber) as Nervous Nona
*"1941" (1979) as Maxine Dexheimer
*"Dinky Hocker " (1979) (TV) as Susan 'Dinky' Hocker
*"Corvette Summer " (1978) as Kuchinsky
*"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (1978) as Rosie PetrofskyTelevision
*"
American Dad " as Old Lady/Wendie Jo (Voice) in "Roger & Me" (2006)
*"Grounded for Life " as Mrs. Robinson in "The Letter(s)" (2005)
*"8 Simple Rules " as Alice in 4 episodes (2002–2005)
*"Hearts Afire " as Mavis Davis (1992–1993)
*"Will and Grace " as April in "My Fair Maid-y (1999)
*"Married... With Children " as Sandy, Al's old girlfriend from high school, from the episode "I Who Have Nothing" (1991)
*"Babes " as Charlene Gilbert (1990–1991)
*"Designing Women " as Estelle Rhinehart in the episode "The Women of Atlanta" (1989)
*"Women in Prison " as Pam (1987–1988)
*"Private Benjamin" as Pvt. Stacy Kouchalakas (1982–1983)
*"Bosom Buddies " as Amy Cassidy (1980–1982)Notes
fnb|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 asSeptember 15 ,1958 , thus she was in fact 47 at the time of her death.References
External links
*imdb name|id=0818274|name=Wendie Jo Sperber
* [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318371,00.html "One Fun Babe"] , a 1990 "Entertainment Weekly " profile of Sperber that discusses her role on the sitcom "Babes ".
* [http://www.principlepictures.com/html/spark.html The Show Must Go On] documentary about Wendie Jo Sperber
* [http://www.myspace.com/wendiejosperber Wendie Jo MySpace Page]
*
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