Exclusive: We Catch Up With Wendi McLendon-Covey

The Knockturnal met with Wendi McLendon-Covey where she shared with us how to let go of our “Hellicopter cleaning” habits. Teaming up with Cascade she showed us how not to hover around the dishwasher anymore!

The Knockturnal: What was it like partnering with Cascade?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: Well it made sense because they’re launching a helicopter cleaning campaign, and I play a helicopter mother. But as luck has it, I’m also a helicopter cleaner in that I don’t trust my dishwasher because I grew up at a time where if you had a dishwasher, you would’ve had to be royalty. You wanted to keep that thing pristine. So you would wash your dishes before you put it in the dishwasher, you were doing double work. So now I’ve got into the habit, I’ve been doing it my whole life but it’s not necessary because these action packs will break down everything! So, say you ruin a pan. Hello I’ve done that many times. You over fry something or you burn some cheese and you feel like “Oh, I’ve got to throw the whole thing out now.” No you don’t, and you don’t have to soak it overnight. You don’t have to do anything. The enzymes here will just eat all of that away, and wash it down the drain. So it will keep your dishwasher working and keep it from getting clogged and you don’t have to go through all that rigamarole that you used to.

The Knockturnal: Especially for me, as a college student I just see the dishes pile up!

Wendi McLendon-Covey: But that’s the thing! We all have to do our stupid dishes! So do it right the first time and then it’s done. And I’m busy, I work really long hours. That’s my little thing that I do to stabilize myself. My self soothing thing is I do my dishes, I do my laundry and I feel calm. I’m in control of certain things.

The Knockturnal: What does being a Helicopter cleaner mean?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: It’s someone who just can’t trust the process. Much like helicopter parenting, like “I know my children have minds of their own, but I know what’s best so I’m going to hover until I’m satisfied that they’re doing it right.” Well there’s no reason to do that. And there’s no reason to keep opening your dishwasher to make sure it’s working. Something I said that I did in the presentation is I clean my house before the house cleaner gets there. So that they don’t think I’m a slob. That’s the perfect example of a helicopter cleaner, there’s no point to it, just let your dishwasher do what you pay for your dishwasher to do. And it will, if you’re using the right products. Just give up a little control, it’s okay everything is going to be fine.

The Knockturnal: And what has playing a mother taught you about family?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: It’s made me feel very sympathetic towards my parents and what they went through watching us grow up because, we weren’t bad kids and we weren’t getting into trouble but there was a time where we turned into teenagers where we were just snotty brats. And like pushing our parents away and that’s what we see on The Goldbergs so it’s made me realize playing a mom like “Oh! I did that, to my sweet mom who only wanted to love me?!” I have guilt feelings now. It’s really taught me about that dynamic and how hard it is to let go and kids, of course you want to separate from your parents but have a little sympathy for the process.

The Knockturnal: Do you enjoy playing a mom?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: It’s so fun. It’s so fun, especially since the mom I play is still around and visits the set and tries to make me wear her clothes, a lot of the stories we tell on the show, they happen. And obviously everything gets resolved beautifully at the end of the every show and that doesn’t happen in real life but it’s been so much fun for me to play her. And that’s what drew me to the role in the beginning. I thought, “If she’s hang insane, hell yes I want to play her for as long as I possibly can.”

The Knockturnal: You have a new project coming out, Goosebumps! Did you ever read Goosebumps?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: I’m a little too old for it to have been in my era, but people are clamoring for it! I cannot believe! We’re shooting in Atlanta, there’s just swarms of people who came just to see what’s going on, our sets are amazing. And the children of my friends who grew up on Goosebumps can’t wait for it to come out. And luckily they’re not going to have to wait that long. It’s coming out this October, but it’s going to be a freaky one, that Slappy, he freaks me out!

The Knockturnal: Do you enjoy filming more of the comedy or horror aspect of it?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: I like the scary aspect of it! I really do! I’ve never done a really scary movie. I love Halloween. I’m a Halloween nut! I love decorating, so for me to be able to play Halloween in April, that’s the best gift you could give me! I’m having so much fun. I’ve done some stunts, I get to wear some prosthetics. Lots of fun stuff is happening. I cannot wait to see the finished product.

The Knockturnal: As for you character on the Goldbergs, what can we expect going forward?

Wendi McLendon-Covey: We’re going to see more of the Bevolution. We’re going to see her trying to dig her daughter out of a hole. As a freshman in college she has squandered her freshman year, which happens. Sometimes people go away to college, they’re not ready for it, they end up sleeping through their morning classes and then finals come around. Such a nightmare scenario. It’s that type of situation. You know, who am I going to have to strong arm, is it even going to be worth it? So there’s that tug o war, and then there’s my other two sons going through young love, and it’s not working. It’s not going well.