Wendy Rosenberg Makkena (born October 4, 1958) is an American actress best known for playing Sister Mary Robert in the film ''

Sister Act ''Sister Act'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard). It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. I ...

'' (1992) and its sequel '' Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit'' (1993) and numerous other roles in film and television. She has appeared regularly on stage since the 1980s. Her other film credits include ''

Air Bud ''Air Bud'' is a 1997 sports comedy film directed by Charles Martin Smith. The film was financially successful, grossing $4 million in its opening weekend and totaling $27.8 million in its run against an estimated $3 million budget. Plot Afte ...

'' (1997), '' State of Play'' (2009), and ''

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood ''A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'' is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed by Marielle Heller and written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, inspired by the 1998 article "Can You Say... Hero?" by Tom Junod, published in ...

'' (2019).

Life and career

Makkena was born in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and attended the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

. Her mother, Diana K. Rosenberg, was an astrologer specializing in various fields therein including

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and

Indian astrology Jyotisha or Jyotishya (from Sanskrit ', from ' “light, heavenly body" and ''ish'' - from Isvara or God) is the traditional Hindu system of astrology, also known as Hindu astrology, Indian astrology and more recently Vedic astrology. It is one ...

. Makkena has been married to Bob Krakower, an acting coach, since 1997 and they have a child together. In 1987, she made her Broadway debut in the production of '' Pygmalion''. She later appeared in ''

Lend Me a Tenor ''Lend Me a Tenor'' is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End (1986) and Broadway (1989). It received nine Tony Award nominations and won for Best Actor (Philip Bosco) and Best Director (Jerry Zaks). A Broadway re ...

'' and '' Side Man''. In 1988, she made her film debut appearing in ''

Eight Men Out ''Eight Men Out'' is a 1988 American sports drama film based on Eliot Asinof's 1963 book ''Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series''. It was written and directed by John Sayles. The film is a dramatization of Major League Baseball' ...

''. In 1992, Makkena had a supporting role opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the musical comedy film ''

'' as the shy but talented singing nun Sister Mary Robert, a role she reprised in '' Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit'' the following year. In both films, singer Andrea Robinson provided the actual vocals. In 1994, she co-starred opposite

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...

in the comedy film '' Camp Nowhere'', and in 1997 appeared in ''

''. In 1998, she played a leading role in the LGBT-related independent comedy-drama '' Finding North''. On television, she starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom ''

A League of Their Own ''A League of Their Own'' is a 1992 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The film stars Tom Hanks, Geena ...

'' in 1993 and later had recurring roles on ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...

'', ''

Judging Amy ''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves in a ...

'' and '' NCIS''. She also had regular roles on the short-lived '' The Job'' (2001-02), '' Oliver Beene'' (2003-04), '' Listen Up!'' (2004-05) and ''

The Mob Doctor ''The Mob Doctor'' is an American television drama that aired on Fox from September 17, 2012, to January 7, 2013, as a part of the 2012–13 network television season. The series was created by Josh Berman and Rob Wright and is based on the boo ...

'' (2012-13).

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Wendy Makkena
at

the Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Makkena, Wendy 1958 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Living people People from Manhattan Juilliard School alumni