# Elmarie Wendel

Elmarie Louise Wendel (November 23, 1928 –July 21, 2018) was an American actress and singer best known as Mamie Dubcek on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.

## Early life

Born on a farm in Howard County, Iowa, one of five siblings, Wendel spent her childhood travelling with her musical parents and dancing with her sisters in and around the Midwest in club and concert hall venues, including the Grand Ole Opry. She eventually made her way to New York City where she appeared in, among other productions, the original 1959 off-Broadway production of Little Mary Sunshine, starring Eileen Brennan and John McMartin.

## Career

A national touring company of Annie took her to Los Angeles, where she made a successful transition into film and television. She garnered the role of the eccentric Mrs. Dubcek on 3rd Rock from the Sun. From 1996 to 2001, she appeared in about 70 episodes of the show. She made appearances on such shows as Seinfeld, Love & War, Murphy Brown, Murder, She Wrote, and Empty Nest. She appeared in And the Band Played On and Far from Home. She had a recurring role as Gina, a lascivious assembly line co-worker of the title character on George Lopez. In 2008, she appeared on General Hospital in the recurring role of Peg. Her musical theatre credits include Wonderful Town, Cole Porter Revisited, Little Mary Sunshine and Gigi.

## Personal life and death

Wendel's daughter, J.C. Wendel, is also an actress. Her death was announced on her daughter's Instagram on July 21, 2018. No cause or place of death was given but Wendel had resided in Studio City, California, at the time of her death.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1961 | A Bowl of Cherries | Daphne | Short comedy film written and directed by William Kronick |
| 1990 | The Immortalizer | Agnes | Horror Science fiction film directed by Joel Bender Direct-to-Video |
| 1991 | Going Under | Sonar | Comedy film directed by Mark W. Travis |
| 1995 | Rumpelstiltskin | Gypsy Woman | Comedy fantasy horror film directed by Mark Jones |
| 2000 | Attraction | Beehive Waitress | Drama romantic thriller film directed by Russell DeGrazier |
| 2011 | A Bag of Hammers | The Mark | Comedy drama film directed by Brian Crano and written by Crano and Jake Sandvig |
| 2012 | The Lorax | Aunt Grizelda | Voice, animated film Also known as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Crisis Counselor | Guest | Episode: "Aging Woman" |
| 1982 | Knight Rider | Woman | Episode: "No Big Thing" |
| 1985 | The Jeffersons | Mrs. Pardella | Episode: "State of Mind" |
| 1987 | The Facts of Life | Jackie | Episode: "Sweet Charity" |
| 1990 | Sugar and Spice | Bag Lady | Episode: "Breaking in Is Hard to Do" |
| 1990 | She Said No | Guest | Television film directed by John Patterson concerning acquaintance rape |
| 1991 | Babes | Sister Katherine | Episode: "All Bummed Out" |
| 1991 | Murphy Brown | Mrs. Beale | Episode: "Everytime It Rains... You Get Wet" |
| 1991 | Major Dad | Mona | Episode: "On the Line" |
| 1992 | Empty Nest | Vivian | Episode: "Charley for President" |
| 1992 | Seinfeld | Helene | Episode: "The Trip" |
| 1992 | Santa Barbara | Landlady | Episode: "Ep 2,053" |
| 1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Nurse Receptionist | Episode: "The Petrified Florist" |
| 1993 | Love & War | Maude | Episode: "They Can't Take That Away from Me" |
| 1993 | The Pink Panther | Guest | Episode: "Pilgrim Panther/That Old Pink Magic" |
| 1994 | Empty Nest | Agnes | Episode: "The Ballad of Shady Pines" |
| 1994 | Weird Science | Mrs. Wilder | Episode: "She's Alive" (Pilot) |
| 1996–2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Mrs. Dubcek | Recurring role: Seasons 1–2 (1996–97) Contract role: Seasons 3–6 (1997–2001) |
| 1998 | Jenny | Doris | Episode: "A Girl's Gotta Merger" |
| 2000 | The Angry Beavers | Doris Rabbit | Voice, episode: "Driving Misses Daggett/Big" |
| 2001–2002 | NYPD Blue | Susan Hornby | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2003–2007 | George Lopez | Gina Sorenstam | Recurring role, 12 episodes |
| 2008 | General Hospital | Peg | Recurring role Uncredited |
| 2011 | American Dad! | Beverley Billingsley | Voice, episode: "Stanny Boy and Frantastic" |
| 2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | Paula | Episode: "Devotion" |
| 2014 | The Exes | Ruthie | Episode: "The Old Man and the Holly" |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2015 | Fallout 4 | Mandy Stiles / Cathy / Pulowski Preservation Shelter | | |
| 2018 | Fallout 76 | Pulowski Preservation Shelter | Posthumous release | |