# Nancy Lenehan

Nancy Lenehan (born April 26, 1953) is an American actress. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1980 action comedy film Smokey and the Bandit II and later had supporting roles in films She's Having a Baby (1988), Pleasantville (1998), and Catch Me If You Can (2002). Better known for her television appearances, Lenehan was regular cast member in a number of short-lived sitcoms, including Great Scott! (1992), The Faculty (1996), Married to the Kellys (2003–04), Worst Week (2008–09), How to Be a Gentleman (2011), and People of Earth (2016–17). She also had recurring roles on Grace Under Fire, My Name Is Earl, Caroline in the City, Ellen, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Veep.

## Early life and education

Lenehan was born on Long Island, New York. She attended Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota.

## Career

Lenehan made her screen debut appearing in the 1979 made-for-television movie When She Was Bad... starring Cheryl Ladd and later guest-starred on Alice. She made her big screen debut in the 1980 action comedy film Smokey and the Bandit II playing the supporting role. The following years, Lenehan appeared in films The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again (1982), Stoogemania (1986), Like Father Like Son (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988) and The Great Outdoors (1988). On television, Lenehan guest-starred on both comedy and dramas including Hill Street Blues, Family Ties, The Facts of Life, Fame, The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, The Tracey Ullman Show, Murphy Brown, Roseanne, The Golden Girls and Seinfeld. She provided the speaking and singing voice of Helen Henny from Chuck E Cheese's Pizza Time Theater restaurants from 1986 to 1991.
In 1992, Lenehan starred in the Fox short-lived sitcom Great Scott!. From 1993 to 1998 she had a recurring role in the ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire playing Audrey Sheffield. In 1996 she was regular cast member on the Meredith Baxter' sitcom The Faculty. She also had a recurring role on the ABC sitcom Ellen during its fourth season, playing the title character's realtor, Margaret Reed. She starred as Sandy Kelly, the matriarch in the ABC sitcom Married to the Kellys (2003–2004), and had a recurring role on My Name Is Earl (2005–2008) as Earl and Randy's mother, Kay Hickey. From 2008 to 2009, she co-starred on the short-lived CBS sitcom Worst Week.
Lenehan has appeared in featured, recurring and guest roles in more than 100 television shows, including Malcolm in the Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond, How I Met Your Mother, Judging Amy, Gilmore Girls, Caroline in the City (playing office manager Plum in two episodes in Season 4), Dharma & Greg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 3rd Rock from the Sun, ER, Boy Meets World, The Nanny, Quantum Leap, Just Shoot Me!, Ally McBeal, That '70s Show, Nip/Tuck, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Middle, Black-ish, Superstore, Bless This Mess and Grace and Frankie. From 2014 to 2019 she had a recurring role as Nancy Ryan in the HBO comedy series, Veep. In 2023, she played Senator Jennings in the Amazon political thriller Jack Ryan.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1980 | Smokey and the Bandit II | Ramona |
| 1986 | Stoogemania | Connie Smoynek |
| 1988 | She's Having a Baby | Cynthia |
| 1988 | The Great Outdoors | Waitress |
| 1992 | Roadside Prophets | Vegas Motel 9 Desk Clerk |
| 1992 | Out on a Limb | Miss Clayton |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Marge Jenkins |
| 1999 | The Limey | Lady On Plane |
| 2001 | Human Nature | Puff's Mother |
| 2002 | Full Frontal | Woman on Plane |
| 2002 | Adaptation | Kaufman's Mother |
| 2002 | Catch Me If You Can | Carol Strong |
| 2005 | Beauty Shop | Mrs. Struggs |
| 2007 | The Savages | Counselor |
| 2011 | A Better Life | Mrs. Donnelley |
| 2014 | Sex Tape | Linda |
| 2017 | Battle of the Sexes | Billie's Mom |
| 2022 | That's Amor | Lainie |
| 2024 | Night Swim | Kay |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Hill Street Blues | Katy Moore | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Family Ties | Roberta | 1 episode |
| 1983 | We Got It Made | Paulette | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Georgette | 1 episode |
| 1985 | Fame | Brenda Haskell | 1 episode |
| 1985 | Tall Tales & Legends | Lyda | 1 episode |
| 1986 | Heart of the City | Linda Kilmer | 1 episode |
| 1986 | It's a Living | Phylis Caruso | 1 episode |
| 1987 | My Sister Sam | Judy | 1 episode |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Vivian | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Mr. President | Lenore | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Beauty and the Beast | Lucy | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Student Exchange | Mrs. Barton | Television film |
| 1988 | Newhart | Kristi Castetter | 1 episode |
| 1988 | Beverly Hills Buntz | Mrs. Fairchild | 1 episode |
| 1989 | ALF | Laverne Litwak | 1 episode |
| 1989 | Paradise | Marti Brandt | 1 episode |
| 1989 | Night Court | Ms. Abrams | 1 episode |
| 1989 | Sister Kate | Mrs. Crenshaw | 1 episode |
| 1989 | Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon | Mrs. Harris | Television film |
| 1990 | The Golden Girls | Nun | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Murphy Brown | Sydney | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Roseanne | Happy Customer | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Dear John | Mrs. Williams | 1 episode |
| 1990 | The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story | Harriet Alvena Baum Neal | Television film |
| 1991 | Sisters | Joy Zimmer | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Nurses | Cheryl Pinson | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Colleen McBain | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Civil Wars | Paula Richardson | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Great Scott! | Beverly Melrod | Main role, 7 episodes |
| 1993 | Dudley | Nancy | 1 episode |
| 1993 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Susan Thomas | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Bakersfield P.D. | Amy Baker | 1 episode |
| 1993–1998 | Grace Under Fire | Audrey Sheffield | Recurring role, 12 episodes |
| 1994 | Step by Step | Mrs. Tubman | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Mad About You | Dr. Wallach | 1 episode |
| 1996 | The Faculty | Daisy Skelnick | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 1996 | Townies | Lila | 1 episode |
| 1996 | The Cherokee Kid | Sister Faith | Television film |
| 1996–1997 | Ellen | Margaret Reed | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Boy Meets World | Susan Kalliback | 1 episode |
| 1997 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Mrs. St. Clair | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Ink | Nancy Milford | 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Practice | Nurse MacKenzie | 1 episode |
| 1997 | George and Leo | Mimi | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Working | Meredith Hirsh | 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Tony Danza Show | Mrs. Erlich | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Caroline in the City | Plum | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Pat | Episode: "Dead Man's Party" |
| 1999 | ER | Edie Harvell | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Dharma & Greg | Karen Love | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane | Mrs. Needles | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Providence | Jane | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Just Shoot Me! | Bunny | 1 episode |
| 1999–2000 | Two Guys and a Girl | Dr. Peel | 2 episodes |
| 1999–2001 | Felicity | Faye Rotundi | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Yes, Dear | Judy | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Malcolm In the Middle | Christie / Helen | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | FreakyLinks | Dr. Gibson | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Mrs. Hoeller | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Gilmore Girls | LaDawn | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Men, Women & Dogs | Jan | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Ally McBeal | Principal Deborah Harkness | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Titus | Faye | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Pamela | 1 episode |
| 2003 | What I Like About You | Linda | 1 episode |
| 2003 | That '70s Show | Nina's Mom | 1 episode |
| 2003 | Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off | Mrs. Hadley | Television film, uncredited |
| 2003–2004 | Married to the Kellys | Sandy Kelly | Main role, 20 episodes |
| 2004 | Jack & Bobby | School Secretary | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Joan of Arcadia | Erica Marx | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Close to Home | Patty | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Nip/Tuck | Sue Alderman | 1 episode |
| 2005 | The Bernie Mac Show | Sister Lane | 1 episode |
| 2005–2008 | My Name Is Earl | Kay Hickey | Recurring role, 10 episodes |
| 2006 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Mrs. Jeter | 1 episode |
| 2006–2010 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Principal Marcie Nunley | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 2007 | My Boys | Eileen | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Little Britain USA | Kelly Pincher | 3 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Worst Week | Angela Clayton | Main role, 16 episodes |
| 2009 | Accidentally on Purpose | Lara | 1 episode |
| 2011–2012 | How to Be a Gentleman | Diane Carlson | Main role, 9 episodes |
| 2012 | The Middle | Penny | 1 episode |
| 2013–2014 | How I Met Your Mother | Cheryl | 2 episodes |
| 2014–2019 | Veep | Mrs. Ryan | Recurring role, 11 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | People of Earth | Margaret Flood | Main role, 20 episodes |
| 2018–2020 | Man with a Plan | Alice | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Champions | Maureen | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Forever | Heather Jacoby | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Black-ish | Barbara Piermont | 1 episode |
| 2019–2020 | Bless This Mess | Deb | Recurring role, 13 episodes |
| 2020 | Superstore | Judy | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Generation | Nonna | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Grace and Frankie | Rosemary | 1 episode |
| 2022 | A League of Their Own | Vivienne | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | American Auto | Winnie | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Jack Ryan | Senator Jennings | 4 episodes |
| 2023 | All Rise | Camille Park | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Extended Family | Rose | 1 episode |
| 2024 | The Boys | Dr. Barbara Findley | 2 episodes |