‘The Goldbergs’ Q&A: Wendi McLendon-Covey On ‘Smother’ Beverly, What To Expect In Season 2

TV’s most lovable “smother” is back on Wednesday night — Wendi McLendon-Covey’s Beverly Goldberg — on ABC’s “The Goldbergs.”

As the matriarch of the Goldberg family, Beverly is one of TV’s most caring moms (to the extreme) looking over, and guiding the lives of her flock – Troy, Erica, and the youngest, who documents it all, Adam.

Behind the shoulder pads, big hair and roomy, knit sweaters, Wendi – as Beverly – helps to make the series not just funny, but sweet and sentimental.

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With the new fall season here, Access Hollywood spoke with the actress about the comedy’s return, what’s to come for the kids, and why “The Goldbergs” hits home with fans of all ages.

AccessHollywood.com: Beverly has some issues, but boy does she just love her children. Is that what you love about her the most?
Wendi McLendon-Covey: Yeah. … She will do anything for her family and that’s why I think it ends up being okay. Yes, she’s crazy, but I think most good parents are crazy when it comes to protecting their children. And if I had kids, I’d probably be much worse, you know?

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Access: When you found out the show was picked up for Season 2, how excited were you to know that you were going to go back to this show with so much heart?
Wendi: I can’t tell you how relieved I was because when we were taping our final show of the season, I couldn’t stop crying that whole week and when they finally yelled, ‘Season wrap,’ on me, I was despondent because I thought, ‘What if I never get to see these people again? What if I never get to have this experience?’ I love our crew, our editors, our writers, the cast. I love everybody so much and I really feel like we’ve put together something special and I feel like it all shows how much we love it, so I thought, ‘What if I never get to do this again because it’ll never feel like this again? This group will never be assembled again.’ So when I heard we got picked up, I did such a little happy dance. I was so thrilled.

Access: What do you think it is about the show that is so special?
Wendi: Well, I think we’ve got that nostalgia factor that never gets too sappy, and I think we’ve got those true stories working for us. I don’t think anything ever gets too jokey because it’s grounded and although our show takes place in the ’80s, it’s not about the ’80s. It could be set in any time because the stuff we deal with is universal and timeless — kids trying to grow up and get away from their parents and parents not wanting to let go. That’s timeless. So I think we’ve got that going for us and I think it’s a show that parents can actually watch with their kids and everybody enjoys it and that’s a very tough thing to do.

Access: Let’s talk about that promo photo that came out of the cast ahead of the fall season, showing everyone in acid washed slim jeans. What was it like trying those on and everybody wearing the same horrible pants together? That must have been a bonding moment.
Wendi: That was fun, all sitting on that tree on a soundstage somewhere. Look, we all thought it was hilarious. One thing I found disturbing was that those pants were brand spanking new and I think they came from American Apparel, so you can buy those hideous things out in the world today and I just think that’s wrong, all right (laughs)? But I love the concept behind the photo because it’s so stupid and you just know Beverly browbeat everybody into doing it.

Photo Credit: ABC/Sony Pictures Television

Access: That look would be a really great Halloween costume set for a family now that you’ve instructed us on where to purchase those items.
Wendi: (Laughs) Well, the great thing about them is because they are new, the fabric has some give to it. Those acid washed jeans in the ’80s — they didn’t have any Lycra, so they were painful to wear. You couldn’t have climbed a tree in those jeans.

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Access: At the end of last season, Barry got grounded for throwing a rager. Did you ever get grounded as a kid for doing something silly or something you shouldn’t have?
Wendi: I got grounded constantly, but it was never for anything like throwing a party or anything like that. I was not stupid enough to do something like that. For me, it was always for talking on the phone when I wasn’t supposed to be, because I had my own line. So maybe, they would hear my phone ring really late at night on a school night and get pissed at me or something like that, or I would mouth off, but I never did anything that terrible. I like to remind my parents of this constantly, that I was actually quite a good kid.

Access: Tell me about some of the things we’re going to be dealing with when we pick up this season? New years of school, I would imagine, for the kids, right?
Wendi: Yeah, a new year of school. We’re going to meet Murray’s dad, finally. He’s going to be played by Paul Sorvino. We’re gonna see one of my children get scouted by a modelling scout.

Access: That is so ’80s. Is it John Robert Powers?
Wendi: It’s so ’80s. No, remember – do you remember John Casablanacas?

Access: Yes.
Wendi: OK, well this is John Calabasas (laughs). … And [he] will be played by Rob Huebel.

Access: That sounds totally amazing. Are you going to be able to do some modelling instruction in character? I imagine Beverly’s got some poses down.
Wendi: I don’t think so, no. Although I will say, we had the table read for that episode a couple days ago and we barely got through it. We barely go through it — scream laughing.

“The Goldbergs” returns for its second season on Wednesday night at 8:30 ET/PT on ABC.

— Jolie Lash