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.

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

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 Chuck E Cheese's Pizza Time Theater restaurants from 1983 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.