Wendi McLendon Covey is just as hilarious in person as she is on her show, Comedy Central's Reno 911! And in Hollywood, that's a good thing! Wendi has a contagious laugh so contagious you find yourself chuckling along with the former member of comedy troupe, The Groundlings.

Not only is Comedy Central's Reno 911! (a sketch-comedy improv show where Wendi plays a police officer named Clementine) a hit for the network, but Wendi is the only actress to have two series on the air simultaneously. Aside from Clementine, Wendi stars in another primetime television series, Lovespring International, produced by Will & Grace's Eric McCormick. It currently airs on Lifetime. Lovespring International is a half-hour improvisational comedy about a matchmaking agency that markets themselves as an "elite Beverly Hills" company.

Wendi will be seen next in the Fox feature RENO 911!: MIAMI and has recently produced, co-wrote, and co-starred in another improvised, independent feature film, COOK-OFF, which centers on amateur "chefs" from around the country who compete for a million dollar prize. Look for it in theatres soon.

TIMMAG chatted with Wendi about life, acting, dating, cooking and, of course' the funny!

TIMMAG: You recently completed a Ômockumentary' with The Food Network called Cook-Off, about a cooking contest. How on earth did you get such an idea?
Wendi: Every major food conglomerate has a cooking contest. And I'd watch these cooking contests on Comedy Central and stuff and think, "That won a million dollars? I can do that. I have a great recipe." These cooking contests make people crazy. It brings out the ugliness in people.

I went to some of these cooking contests and watched these little old ladies who work in pre-schools cheat and get competitive in a cooking environment. They are so funny when they feel Ôthreatened' by the new, young girl in the cook-off room and stuff. I once saw on one TV cooking show where the woman dropped the entire cake the minute she pulled it out of the oven. Hello? What do you do in that situation. It's over for you! The cake itself that's not what threw you. It was so painful to watch her drop that cake.

Anyway, Cook-Off features some of the best improv actors. It was filmed in Valencia, CA. We filmed a presentation tape that was just ten minutes long and we got the financing we needed from start to finish in two years, which I heard is virtually unheard of to happen so fast. It's a funny movie.

TIMMAG: Do you cook?
Wendi: Yes, and I once entered myself in a cooking contest but didn't win! I make a specialty meal called Oaxacan Enchiladas. And I watch The Food Network . I think Paula Dean would be my favorite chef on that network. Nothing is low-calorie for - she uses a pound of butter with everything.

TIMMAG: Tell me about your movie, Reno 911 Miami.
Wendi: Well, even though Reno 911! airs on Comedy Central; its Fox who is releasing the movie in January. Years ago, Fox originally picked up Reno as a series. It took two years to collaborate on and then Comedy Central said, hey, bring Reno 911 over here! And they did. But Fox retained any movie rights to Reno 911.

TIMMAG: It is so hard to do sketch comedy and be funny all the time. How do you focus on the funny when you are having a really bad day?
Wendi: There are those days when it's raining, I've been yelled at, I'm mad' but comedy comes from the truth. You use that truth for your character and turn it into a "poor me" kind of comedy. You don't have to go for a big joke. Speaking in the truths is so much funnier than a witty punch line. Even if you are having an awful day, there are ways to work in the funny. I am fortunate to work with amazing improv actors. But in order to be good at improv, is to be a good listener.

Like my character, "Clementine" is in recovery and when she goes for a long time without a drink, she calls herself "Cameltine." And she thinks she's sexier than she really is. That in itself is simply funny. When times get tough and you really think, "It can't get any worse" all you can do is laugh. Laughter is the best medicine. It takes a while to see the humor but when you do and you laugh you feel so much better.

TIMMAG: How did you get your start in comedy?
Wendi: Well, I'm not really a stand-up comedian; I do improv. I grew up in Long Beach, CA and never moved. I always knew that I wanted to act and do something funny. My parents were like, "Yeah, Wendi'okay'You want to do what?!" So I started out by going to shows at The Groundlings Theatre Group in Los Angeles. My friend and I decided to take a comedy class there and see how we liked it. She's so funny but she never continued with it, but I did. When I auditioned on Reno 911, I replaced someone else who was supposed to have the role! "Clementine" is actually a character I created when I was performing in The Groundlings. Yes, I picked her name!

TIMMAG: So what is next for you?
Wendi: Besides my shows, I'm still doing stuff with the Groundlings. That keeps me busy. I am still hitting the audition circuit as well.

TIMMAG: Who are some of your comedy role models?
Wendi: I would say Jane Lynch, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Jack Plotnick, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Parker Posey.

TIMMAG: What advice do you have for wannabe comedians?
Wendi: Let yourself make mistakes. Get yourself up on stage and don't constantly ask yourself later, "Oh, why did I say that?" Be willing to fail and fail miserably. Don't focus on just telling one joke and getting laughs. Remember that people are more in awe of impressions than they are of jokes.

Reno 911: Miami will be in theatres in January 2007 and Cook-Off will also be airing early next year. The picture follows a rag-tag team of Reno cops who are called in to save the day after a terrorist attack disrupts a national police convention in Miami Beach during spring break.

For more information on Wendi, visit her on www.MySpace.com/wendimclendoncovey.