Why Wendi McLendon-Covey Wasn’t at the Bridesmaids Oscar Reunion

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The funniest moment at this year’s Academy Awards, in my opinion, was the playful back-and-forth between the stars of the hit movie Bridesmaids. The film, directed by Paul Feig and released in the summer of 2011, is approaching its 15th anniversary. Seeing Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Ellie Kemper together on stage felt like a fun reunion.

If you recall the famous poster for the movie Bridesmaids, you’ll remember there were six main actresses. That meant Wendi McLendon-Covey was missing when the cast attended the Academy Awards. Later that night, McLendon-Covey, who later starred in the TV shows The Goldbergs and St. Denis Medical, shared a post on Instagram explaining her absence.

I’ve been getting a lot of messages asking about why I wasn’t at the Oscars, so I wanted to share what was going on with me. I actually had a neck lift last week! Honestly, I was just tired of feeling like my face was starting to droop – I wanted to address it before it got worse, so I had to miss the awards show.

“No drama,” she added. “Everything is fine. 😘”

Despite not winning any Oscars in 2012, the movie Bridesmaids still earned two nominations: Melissa McCarthy for Best Supporting Actress, and Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo for Best Original Screenplay. Considering the Oscars rarely recognize comedies, these nominations were a significant achievement.

I was so thrilled when Melissa McCarthy received another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actress in Can You Ever Forgive Me? It was also wonderful to see her Bridesmaids co-star, Rose Byrne, nominated for If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. Though she didn’t win – Jessie Buckley took home the award for her performance in Hamnet – it was still a fantastic night celebrating their talent.

You can watch the complete Bridesmaids reunion at the Academy Awards in the video below. For a full list of this year’s Oscar winners, check here.

The Movies Nominated For the Most Oscars With Zero Wins

Double Indemnity (1944)

Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity is a must-see film noir classic, telling the story of an insurance salesman caught up with a dangerous woman. It was a critical success and received seven Oscar nominations, including for Barbara Stanwyck, Billy Wilder, and Best Picture. However, it faced tough competition that year from Going My Way, which ultimately won seven Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture. Stanwyck also lost her Best Actress bid to Ingrid Bergman for Gaslight.

The Godfather Part III (1990)

The first two Godfather films were huge successes at the Academy Awards. The original won three Oscars, and Part II won six, with both films taking home the Best Picture prize. While The Godfather Part III (released in 1990) wasn’t as well-received, it still received seven Oscar nominations, including nods for Best Director and Best Picture. However, 1990 ultimately belonged to Kevin Costner, who won both Best Picture and Best Director for Dances With Wolves.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Though now considered a 90s classic and consistently ranked among the greatest films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption didn’t win any awards at the 1994 Oscars despite receiving seven nominations, including Best Actor for Morgan Freeman and nods for its screenplay and as Best Picture. That year was particularly competitive; even the highly acclaimed Pulp Fiction only won a single award – Best Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino.

The Elephant Man (1980)

Despite being a visually stunning film based on a remarkable true story, The Elephant Man didn’t win any awards at the 1981 Oscars. Director David Lynch has never won an Oscar, despite being nominated three times – for The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive.

The Remains of the Day (1993)

Despite receiving eight Oscar nominations, this Anthony Hopkins film didn’t win any awards. While Hopkins has won two Oscars previously – for The Silence of the Lambs and The Father – this adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel was unsuccessful at the awards show. The nominations included Emma Thompson for Best Actress, Hopkins himself for Best Actor, James Ivory for Best Director, and Best Picture. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List was the big winner that year, though he too has experienced Oscar snubs in the past.

American Hustle (2013)

It’s rare for a movie to receive ten or more Oscar nominations and win nothing at all. That’s exactly what happened with American Hustle. Despite being nominated for ten awards – including Best Picture, Best Director, and several design and acting categories – it didn’t win a single one. In the same year, films like 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, and Dallas Buyers Club all took home multiple Oscars. American Hustle wasn’t the only notable film to go home empty-handed that year; Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street also failed to win any of its five nominations.

Gangs of New York (2002)

Despite receiving 10 Oscar nominations, Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York didn’t win any awards. Looking back, it’s surprising, especially considering Harvey Weinstein’s strong campaigning and a standout performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher. Day-Lewis ultimately lost to Adrian Brody for The Pianist, and Scorsese lost the Best Director award to Roman Polanski. Chicago won the biggest prize of the night.

True Grit (2010)

As a film buff, it always fascinates me to compare remakes to their originals. The Coen brothers’ take on True Grit received a whopping ten Oscar nominations, which is quite a contrast to the original 1969 film starring John Wayne, which only got two. Interestingly, Wayne actually won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Rooster Cogburn! But despite all those nominations, the 2010 True Grit, with Jeff Bridges in the same role, didn’t win any awards. That year, The King’s Speech took home the big prizes for Best Picture and Best Director.

The Color Purple (1985)

Steven Spielberg has experienced both triumphs and disappointments at the Oscars. His film Schindler’s List won seven awards, including Best Picture, from its twelve nominations in 1994. Earlier, in 1986, The Color Purple, adapted from Alice Walker’s novel, received 11 nominations but didn’t win any awards; Out of Africa won Best Picture that year. More recently, the 2023 musical adaptation of The Color Purple earned only one nomination, recognizing Danielle Brooks’ performance as Sofia.

The Turning Point (1977)

Before Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, only one movie had received 11 Academy Award nominations without winning any: the 1977 ballet drama The Turning Point, directed by Herbert Ross. Like a well-timed ballet performance, a film’s release date can be crucial for awards success, and The Turning Point unfortunately came out in a very competitive year. It was released alongside blockbuster hits like Star Wars, Annie Hall, The Goodbye Girl, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Despite being popular and well-received by critics, it became known as the biggest Oscar disappointment up to that point.

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2026-03-16 17:26