Charlene M. Amoia is an American actress. She is best known for her recurring role as Wendy the Waitress in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Her film credits include American Reunion (2012), Authors Anonymous (2014), Sniper: Special Ops (2016), Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020), Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021).
Childhood Amoia was born in Buffalo, New York. She was raised in Buffalo and relocated to Las Vegas at the age of 15. She is of Italian and Spanish descent.
Career She began her career in modeling, before making the transition to acting. She appeared in guest starring roles in numerous television shows, including Joey, The Resident, Shameless, and Man with a Plan.
She portrayed waitress Wendy in American sitcom How I Met Your Mother from 2005 to 2011. On playing Wendy, she has said, "I love playing flawed characters. Wendy is so genuinely sweet and guileless to a point that she doesn't realize she's being taken advantage of. Being able to take on these characteristics in a way that is funny and harmless is always so much fun!"
Amoia played Ellie, Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas)'s wife, in the fourth American Pie film, released in 2012.
Amoia portrayed Dr. Fraser on House, Bailey on Glee and Diana Cotto on Switched at Birth. In 2008, she portrayed Miss Wells in the teen drama television series 90210. She played Jill in the drama film Fat (2013), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
She has guest starred on the show NCIS: New Orleans as Carly Dawson in the episode "Breaking Brig" and Kelly Press on an episode of Major Crimes. She played Janet Conrad, a pushy NATO Photographer who was seeking a career changing "Front Line Photo" in the film Sniper: Special Ops (2016). In 2017 she appeared on American Horror Story in the episode "Great Again". In season 14 of Grey's Anatomy she appeared as Dr. Kate Lachman.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes2003Alabama: American Farewell TourTexas Beauty2008Seven PoundsWoman in Diner2012American ReunionEllie2013Fat Jill2014Authors AnonymousEudora2015Adrenaline Josie Rigsby2016Sniper: Special OpsJanet2018Not a Stranger Carol2017Deadly Vows Becca2018Cold BrookMiss Simmons 2020 Birds of Prey Maria Bertinelli 2020 Adverse Mary2021The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Judy Glatzel2021Fear Street Part One: 1994Rachel Thompson/Sunnyvale Customer2021Fear Street Part Three: 1666Beth Kimball/Rachel Thompson2022A Royal Christmas on IceJanet 2025 LifelineVivian Huxley 2025 Descendent
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2001–2003Port CharlesKatrina / Marissa Murphy5 episodes2004JoeyDianeEpisode: "Joey and the Book Club"2005–2011How I Met Your MotherWendy the Waitress 17 episodes2006GirlfriendsWifeEpisode: "I'll Be There for You... But Not Right Now"2006One on One ShelleyEpisode: "California Girl"2006Mind of MenciaMiss Spring Break / Jen3 episodes2006My BoysCorinneEpisode: "Clubhouse Poison"2007DexterYoung WomanEpisode: "The Dark Defender"2007Nip/TuckSandyEpisode: "Carly Summers"2007Company ManStacey LeeTelevision film2007–2008The Young and the RestlessAnna Schick5 episodes200890210Miss WellsEpisode: "Hollywood Forever"2009Trust MeHeather ListonEpisode: "Before and After"2009Criminal MindsNancyEpisode: "House on Fire"2010CastleAna MarieEpisode: "A Deadly Affair"2010HouseDr. FraserEpisode: "Unplanned Parenthood"2010–2011Days of Our LivesNurse Katie4 episodes2011GleeBaileyEpisode: "Comeback"2011ShamelessAudreyEpisode: "Daddyz Girl"2011Mad LoveHeatherEpisode: "The Secret Life of Larry"2011NCIS: Los AngelesMichelle ArdellEpisode: "Imposters"2011iCarlyJenna HamiltonEpisode: "iLove You"2011The Christmas PageantMargaretHallmark Channel TV Movie2012The FinderAnnie TurnbullEpisode: "The Last Meal"2012The MentalistMelaina MendelssohnEpisode: "Devil's Cherry"2013Switched at BirthDiana CotoEpisodes: "He Did What He Wanted", "What Goes Up Must Come Down"2013Drop Dead DivaLonna WycottEpisode: "Guess Who's Coming"2014The Soul ManArianaEpisode: "Moving on Up"2014NCIS: New OrleansCarly DawsonEpisode: "Breaking Brig"2014BonesAnnie WachlinEpisode: "The Money Maker on the Merry-Go-Round"2014HR Dana ArtyTelevision film2015Major CrimesKelly PressEpisode: "Personal Effects"2015Sleepy HollowSusan JamesEpisode: "Whispers in the Dark"2017General Hospital Rose CaldwellEpisodes: "Episode #1.13916", "Episode #1.13917"2017Deadly VowsBecca DillonTelevision film2017American Horror StoryWomanEpisode: "Great Again"2017Behind Enemy LinesChristine NelsonTelevision film2018NCISDenise MancusoEpisode: "High Tide"20189-1-1Dolores GrahamEpisode: "Stuck"2018The Guest BookDebbieEpisode: "Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"2018Grey's AnatomyDr. Kate LachmanEpisode: "Games People Play"2019Good TroubleHeatherEpisode: "Episode #2.5"2019The FlashMiss PellettEpisode: "The Flash & the Furious"2019The ResidentBobbi HendricksEpisode: "If Not Now, When?"2019BiggerLori2 episodes2020Man with a PlanBessicaEpisode: "Adam and Andi See Other People"2021Shameless Hall of ShameAudreyEpisode: "Debbie, Carl & Liam: They Grow Up So Fast"2021Just BeyondPrincipal GraceEpisode: "Leave Them Kids Alone"2022Sons of ThunderSandy6 episodes2023UnderdevelopedPam Chowder3 episodes2024St. Denis MedicalElEpisode: "1.10"2025Cobra KaiJuliaEpisode: "6.15"
References
External links
Startefacts.com Article on "How I Met Your Mother" StayFamous.net Interview for "American Reunion" MassLive.com Interview for "How I Met Your Mother" FitCeleb.com Interview for "American Reunion"