Wenkus got his start in radio out of college. While performing stand up comedy, he was hired to work on the HOT 97 Morning Show in New York City. He wrote for the show and performed a variety of on-air characters while also helping to create nationally syndicated comedy services that included "Radio Hotline" and "The Daily Comedy Exclusive." He launched the comedy and prep radio services at Premiere Radio Networks and worked with hundreds of morning radio shows across the country helping them to stay topical and entertaining.
Television career
Wenkus was a writer and segment producer for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno from 1998-2008 contributing skits and jokes for the nightly monologue. In January 2017 it was announced Wenkus was writing and executive producing the new hip-hop gangland TV miniseries Haitian Jack produced by Radar Pictures and Interscope Records co-founder Ted Field and directed by "All Eyez on Me" director Benny Boom.
Screenwriting credits
Wenkus is known as a researcher and producer. Among his most recent screen credits, Wenkus co-wrote and co-executive produced Universal’s Straight Outta Compton, the N.W.A biopic directed by F. Gary Gray. Wenkus has also written several other screenplays in development including a remake of the film, Dolemite, and recently researched and wrote the screenplay, Teddy Ballgame, about the life of Boston Red Sox slugger and war heroTed Williams. As an uncredited “script doctor”, Wenkus has done rewrites and polishes on several studio film projects. He also co-wrote the screenplay Private Resort for Johnny Depp. The film also stars actor Rob Morrow and often plays on cable and midnight shows as a campy cult classic. On May 13, 2015, it was announced at the Cannes Film Festival that Wenkus was writing and producing the big screen biopic, No Show Jones, about country music legend George Jones. In September 2015, Wenkus inked a deal to write the screenplay to the New York Times bestseller, Code Name: Johnny Walker. The book was co-written by American Sniper author Jim DeFelice. In January 2016, Wenkus was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as part of the screenwriting team that wrote Straight Outta Compton.
