Maggie Wheeler


Margaret Emily Wheeler is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Janice on the sitcom Friends where she was a recurring character most notable for being in a relationship with Chandler Bing. She was also a recurring character on Everybody Loves Raymond as Linda as well as Anita Warrell on the sitcom Ellen.

Personal life

Wheeler was born and raised in New York City, the daughter of Barbara, a writer, and John Jakobson, who began his career on Wall Street as one of the youngest members of the New York Stock Exchange. She was raised in a secular Jewish household and graduated from The Calhoun School in New York City. She married Daniel Borden Wheeler in 1990. They have two children.

Career

In the 1980s, Wheeler briefly dabbled in voice acting on the animated series SilverHawks, where she provided all the female voices, specifically the villainess Melodia and the heroine Steelheart/Emily Hart, and on the Karate Kat and Mini-Monsters segments of The Comic Strip.
After she became Maggie Wheeler, she auditioned for the role of Monica Geller. After many interviews she confirmed the same, she was however invited to play Janice Goralnik, a recurring character who was a frequent love interest of main character Chandler Bing. She appeared at least once in each season; her 19 episodes tie her with Christina Pickles for Friends’ third most frequent guest actor, behind only Elliott Gould's 20 episodes, and James Michael Tyler's 150 episodes.
She also auditioned for the role of Debra Barone, on the American sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Although she was the producers' choice, CBS ended up selecting Patricia Heaton. Instead, Wheeler played the recurring role of Debra's friend, Linda.
According to Kathy Griffin's autobiography, Official Book Club Selection, Wheeler was cast in the role of Vicki for the pilot episode of Suddenly Susan and was eventually replaced by Griffin.
She had a star billing in the first season of Ellen. She appeared on the hit comedy Seinfeld in the episode "The Fix-Up", as one of Elaine's friends who is set up with George. She has appeared in many other television programs, including Drake & Josh, ER, The X-Files, The War at Home, Will & Grace, Jack and Jill, How I Met Your Mother and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In 1997, Wheeler voiced Harley Quinn's replacement in the episode "Joker's Millions".
In 1998, she appeared in the remake of Disney's The Parent Trap, playing the younger of a mother-daughter pair of camp counselors. Wheeler provided the voice of Odile in Barbie of Swan Lake, and in 2010 she voiced Trinette in four episodes of Archer on FX.
In 2011, she guest starred in the Disney Channel series Shake It Up as Dina's mom.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984'Various8 episodes
1985'Episode: "The Day Kingsfield Missed Class"
1986SilverHawksMelodia / SteelheartVoice role; main role
1990L.A. LawPaula LightsEpisode: "The Good Human Bar"
1991Dream OnBonnie DeckerEpisode: "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh"
1992SeinfeldCynthiaEpisode: "The Fix-Up"
1992Civil WarsPatricia McDermottEpisode: "Mob Psychology"
1992Doogie Howser, M.D.Elena SpencerEpisodes: "What You See Ain't Necessarily What You Get", "The Patient in Spite of Himself"
1993Sexual HealingSuzanne
1994'Det. Sharon LazardEpisode: "Born Again"
FriendsJanice Litman-Goralnik Recurring role, 19 episodes
1994–1996EllenAnita WarrellMain role ; guest role ; 7 episodes
1995Pride & JoyFlight AttendantEpisode: "Terror at 30,000 Feet"
1996–2004Everybody Loves RaymondLinda GruenfelderRecurring role, 11 episodes
1998'Fake Harley Episode: "Joker's Millions"
1998'CindyEpisode: "True Course"
1999Get RealJenniferEpisode: Pilot
2001Jack & JillKristen MossEpisodes: "Crazy Like a Fox, Hungry Like the Wolf", "Bag Full of Love"
2001It's Like, You Know...RachelEpisode: "Walking Tall"
2002Will & GracePollyEpisode: "Dyeing Is Easy, Comedy Is Hard"
2002Justice LeagueAntiope / Perfume Lady/ Firefighter / PilotVoice role; episode: "Fury: Parts 1 & 2"
2003'Stand-Up ComedianEpisode: "Last Laugh"
2004Kim PossibleDr. RentonVoice role; episode: "Motor Ed"
2005Paine ManagementJeanine BernsenTelevision movie
2005Fat ActressWoman Diapering BabyEpisode: "Charlie's Angels or Too Pooped to Pop"
2005Higglytown HeroesStreet Sweeper HeroVoice role; episode: "Higgly Frog Day/Eubie's Ele-Fantastic Adventure"
2005E-RingInvestigatorEpisode: "Escape and Evade"
2006Drake & JoshDeniseEpisode: "Alien Invasion"
2006ERAmy KellermanEpisode: "Ames v. Kovac"
2006Friday Night LightsTeacherEpisode: "It's Different for Girls"
2007'MindyEpisodes: "It's a Lower-Middle-Upper-Middle Class Problem", "The War of the Golds"
2007How I Met Your MotherMargaretEpisode: "Dowisetrepla"
2009Without a TraceGail MenkenEpisode: "Wanted"
2009'JenniferUnsold television pilot
ArcherReceptionist, Trinette MagoonVoice role; 11 episodes
2010Glenn Martin DDSVoice role; episode: "Jackie of All Trades"
2011Shake It UpMrs. GarciaEpisodes: "Twist it Up", "In The Bag it Up"
2011Curb Your EnthusiasmIlene SolotaroffEpisode: "Palestinian Chicken"
2011The CloserGail's friendEpisode: "Road Block"
2013CalifornicationOphelia RobbinsRecurring role, 5 episodes
2014Hot in ClevelandRachel Episode: "Murder House"
2015I Didn't Do ItFortune TellerEpisode: "The Bite Club"
2016MaronStephEpisode: "Shrink and Kink"
2018ShamelessFiona's lawyerEpisodes: "A Gallagher Pedicure", "Sleepwalking"
2018The Epic Tales of Captain UnderpantsLunch Lady / Mrs. Yewh / T.P. Mummy Episodes: "Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Perilous Misfortune of the T.P. Mummy", "Captain Underpants and the Squishy Predicament of the Stanley Peet's Stinky Pits"