Wendt was born in the Beverly neighborhood on the southwestern side of Chicago, Illinois, the son of Loretta Mary (née Howard) and George Robert Wendt, an officer in the Navy and a realtor. His maternal grandfather was photographer Tom Howard. Wendt is of Irish and one quarter German descent.
He attended Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He was expelled from the University of Notre Dame after he received a 0.00 GPA the first semester of his junior year. He later attended the Jesuit Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, where he graduated with a B.A. in economics.
Wendt is an uncle of actor and former SNL writer and cast member Jason Sudeikis, his sister's son.
By Posted on