The Sandlot: Who Plays Wendy Peffercorn & Why Is She Familiar To Horror Fans?

"The Sandlot" is a childhood classic for many, and while numerous young boys imagined themselves as part of the Little League team, there's little doubt boys were also interested in Wendy Peffercorn, the lifeguard. One of the most memorable scenes from the film (that hasn't aged particularly well) is when Squints (Chauncey Leopardi) fakes drowning so that Wendy can save him. It turns out to be a ruse, and while Wendy's applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Squints pulls her in for a kiss. But anyone who grew up with the movie may wonder who played Wendy Peffercorn.

It turns out it was an early film role for Marley Shelton, credited as "Marlee Shelton" in "The Sandlot." She's been busy acting for decades since her time in "The Sandlot," appearing in projects like "Pleasantville" and "Never Been Kissed." However, she's also a certified scream queen, appearing in several horror flicks you may recognize her from. This includes 2001's "Valentine," a holiday-themed scare-fest where a group of women are attacked by a masked assailant in the lead-up to the titular holiday. You can also find her in the double-feature "Grindhouse," as Dr. Dakota Block in "Planet Terror." It all led her to become part of one of the most recognizable franchises in the horror genre. 

All these roles led to Marley Shelton working with one of the most respected horror directors to ever live — Wes Craven for "Scream 4." She plays Deputy Judy Hicks, who's on the police force and is part of the hunt to find the new Ghostface. It's a role she would reprise years later for 2022's rebooted "Scream." All this time later, she's now the sheriff with a teenage son — Wes (Dylan Minnette). Unfortunately, she's a victim of this Ghostface's reign of terror as both she and Wes are killed in their home. 

While Judy's death likely means it's the end of the line for Shelton appearing in "Scream" movies, she enjoyed the fact her character was a bit more fleshed out in the reboot. She told Bloody Disgusting, "It's a little curious that she's a single mom, we don't really quite know why. There's still a lot of mystery around Judy. She has this very intense... helicopter mom, protective relationship with her son. In this one we get to see Judy off duty... which we never got to see before. So we were kind of trying to fill in those little details."

From her resume, it's clear Shelton is a multi-talented actress who doesn't mind branching out. She could most recently be seen as Emma Dutton on the "Yellowstone" spinoff, "1923." But don't count out a return to the world of horror just yet.