All About Melissa Peterman's Career, Family, and More
You betcha, the Happy's Place star is a Minnesotan through and through.
It’s been over a decade since we’ve seen Barbra Jean Jean and Reba Hart together on our TVs, but the characters are finally reuniting — well, the actresses who play them are.
Melissa Peterman is starring in NBC’s new comedy Happy’s Place with her friend and former Reba co-star Reba McEntire, along with a new cast of characters who will create more of that sitcom magic fans have missed.
While you might already know Peterman as a comedic talent from Reba, read on to learn all about her Midwestern roots, career, family life, and more.
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Where is Melissa Peterman from?
Peterman was born and raised just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, and she’s proud to be from the Midwest. Whether she’s hanging out at the historic First Avenue music venue or eating a ham loaf sandwich at the state fair, she told FOX 9, “I’m a true Minnesotan.”
The actress attended high school and college in Minnesota, graduating from Minnesota State University in Mankato.
While Peterman’s booming acting career has taken her away from her hometown, she’s still very much an expert in Minnesotan slang. Like “You betcha” or the art of “the Minnesota Goodbye.” As she explained on 25 Words or Less, “Us Minnesotans, we say we’re gonna leave somewhere and we just keep on talking. Like we’re on our way out and we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you know what, I have to get that recipe that you got for those snacks because those were so good … I’m coming honey! Anyways…’”
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Who is Melissa Peterman’s husband?
Peterman has been married to her husband John Brady since 1999. The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June 2024, and they still manage to surprise each other. Like when Peterman found her husband’s secret stash of cash, a whopping $20, in an empty Spam can in their kitchen cupboard.
The actress met Brady in Minnesota, according to the Grand Forks Herald, and they have one child, 18-year-old son Riley. Peterman often posts on Instagram about how much Brady makes her laugh. Like in 2021 when she wrote, “Love comes in all kinds of packages. Mine came in the funniest bald man I ever met.”
Brady also works in the entertainment industry. He’s had roles in several TV shows including Nurse Jackie, Scrubs, Days of Our Lives, and in two episodes Reba with his wife.
Melissa Peterman's movies and TV shows
While Peterman landed her first major movie role in 1996 as “Hooker #2” in Fargo, she rose to fame a few years later in the beloved sitcom Reba. For six seasons from 2001 to 2007, Peterman played Barbra Jean on Reba, starring alongside Reba McEntire, Christopher Rich, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Steve Howey, Scarlett Pomers, and Mitch Holleman.
Peterman went on to play Bonnie Wheeler in Baby Daddy and Brenda Sparks in Young Sheldon. She’s also hosted several shows including The Singing Bee, Bet on Your Baby, and Person, Place or Thing.
In 2024, Peterman is reuniting with McEntire in NBC’s new sitcom Happy’s Place. “It’s like riding a bike,” Peterman told Entertainment Weekly about working with The Voice Coach again.
Melissa Peterman’s role on Happy’s Place
In NBC’s new sitcom Happy’s Place, Peterman plays a bartender named Gabby. McEntire stars as Bonnie, a woman who isn’t thrilled to inherit her late father’s tavern and is even more shocked to find out she has a half sister, who is now her new business partner.
“I get to work with Reba and our team and I’m so excited!” Peterman told Entertainment Tonight. “It's whole new characters, a whole new scenario and a lot of our same team. The dynamic is gonna be that dynamic that we have, that natural one.”
Happy’s Place also stars Belissa Escobedo, Rex Linn, Pablo Castelblanco, and Tokala Black Elk.
RELATED: The Happy’s Place Theme Song Will Be a Reba McEntire Original
McEntire told People you’ll feel the same “chemistry” from their first sitcom together. "We have new characters, it's a new situation, so the chemistry is still there,” she said. “It's that same dynamic that people want to see. We talked about it, that we've been waiting a long time, and this time feels right. It feels like we were waiting for the right cast, the right time, and we're ready."
Watch Happy’s Place Fridays at 8/7c on NBC starting October 18. Episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
