Melissa Peterman's Photo of Her “Fresh Perm” Will Give You a Major Blast From the Past
The Happy's Place star thrived as a teen in the '80s, especially in the hair department.
Born in 1971, Melissa Peterman lived through an iconic hair era: the age of the perm. Today, the Happy's Place star has long bouncy blonde locks that are about as easy to spot as Reba McEntire's iconic red hair. But back in the day when she was growing up in Minnesota, the actress went full '80s with a hairstyle that's so different from what she rocks now.
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Melissa Peterman was an '80s queen with a "fresh perm" as a teenager
In February 2025, Peterman posted an amazing throwback photo on Instagram, giving her fans a peek at her teenage days. Wearing an oversized turquoise Benetton sweatshirt and jean skirt, Peterman was all smiles as she posed for a photo with her "fresh perm."
"Heading into the week a little blurry but with the confidence of someone with a fresh perm wearing her sisters Benetton sweatshirt and a Guess Jean mini-skirt she bought with her Christmas money," Peterman captioned the photo.
Peterman's fans, especially those who hail from the Midwest, felt a real blast from the past looking at the photo. "As a fellow midwesterner of the same age, I feel this photo in my soul!" one commented, while another wrote, "Omg this is all of us middle American girls back in the day."
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Melissa Peterman loved making people laugh and watching SNL as a kid
Before Peterman rose to fame on Reba with McEntire, who became her IRL bestie, she knew as a kid that she wanted to perform and make people laugh. In an interview with Closer in November 2024, Peterman shared that she grew up watching comedians work their magic on Saturday Night Live.
"I grew up outside of Minneapolis. I was a theater major in college. As a kid, I loved to read. I loved watching The Carol Burnett Show and Saturday Night Live," she said. "I loved to watch the funny people. And then I kind of got into performing in junior high and high school. There was so much power in making people laugh."
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And, of course, she's gone on to do just that and will continue to do so as Happy's Place is returning for a second season on NBC. And Peterman, who plays Gabby the bartender on NBC's hit sitcom, has a dream casting idea.
"Of course I'm thinking of Gabby's storyline. I am always thinking of it and have ideas," she told TV Insider in May 2025. "I'm going to throw it out there. You didn’t ask, [but my] dream person to play my mother is Jean Smart ... We talk about Gabby’s mom [and how] she is formidable, she is a powerhouse ... I'm just going to say it out loud so many times because I want it to happen."
