Uncategorized
Reba McEntire on Her Return to Sitcoms and Working with Boyfriend Rex Linn on Happy’s Place
Sep
When Reba McEntire first ventured into the world of primetime sitcoms with Reba, she admits she didn’t quite know what she was doing. But with six successful seasons, a network transition from The WB to The CW, and an iconic theme song, the show became a lasting hit, continuing to air in syndication long after it ended in 2007.
Now, McEntire is making her sitcom comeback with NBC’s Happy’s Place, which premieres on October 18. And, in true Reba fashion, she’ll be singing the theme song for this new series as well.
In Happy’s Place, McEntire stars as Bobbie, the fiery and no-nonsense owner of a bar left to her by her father, Happy. The story takes an unexpected twist when Bobbie discovers she has a half-sister, Isabella (played by Belissa Escobedo), who inherits half of the bar. “Bobbie’s been running the tavern for the last 10 years,” McEntire tells Entertainment Weekly. “She was married, but her husband passed away. She has one daughter that is deployed in the Army, so she’s pretty much by herself, and her life is spent in the tavern.”
Joining McEntire on this new comedic adventure is a colorful cast of characters, including her real-life boyfriend, Rex Linn, who plays Emmett, the short-tempered short-order cook. Also starring are Pablo Castelblanco as Steve, the finicky accountant; Tokala Black Elk as Takoda, the overly friendly waiter; and McEntire’s longtime friend and Reba costar, Melissa Peterman, as the clingy bartender Gabby.
Reuniting with Peterman on screen has been seamless for McEntire, as she describes their comedic chemistry as “just like riding a bicycle.” “We get to play off each other, which is wonderful,” McEntire says. “We have so much fun together, and it’s just putting Bobbie in certain circumstances that she has to find a way out of.”
For Rex Linn, who is new to sitcoms, McEntire shared some sage advice from her early TV days. “This is Rex’s first sitcom, and I told him, ‘Don’t memorize everything off the first draft because they’ll change it every day,’” McEntire explains. “What doesn’t get a big laugh, they change it. You just get familiar with the blocking and everything, but don’t nail down the dialogue until later in the week.”
While McEntire enjoys the excitement of performing in front of a live studio audience, her favorite part of the sitcom process is the camaraderie during rehearsals. “What I love is the camaraderie between all of the actors and the crew, the writers, everybody,” she says. “We just have fun creating what we’re going to be filming on show night.”
With Kevin Abbott, a writer from both Reba and Malibu Country, on board, McEntire feels right at home in her new role. “He knows my voice, and I just totally love being Bobbie,” she says.
Happy’s Place premieres Friday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
