Melissa Peterman remembered auditioning for Reba and meeting Reba McEntire more than two decades ago.

Peterman played Barbara Jean Hart on the beloved early 2000s sitcom. Reba premiered in 2001, and continued the story about the Houston, Texas-based family until the finale aired in 2007. McEntire played the title character, single mom Reba Hart, and Peterman played her unlikely friend. The cast also included Christopher Rich, Steve Howey, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Scarlett Pomers and Mitch Holleman.

Reba remains a beloved series nearly 20 years after it ended. Peterman caught up with Bobby Bones on a new episode of The BobbyCast. She chatted about the show’s legacy, the close bond between cast members, why audiences still love it, why a reboot hasn’t happened, and more.

“The first time I met her in person was the first day of the table read for the show,” Peterman said as she reflected on the audition process. “When I auditioned, the show was still called Sally, I believe, because they didn’t know — she [McEntire] wasn’t attached yet. So, at that point, I was auditioning for this show Sally. And I believe by the time I got to that callback where you’re in front of network, at that point, she was attached to it. And I thought, ‘oh my gosh, please let her be attached to it,’ because I just feel like…everything she does sort of works and turns to gold. I just wanted her to do it, and I just wanted to meet her. But I never auditioned with her.”

Peterman added that she and McEntire “immediately” knew they wanted to work together again after Reba ended. She's since reconnected with McEntire on Happy’s Place, an NBC sitcom that made its debut in October 2024. McEntire plays Bobbie, “a tough but lovable woman who inherits her late father’s Tennessee tavern - only to discover that her new co-owner is also the half-sister she never knew she had,” per NBC. “They couldn’t be more different, but they’ll navigate this new life together... because at Happy’s Place, everyone is family.” Peterman plays Gabby, a bartender at the tavern and a longtime friend of McEntire’s character. The cast also includes McEntire’s real-life fiancé Rex Linn, plus Belissa Escobedo, Pablo Castelblanco and Tokala Black Elk. Some Reba stars have made guest appearances on Happy's Place, including Rich, Howey and Garcia Swisher.

McEntire said in an interview with iHeartCountry last year that the No. 1 secret to a successful comedy is “the writing. If it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage.” She said her showrunner and head writer tells stories in “a great voice of comedy and heart. …That’s what I love so much about the Andy Griffith Show, (for example), how he raised Opie – I used that raising my son – but it is very important to have heart in there. You gotta laugh, but you gotta cry. You’ve got to hit all of those emotions.” McEntire added of her Happy’s Place cast mates, “we love each other. We respect each other’s opinion on things, their individual lifestyle, their background, their heritage. It’s a fun family.”

Listen to the full BobbyCast episode on iHeartRadio, or watch on Netflix.

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