"Reba" cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who's reunited for another show) Eric King, Kevin JacobsenOctober 5, 2025 at 7:00 AM 0 20th Century Fox Film Corp.
- - "Reba" cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who's reunited for another show)
Eric King, Kevin JacobsenOctober 5, 2025 at 7:00 AM
0
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy Everett
(Back row, from left to right): Steve Howey as Van Montgomery, Christopher Rich as Brock Hart, and Melissa Peterman as Barbra Jean Booker Hart; (Middle row): JoAnna Garcia as Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery and Scarlett Pomers as Kyra Hart; (Front): Reba McEntire as Reba Hart and Mitch Holleman as Jacob Hart on 'Reba'
With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter, everyone knows the title character of Reba is a survivor. The WB sitcom premiered on Oct. 5, 2001, with Reba McEntire starring as a single mom doing her best to keep her life together amid her eldest daughter's pregnancy and drama with her estranged husband and his mistress. Somehow, she got through each day in one piece.
While the show may have been called Reba and McEntire excelled as its plucky protagonist, the show wouldn't have been what it was without a talented ensemble surrounding her. From Christopher Rich as Brock to Melissa Peterman as the scene-stealing Barbra Jean, Reba had one of the most underrated casts on television. Many of them have now shown up on McEntire's latest sitcom, NBC's Happy's Place, giving us a weekly dose of nostalgia.
Ahead, we're looking back on the cast of Reba and exploring where their lives and careers went after the sitcom's conclusion in 2007.
Reba McEntire (Reba Hart)
Everett Collection; Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Reba McEntire as Reba Hart in a promotional photo for 'Reba'; Reba McEntire attending the 50th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 2, 2016
"A single mom who works too hard/Who loves her kids and never stops/With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter/I'm a survivor." Country music icon Reba McEntire played Reba Hart, a tough, recently divorced mom of three with a penchant for sarcastic one-liners.
After her TV show, McEntire released several more successful albums like Reba Duets (2007), All the Women I Am (2010), Love Somebody (2015), Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope (2017), and Stronger Than the Truth (2019).
On the television front, in addition to guest spots on Better With You, Baby Daddy, and America's Got Talent, McEntire starred on the ABC sitcom Malibu Country, which was canceled after one season. Further TV credits include a recurring role on the CBS show Young Sheldon, a starring role on season 3 of ABC's Big Sky, and serving as a coach on The Voice from 2023 to 2024 (seasons 24–26).
McEntire currently produces and stars on the NBC multi-camera sitcom Happy's Place as a woman who inherits a bar from her late father. Her Reba costar Melissa Peterman also has a main role on the series.
McEntire has a son, Shelby, with ex-husband Narvel Blackstock. She has been dating actor Rex Linn since 2020.
JoAnna García Swisher (Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery)
Everett Collection; Mike Windle/Getty Images JoAnna García Swisher as Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery in a promotional photo for 'Reba'; JoAnna García Swisher attending Smartwater Sparkling Celebrates Jennifer Aniston and St. Jude's Children's Hospital at W Hollywood on Feb. 23, 2016
Cheyenne, played by JoAnna García Swisher, goes through a great character arc over the sitcom's six seasons, starting out as an absent-minded, narcissistic high school senior who gets pregnant, and becoming more responsible and thoughtful as she gets sober, raises a daughter with her high school sweetheart, and becomes an addiction counselor.
Since her turn on the show, Swisher has enjoyed a robust television career, booking lead roles on Privileged, Better With You, and The Astronaut Wives Club, and recurring roles on Gossip Girl, Royal Pains, The Mindy Project, and Once Upon a Time (as The Little Mermaid's Ariel). She starred opposite Jason Ritter on the ABC comedy Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, and plays Maddie Townsend on the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias. She served as host of the Netflix reality series The Ultimatum: Queer Love in 2023.
The actress has been known professionally as JoAnna García Swisher since marrying baseball player Nick Swisher in 2010. Reba costars McEntire and Peterman served as bridesmaids.
Steve Howey (Van Montgomery)
Everett Collection; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Steve Howey as Van Montgomery in a promotional photo for 'Reba'; Steve Howey at his surprise 40th birthday party in Los Angeles on July 16, 2017
Van Montgomery is the footballing goofball who, after being kicked out of his house for planning to marry a pregnant Cheyenne, moves in with her. Steve Howey played the character, and, since his Reba days, he's had supporting roles in Bride Wars (2009) and Conception (2011), as well as recurring roles on New Girl and Sons of Anarchy.
The most prolific of his roles, however, is dive bar owner Kevin Ball on Showtime's Shameless, a fan-favorite character that he played for 11 seasons. Following Shameless, Howey took on a starring role on the short-lived CBS drama series True Lies, an adaptation of the 1994 film. He also guest-starred on an episode of Happy's Place, reuniting with McEntire and Peterman.
Howey was married to actress Sarah Shahi from 2019 to 2021; they have three children together.
Christopher Rich (Brock Hart)
Andrew Eccles/Fox Television/Courtesy Everett; Tibrina Hobson/Getty
Christopher Rich as Brock Hart in a promotional photo for 'Reba';; Christopher Rich attends Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XXIII at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa on March 18, 2017 in Phoenix, Ariz.
Reba's vain, golf-obsessed ex-husband, Brock, leaves her to marry his assistant at the beginning of the series.
Christopher Rich played the perpetually orange dentist, and, since then, has enjoyed regular TV work. He booked recurring roles on Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives, and Melissa & Joey, and has been staying busy working in film with a string of B movies.
From 1982 to 1996, Rich was married to actress Nancy Frangione, with whom he has a child. He shares two daughters with Eva Halina Rich, whom he married in 2003.
Rich had a massive stroke in 2018 that left him unable to use the left side of his body. He told PEOPLE in February 2025 that his former Reba castmates "were there from the beginning" through his recovery process, leading to a guest role on Happy's Place, his first TV credit in 10 years.
Melissa Peterman (Barbra Jean Booker Hart)
Everett Collection; David Livingston/Getty Images Melissa Peterman as Barbra Jean Hart on 'Reba'; Melissa Peterman at 'Hollywood Today Live' at W Hollywood on Aug. 15, 2016
Brock leaves Reba for Barbra Jean, the wacky, gullible dental assistant. As the seasons go on, Barbra charms her way from Reba's biggest annoyance to being her best friend.
Melissa Peterman played the comic character from 2001 to 2007, and, in the years since, Peterman booked roles on smaller sitcoms like Bob Saget's Surviving Suburbia, Rita Rocks, and Working Class, which she led opposite Ed Asner.
Peterman played the equally zany Bonnie Wheeler on the Freeform series Baby Daddy during its six-season run. Like McEntire, she had a recurring role on Young Sheldon, reunited with her costar again in Reba McEntire's The Hammer, and costars with her on Happy's Place. Peterman is also the main judge on the Hallmark+ reality series Finding Mr. Christmas.
Peterman has been married to her husband, John Brady, since 1999. They have a son together.
Scarlett Pomers (Kyra Hart)
Everett Collection; Jewel Samad/Getty Images
Scarlett Pomers as Kyra Hart in a promotional photo for 'Reba'; Scarlett Pomers at the premiere of 'Love N' Dancing' at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood, Calif., on May 6, 2009
Scarlett Pomers played the witty, grounded middle child Kyra, who likes to tease her younger brother Jacob and brother-in-law Van.
Pomers mostly retired from acting after Reba ended in 2007, though she is set to appear in a short film in 2025. She led the band SCARLETT, which released an EP in 2010 titled Insane.
Mitch Holleman (Jacob Hart)
Everett Collection; Charley Gallay/Getty Images Mitch Holleman as Jacob Hart in a promotional photo for 'Reba'; Mitch Holleman at the Raise Hope for the Congo event at Janes House on June 28, 2009, in Los Angeles
Jacob is the innocent, youngest Hart sibling, who, for the majority of the series, is oblivious to the family conflict surrounding him.
Mitch Holleman played the adorable little boy, and, since the show ended in 2007, has booked a few small roles in TV shows and films like The Hangover (2009), Shake It Up (2010), Bus Driver (2016), and Guadalajara (2018). From 2019 to 2021, he cohosted a podcast called Extremely Internet.
Holleman has been married to Emma Elizabeth Holleman since 2020.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: "AOL AOL Entertainment"
Source: ALPHA MAG
Full Article on Source: ALPHA MAG
October 05, 2025 at 03:54PM