Melissa Peterman | |
---|---|
Born | July 1, 1971 |
Alma mater | Minnesota State University, Mankato |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1996–present |
Spouse | John Brady (m. 1999) |
Children | 1 |
Melissa Peterman (born July 1, 1971) [1] is an American actress, television host and comedian. She has played the role of Barbra Jean in the television comedy series Reba , [2] appeared as Bonnie Wheeler in the ABC Family/Freeform series Baby Daddy , and was host of ABC Family's Dancing Fools, ABC's Bet on Your Baby , and CMT's The Singing Bee . From 2017 to 2024, she played Brenda Sparks in The Big Bang Theory spinoff series Young Sheldon . Since September 2023, she is the host of the television game show Person, Place or Thing .
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(December 2022) |
Upon graduating from Minnesota State, Peterman was cast as Madeline Monroe in Hey City Theater's production of Tony n' Tina's Wedding . After more than 600 performances, she went on to write and perform at Brave New Workshop, the improvisational comedy theatre in Minneapolis. [3] The theater boasts such alumni as Pat Proft, Louie Anderson, Cedric Yarbrough, Mo Collins, and Al Franken. [4]
In 1996, Peterman made her film debut as "Hooker #2" in the Oscar-winning Coen brothers' movie Fargo . [5]
In 2001, Peterman was cast as Barbra Jean Booker-Hart in Reba opposite country music star Reba McEntire and television veteran Christopher Rich. The show was the most-watched comedy on The WB in its debut season. [6] In 2007, the show ended its run after six seasons. Episodes continue to air in syndication on multiple networks. [7]
During this time, Peterman also returned to film with Recipe for Disaster alongside Lesley Ann Warren and John Lette. She also made appearances in How High and the unreleased independent film Cook-Off. Peterman remained loyal to her comic roots, too, as the host of 15 Minutes of Fem, a comedy showcase for women presented at the Egyptian Theatre. On television, she appeared in the Oxygen sketch comedy show Running with Scissors and guest-starred on Just Shoot Me! and The Pitts . She also portrayed an unstable guidance counselor, Mrs. Splitz, on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide .
During her summer hiatus from Reba, Peterman hosted The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long, reprising her hosting gig the previous summer's The Wizard of Oz Sing-a-Long, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Peterman also made appearances on the World Cup Comedy Challenge television series, as well as on the celebrity edition of Trading Spaces , with her Reba co-star Christopher Rich.
In October, ABC announced Peterman had been cast in an untitled comedy pilot starring Cedric the Entertainer. [8] The show was taped before an audience on October 30, 2007. In December, the network announced they had secured the actors, indicating they were interested in the project. [9] During the annual upfront presentation on May 13, 2008, ABC confirmed they did not order the pilot to series.
In 2007, Peterman appeared as the opening act on country singer and former Reba co-star Reba McEntire's tour. Peterman returned the following year when McEntire toured with Kelly Clarkson.
In 2007, Peterman hosted Comedy Stage for CMT. [10] The series finished its run after eight episodes. The next year, she hosted a special, Redneck Dreams, for the network. Also in 2008, she was in two episodes of Wanna Bet? as a celebrity panelist. Peterman also appeared in an episode of animated comedy American Dad! . She announced she was shooting another comedy, this time for FOX, titled Living With Abandon. [11] The pilot was not ordered to series.
In 2009, she landed the hosting gig for The Singing Bee . The show had been cancelled by NBC, and CMT expressed interest in reviving the competition. Also in 2009, Peterman appeared in Rita Rocks on Lifetime, and in Surviving Suburbia on ABC. She starred opposite Gary Valentine in Dusty Peacock, an online comedy series on Crackle. [12]
In February 2010, Big Machine Records announced that they signed Peterman to a recording contract, and she was to release her debut comedy album that year. [13] The album has been recorded, but has not yet been released. Peterman is no longer listed on the record label website. Her debut comedy special, Melissa Peterman: Am I The Only One?, premiered March 12, 2010, on CMT. [14] The special was taped before an audience in Nashville, Tennessee. Also that year, Peterman hosted the CMT Music Awards red carpet. [15]
Peterman had revealed, in 2010, she was starring in another pilot. The family sitcom, titled Working Class , was the first original scripted comedy for the CMT network. [16] Peterman starred alongside comedy veteran Ed Asner and renowned television actor Patrick Fabian. The series debut was the most-watched and highest-rated in network history. [17] The series was canceled after one season. [18]
In 2012, Peterman announced she was appearing in an upcoming ABC Family sitcom, Baby Daddy . In March, the network announced Peterman, originally only appearing in one episode, had been upgraded to series regular. [19] The network also revealed the pilot was the highest-testing comedy pilot in network history. [20] Baby Daddy finished its season as the highest-rated comedy in key demographics. [21] The show has been renewed for a second season, returning Wednesday, May 29. The show ended on May 22, 2017, after six seasons.
In January 2013, ABC ordered Bet On Your Baby and announced Peterman was the host. [22] The competition series debuts Saturday, April 6. In February 2013, ABC Family announced Peterman was also the host of another upcoming competition, Dancing Fools. [23]
Peterman also guest starred on Last Man Standing as CeCe in Season 8. [24]
Since 2017, Peterman has played Brenda Sparks, a recurring character on the CBS sitcom, Young Sheldon . Originally married to Herschel Sparks (Billy Gardell) in seasons 1 and 2, Peterman's character becomes the divorced and single mom next door neighbor to the Cooper family in season 4 and is at times a friend and nemesis to Mary Cooper, played by Zoe Perry. In seasons 4 and 5, Brenda Sparks and George Cooper (Lance Barber) experience a closer relationship that culminates at the end of season 5 with Brenda propositioning George.
Beginning in 2019, Peterman hosted the comedy game show Punch Line, where two teams of comedians try to supply punchlines to various headlines. She has also been a recurring guest star on the syndicated game show 25 Words or Less, and in 2022, began hosting the game show Person, Place or Thing , a spin-off of the classic game Twenty Questions.
In 2020, Peterman began co-hosting with Reba McEntire on a new podcast titled Living & Learning. [25]
Peterman married John Brady in 1999, and they have a son, Riley born in 2005.[ citation needed ]
Peterman works with The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, a non-profit organization helping at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area. [26]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Fargo | Hooker #2 | |
2001 | How High | Shelia Cain | |
2006 | Cook-Off | Nancy Shmaedeke | Unreleased |
2009 | Dirty Politics | Rita Breaux | |
2012 | Here Comes the Boom | Lauren Voss | |
2014 | Muffin Top: A Love Story | Kim |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Just Shoot Me | Claire | Episode "Choosing to Be Super" |
Normal, Ohio | Pamela | Unaired footage | |
2001–2007 | Reba | Barbra Jean Hart née Booker | Main role |
2003 | Recipe For Disaster | Gigi Grant | TV movie |
The Pitts | Shirley/Shelly | Episode: "Pilot" | |
2004 | Johnny Bravo | Becky | Episode: "Wilderness Protection Program" |
2006 | Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide | Mrs. Splitz | Episode: "Guide to Failing and Tutors" |
Exploring Space: The Quest for Life | n/a | Associate producer | |
2007 | CMT Comedy Stage | Host | 8 episodes |
2008 | American Dad! | Sister Mary | Episode: "Office Spaceman" |
Living with Abandon | Rachelle | TV movie | |
Untitled Cedric the Entertainer Project | Marci Wittman | ||
2009 | Rita Rocks | Jennifer | 5 episodes |
Surviving Suburbia | Mrs. Munice | 3 episodes | |
2009–2012 | The Singing Bee | Host | |
2010–2012 & 2015 | Pretty the Series | Candy | 8 episodes |
2011 | Working Class | Carli Mitchell | Main role; also producer |
2012 | Retired at 35 | Julia | Episode: "The Proposal" |
2012–2017 | Baby Daddy | Bonnie Wheeler | Series Regular, 100 episodes |
2013–2014 | Bet on Your Baby | Host | 16 episodes |
2013 | Dancing Fools | 8 episodes | |
2014 | Deal with It | Herself | Episode: "Melissa Peterman and Sarah Colonna" |
2016 | Home & Family | Guest host | |
2016–2017 | Valerie's Home Cooking | Herself | |
2017 | Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition | Herself | Contestant |
2018–2024 | Young Sheldon | Brenda Sparks | Recurring role, 35 episodes |
2019 | A Gingerbread Romance | Linda | TV movie |
2019–2020 | Sydney to the Max | Mrs. Harris | 3 episodes |
Last Man Standing | Celia "CeCe" Powers | 2 episodes | |
2022-Present | Person, Place or Thing | Host | |
2023 | Reba McEntire's The Hammer | Kris | TV movie |
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up | Pamela | ||
2024 | Happy’s Place | Gabby | Main role [27] |
Eve is an American television sitcom created by Meg DeLoatch that originally aired for three seasons on UPN from September 15, 2003, to May 11, 2006. Featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Eve, Jason George, Ali Landry, Natalie Desselle-Reid, Brian Hooks, and Sean Maguire, the show revolves around two sets of male and female friends attempting to navigate relationships with the opposite sex. The executive producers were Robert Greenblatt and David Janollari; the series was produced by The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio and Mega Diva Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television for UPN.
Rachel Boston is an American actress. She has had leading roles in a number of independent films, and was a regular cast member in several television series. She starred in the NBC drama series, American Dreams as Beth Mason from 2002 to 2005, in the short-lived CBS sitcom The Ex List in 2008, and on the USA Network series In Plain Sight from 2011 to 2012. From 2013 to 2014, Boston starred as Ingrid Beauchamp in the Lifetime fantasy-drama series, Witches of East End.
Yes, Dear is an American sitcom television series created by Alan Kirschenbaum and Gregory Garcia that originally ran on CBS for six seasons, from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, with a total of 122 episodes. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley, and Liza Snyder.
Andrea Anders is an American actress. She is best known for her work on television, notably through her main roles on five anticipated but short-lived sitcoms, Joey, The Class, Better Off Ted, Mr. Sunshine and Mr. Mom, as well as recurring and guest roles on numerous TV series including Cruel Summer, Oz, Young Sheldon, Modern Family,Necessary Roughness, and That '90s Show. Additionally, she has been cast in nearly ten produced but unsold pilots.
Sara Rue is an American actress. She is best known for her performances as Carmen Ferrara on Popular, as Claude Casey on Less than Perfect, and as the Attorney General in Idiocracy. In 2011, she hosted The CW reality series Shedding for the Wedding. She had a recurring role in the comedy Rules of Engagement, as Brenda, the softball teammate and good friend of Jeff Bingham. She had a regular role as Kim on the short-lived ABC sitcom Malibu Country, and appeared in the main cast of the TV Land comedy series Impastor. She is also known for her role as Olivia Caliban in the second season of the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
JoAnna García Swisher is an American actress and businesswoman. She is known for her roles as Sam in Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1994–96), Vicki Appleby in Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), and Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery on The WB/CW sitcom Reba (2001–07). She has also gained popularity with her acting roles in Privileged (2008–09), Better with You (2010–11), Animal Practice (2012), Once Upon a Time (2013–18), The Astronaut Wives Club (2015), Fist Fight 2017 and Sweet Magnolias (2020–present). García also stars as Lindsey Johnson in Hallmark Channel's As Luck Would Have It (2021). She hosted The Ultimatum: Queer Love on Netflix in 2023.
Cynthia Stevenson is an American actress. She first played a leading role in the syndicated parody comedy series My Talk Show (1990–91), before starring in a number of sitcoms, including Bob, Hope & Gloria, and Oh Baby.
Surviving Suburbia is an American sitcom television series starring Bob Saget and Cynthia Stevenson that aired on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from April 6 to August 7, 2009. The series originally aired at 9:30 PM Eastern/8:30 PM Central following Dancing with the Stars, before moving to Fridays at 8:30 PM Eastern/7:30 PM Central for its remaining episodes. It was the first program starring Saget to air on ABC since he left America's Funniest Home Videos in 1997.
Melissa Katherine Rycroft-Strickland is an American television personality, host, and dancer. She is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and television personality. She has participated as a bachelorette on the thirteenth season of ABC's The Bachelor, on the CMT reality TV series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, and on the eighth and fifteenth seasons of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Rycroft went on to host reality competition shows such as Bachelor Pad and Redneck Island.
Romantically Challenged is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 19, 2010, to May 17, 2010. The series is set in Pittsburgh and was created by Ricky Blitt, who is also the show's head writer. It stars Alyssa Milano. On May 16, 2010, ABC officially canceled the series; six episodes were produced, but only four aired.
Melissa & Joey is an American television sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence that aired for four seasons between 2010 and 2015 on ABC Family. The series title reflects the actors' names, not their characters', as it follows local politician Melanie "Mel" Burke (Hart) and Joseph "Joe" Longo (Lawrence), whom Mel hires to look after her niece Lennox Scanlon and nephew Ryder Scanlon after a Ponzi scheme run by Mel's sister and brother-in-law leaves Joe broke.
Retired at 35 is an American sitcom on TV Land starring George Segal, Jessica Walter, Johnathan McClain, Josh McDermitt, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Ryan Michelle Bathe. It is the network's second original scripted series after Hot in Cleveland. The series premiered on January 19, 2011. On March 21, 2011, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, at 10:00 pm ET/PT, and concluded on Wednesday, August 29, 2012.
Working Class is an American television sitcom created by Jill Cargerman, which premiered on CMT on January 28, 2011. The network ordered twelve episodes for the comedy, which was the first scripted series for the network.
Up All Night is an American television sitcom created by Emily Spivey that aired on NBC from September 14, 2011, to December 13, 2012. The show starred Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Jennifer Hall, Luka Jones, and Maya Rudolph.
Malibu Country is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from November 2, 2012, to March 22, 2013. The series was created by David A. Stewart and marks Reba McEntire's return to series television, following up her previous sitcom Reba (2001–2007).
Baby Daddy is an American sitcom created by Dan Berendsen that premiered on June 20, 2012, on ABC Family (Freeform). The series follows Ben, a man in his twenties, who gets the surprise of his life when a one-night stand leaves his baby at his doorstep. Ben decides to raise his daughter with the help of his brother, Danny, his two close friends, Riley and Tucker, and his sometimes-overbearing mother, Bonnie. The show is based on and inspired by the American film Three Men and a Baby (1987), and serves as the third installment overall in the titular franchise. Six seasons were produced in total, with the 100th and final episode airing on May 22, 2017.
Bet on Your Baby is an American game show that is hosted by Melissa Peterman. The series premiered on ABC on April 13, 2013, with two back-to-back episodes. Each episode features five families with toddlers between the ages of two to three-and-a-half years old, who play to see how well they can guess their child's next move in order to win money toward their college fund.
Reba is an American television sitcom starring Reba McEntire that aired from October 5, 2001 to February 18, 2007. The series premiered on The WB where it aired for 5 seasons, with the sixth season airing on The CW. Most episodes were recorded in front of a live studio audience.
Actor Andre Braugher is 61. Actor Dominic Keating is 61. Actor Pamela Anderson is 56. Rock musician Mark Pirro is 53. Rock musician Franny Griffiths (Space) is 53. Actor Henry Simmons is 53. Hip-hop artist Missy Elliott is 52. Actor Julianne Nicholson is 52. Actor Melissa Peterman is 52. Actor/writer Jill Kargman is 49. Rock musician Bryan Devendorf (The National) is 48. Singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens is 48. Actor Thomas Sadoski is 47. Actor Liv Tyler is 46.See also:
Actress Pamela Anderson is 46. Hip-hop artist Missy Elliott is 42. Actress Melissa Peterman is 42. Actress Liv Tyler is 36.