Back in 2001, fans first watched as Reba McEntire shone alongside Melissa Peterman in the hit sitcom Reba, with McEntire portraying a recent divorcee who splits from her husband after he has an affair with his dental hygienist (expertly portrayed by Peterman). While their chemistry on screen was evident, the friendship they built while the cameras weren’t rolling is one that’s spanned decades. Now, the duo is lucky to share the screen once again in Reba’s latest sitcom, Happy’s Place. Here, take a look back at the bond between these two sitcom starlets.

How Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman became best friends

On the iconic series, McEntire was beloved for the way she brought to life the show’s title character—a woman who discovers her husband is leaving her for a dental hygienist he gets pregnant and that her teenage daughter is also pregnant with her football-playing boyfriend’s baby. While her world is certainly rattled by these changes and her relationship with her husband’s new girlfriend, Barbra Jean, certainly starts out rocky, by the end of the series, the duo form an unlikely friendship. Since the show concluded back in 2007, Reba and Melissa remained close pals, and despite working together here and there over the years, the duo were thrilled to join forces again in their latest venture, Happy’s Place.

“I think that the chemistry that we have, that dynamic, it’s there, so we’re bringing that to Happy’s Place,” Peterman told People back in 2024. “We have new characters, it’s a new situation, so the chemistry is still there. It’s that same dynamic that people want to see. We talked about it, that we’ve been waiting a long time, and this time feels right. It feels like we were waiting for the right cast, the right time, and we’re ready.”

For the hilarious duo, getting to share this opportunity isn’t something they’re taking for granted. “The first time it happened, I had no idea what that Reba show was gonna do for my life. How it would change my life, give my lifelong friends,” Peterman reflected on The Jason Show earlier this year. “You kind of don’t know, you’re like, ‘This is great, this is fun!’” she said of her time on Reba. “And the second time around, we’re older, a little wiser, and I think we all realize it’s even more precious because we do know how rare it is to get to do this and to get to it with friends.”

Reba and Melissa have shared the screen before

Though showing up to work with your best friend every day is truly special, Reba and Melissa were fortunate to reunite on screen several times between Reba and Happy’s Place. You may have caught them reuniting on shows like Working Class and Baby Daddy—sweet reminders that even between major projects, these two friends found ways to work together whenever they could. Today, they look back with gratitude at how Reba gave them the precious gift of each other’s friendship

“In this business, we have a lot of ‘Hollywood friends’ and you have friends that you share just the good stuff with. I think I knew that when we started sharing the real-life stuff, that it was forever,” Reba told Entertainment Tonight back in 2024. “​​​I know she’s got my back. Whether we ever work together again, she is on my side always and she knows I’m on hers.”

As Reba and Melissa continue delighting audiences together on Happy’s Place, their enduring friendship reminds us that the most meaningful relationships in our lives are built on genuine care, shared laughter and unwavering support. Whether on screen or off, these two remarkable women show us that true friendship only grows stronger with time.