What The Cast Of Reba Is Doing Now
When it comes to TV history, "Reba" can be easy to overlook. After all, the show was a traditional, studio-audience sitcom that aired from 2001-2007 – just as the landscape was starting to shift into single-camera style comedies. It also played on the WB Network as it was going through a bit of an identity crisis. The WB would rebrand itself as The CW before "Reba" aired its final season.
But in an alternate reality, maybe the series would've become a bigger hit, as 20th Century Fox TV President Gary Newman thinks the show could've succeeded much more on a different network. He raises an interesting point. Sure, "Reba" was an old-school sitcom, but it featured an incredible central cast and a pretty strong heart underneath it all. On top of all that, Reba McEntire is an absolute treasure, and "Reba" is the show that helped her truly branch out beyond being a country musician who occasionally acts.
However, we've got to ask, what happened to all those amazing actors after the sitcom ended? Though the central cast of "Reba" is a small bunch, most of the main ensemble continues to work in various realms of entertainment. Here's where you can catch up with the main cast in the years since the series concluded.
Reba McEntire - Reba Hart
Obviously, the beating heart of "Reba" is Reba Hart. Played by country music legend Reba McEntire, Reba is a sarcastic single mother in a tough situation. However, she never falls into the typical sitcom trap of becoming too overtly cartoonish. Reba Hart has flaws and strengths, and she seems like a fairly believable person, despite occasionally finding herself in outrageous scenarios.
As for McEntire, she continues to bounce between her acting and music careers. On the acting front, she landed another leading sitcom role in "Malibu Country" just a few years after "Reba" ended. It failed to catch on and was canceled after just one season. Plus, she lent her recognizable voice talents to a few notable films, playing Etta in "The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave" and Joyless in "Spies in Disguise." She also occasionally lands smaller roles in movies and television. Look for her in films like "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" or as June on a few episodes of "Young Sheldon."
McEntire's main draw, despite an impressive acting career, is her music. She continues to tour and release albums. Her 2019 studio album "Stronger Than Truth" is the 33rd of her career, and a 2020 tour that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic was pushed to summer of 2021.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher - Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery
Another character that sees significant growth throughout the six seasons of "Reba" is her oldest daughter, Cheyenne. Played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Cheyenne learns she's pregnant when she's a senior in high school and overcomes a great deal of obstacles as she matures throughout the series.
Garcia Swisher has appeared in a handful of films over her career, but she's mostly recognizable for her substantial television resume. After "Reba" ended, she immediately landed a starring role on another CW series, "Privileged," where she played a Yale-educated tutor for two spoiled teenagers. She's also had starring roles on series like "The Astronaut Wives Club" and the infamous "Animal Practice," and she played recurring character Ariel on the fantasy series "Once Upon a Time."
More recently, you may have seen Garcia Swisher on the Netflix series "Sweet Magnolias," where she stars as Maddie. She's also extremely involved in philanthropic causes, like Make the Connection, which raises awareness and raises money for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.
Steve Howey - Van Montgomery
Lovable doofus Van Montgomery had big dreams to become a professional football player, but various circumstances forced him to make dramatic changes to his life goal. Played on "Reba" by Steve Howey, Van is frequently the butt of jokes, but his good-natured personality always leaves you feeling like he's in on it with the rest of the characters.
Van was Howey's first major role, and he's since used it as a catapult to bigger and better things. After the show ended, Howey landed supporting roles in a few major romantic comedies, including 2009's "Bride Wars" and 2011's "Something Borrowed." He's also popped up in a few guest roles on several other series, including "Sons of Anarchy" and "SEAL Team."
Even though "Reba" is what got Howey started, he's probably best known for being a part of another ensemble comedy. A few years after "Reba" ended, he was cast as Kevin "Kev" Ball on the Showtime series "Shameless." He's credited as appearing in every episode of the show, which concluded in April 2021.
Christopher Rich - Brock Hart
Actor Christopher Rich was a perfect casting choice for Reba's arrogant ex-husband, Brock. A dentist who leaves Reba after impregnating his dental hygienist, Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman), you can still see plenty of his charm and likeability underneath his selfish behavior.
Rich had already had several successful runs on television before joining the cast of "Reba." One of his first major roles came on the soap "Another World," where he played Sandy Cory. He also had successful recurring roles on "Murphy Brown" and "The George Carlin Show."
These days, Rich often lands guest spots on popular television shows, but he hasn't had any major starring roles since "Reba" came to an end. That doesn't mean he hasn't had anything regular, however. He's popped up in a handful of Christmas movies, and he's had a few notable recurring roles. For example, you might have caught Rich on "Boston Legal" as Melvin Palmer or on "Melissa & Joey" playing Mel's dad, Russell.
Melissa Peterman - Barbra Jean Booker Hart
Despite the suspect circumstances that saw Barbra Jean join the Hart family, she remained one of the most likeable characters on "Reba." Played by Melissa Peterman, it is almost impossible for either the audience or the show's characters to avoid being charmed by her good nature.
Barbra Jean's personality seems to come naturally to Peterman, who has a charming charisma that's landed her a number of hosting gigs over the years. You might have seen her leading the way on competition series like "The Singing Bee" or "Bet on Your Baby." That doesn't mean she's no longer acting, however. She continues to find work on a number of television series.
Peterman's biggest show since "Reba" was probably "Baby Daddy," the ABC Family comedy where she played Bonnie Wheeler. Peterman also starred on and produced the CMT series "Working Class," and she has a recurring role as Brenda Sparks on "Young Sheldon."
Mitch Holleman - Jake Hart
Reba's son Jake played a big role in the show, so even though he was young, the character needed a strong actor at the helm. Actor Mitch Holleman had several credits to his name before being cast on "Reba" — despite only being born in the mid-'90s — and he turned out to be a perfect fit for the wisecracking young boy.
Before he joined the cast of "Reba," Holleman had already starred in a television series, the short-lived comedy "Daddio" with Michael Chiklis. He also had parts in some big-budget comedies like "The Animal" and "Bubble Boy," though his movie roles featured relatively small screen time.
Since "Reba" ended, Holleman has only had a handful of credits to his name. He popped up for just a moment in "The Hangover" as a student named Max, and you might've seen him in smaller projects like "Guadalajara" or "Bus Driver." Holleman also hosts a comedy podcast called "Extremely Internet," where he invites other comedians to discuss bizarre or noteworthy topics that are taking the web by storm.
Scarlett Pomers - Kyra Hart
Reba's older daughter, Cheyenne, was a central character in almost every episode of the series. As for her younger daughter, Kyra, she didn't have very many plots focused on her, but she still appeared in over 100 episodes throughout the series' run. You aren't likely to see actress Scarlett Pomers in too many other roles, but she's still involved in entertainment.
Glancing at Pomers' acting credits, you'll notice that her last role actually was Kyra on "Reba." Her only other part of much substance came before that, when she played Naomi Wildman on "Star Trek: Voyager." Instead of continuing to act, however, Pomers stays in the spotlight as a musician and photographer.
She's released a few albums, and you can listen to some of her music on YouTube. However, she claims to be more interested in music as a hobby than a way to make a living. She's also said that she isn't very interested in acting again, though she has done some voice work.