Profile of Melissa Peterman on Famous Like Me

Melissa Peterman is an American actress who was born on July 1, 1970 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating from Minnesota State University with theater as one of her majors, she was cast as Madeline Monroe in Hey City Theater's production of Tony & Tina's Wedding. After more than 600 performances, she went on to work as a writer and performer at the improvisational comedy theater The Brave New Workshop, which boasts such alumni as Louie Anderson, Peter Tolan and Al Franken. While with the Brave New Workshop, she also performed at the Chicago Improv Festival and the Big Stink Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas.

Film and television

Peterman made her film debut as Hooker #2 in the Coen brothers' Oscar-winning movie Fargo. She has also appeared in the comedies Recipe For Disaster and How High with Fred Willard, Hector Elizondo, Spalding Gray and Method Man. Melissa landed herself a role in the comedy series "Reba", lead played by contry-singer Reba McEntire, playing the new woman for the lead character Rebas former husbond, whom he left because he impregnated his mistress, Melissas character Barbara Jean (B.J). As if that wasn't enough for Reba, her oldest daughter Cheyenne, all of 17, confesses to being pregnant also, and marries her childs father, who moves in with them. B.J and Brock moves in next door to Reba and the kids, and the show is set! The show features modern difficult themes such as adultery, divorce, teen pregnancy and extended families with humour, wit yet with serious undertones. Peterman remains loyal to her comic roots as the host of 15 Minutes of Fem, a comedy showcase for women presented at the Egyptian Theatre. She continues to write her own material and has a one-woman show in the works. On television, she appeared in the Oxygen sketch comedy show Running With Scissors and guest-starred on Just Shoot Me and The Pitts.

During her summer hiatus from Reba, Peterman hosted The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long - reprising her hosting gig from last summer's The Wizard of Oz Sing-A-Long -- at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Peterman can also be seen this fall on the World Cup Comedy Challenge television series and on the celebrity edition of Trading Spaces, with her Reba husband, Chris Rich.

Family

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, fellow actor John Brady.

Trivia

Melissa is about 180 cm tall.

Quotes

Melissa's Book of Love: "I was friends with my husband for four years before we fell in love. If I had a rule book, I'd include one about how you need to like the person before you love them. The like never goes away, even when they're driving you crazy."

All the World Is a Courtroom... er, Stage: "When I was little I used to say, 'When I grow up, I want to be a lawyer or an actress.' And my dad would say, 'Well, they're the same thing, except that you'll probably make money with one.' He meant lawyer."

A Parent's Worst Nightmare: "My husband and I both consider ourselves funny people - we met doing improv - and our biggest fear is having a kid who has no sense of humor. We go, 'What if our kid has no sense of timing? What happens if our kid doesn't get us?'"

Minnesota Mama: "I'm always doing characters, and I have fun doing my mother." [In a thick Minnesota accent:] "'Well, Melissa, L.A. is real crazy out there, ya know. I heard they rioted after they won a basketball game. Gosh, if they riot after they win, imagine what would happen if they lose!'"

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