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Best known by worldwide audiences for portraying Barbra Jean, Melissa Peterman has also starred in multiple major motion pictures, she's made appearances in over twenty television series, she's been in numerous stage productions, and she's been the opening act for three tours. So far. As a professional actress and comedienne, Melissa has been passionate about the entertainment business since she was a young child growing up in Burnsville, Minnesota. Melissa attended Burnsville High School and was known to her classmates as a funny kid named "Missy." She quickly found out that if you make someone laugh, they won't make fun of you. Melissa made her stage debut in high school as a junior in "Mousetrap," and the school's former theatre director recruited Melissa for a group that performed at state and federal prisons. Melissa also took part in other school productions, such as lip-synching "Wango Tango," a song by Ted Nugent. Melissa has been inducted into the high school's hall of fame, alongside other famous and inspiring students. "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." Melissa didn't follow her father's wishes and become a lawyer. Instead, she became a comedienne and her career later blossemed and allowed her to become a popular actress. But like most actresses, Melissa had to gradually build up a resume. And while these lesser roles didn't garner her national attention, they did give her experience in the business. After Melissa graduated from the Minnesota State University with both theater and professional journalism as majors, she was cast as Madeline Monroe in a production of "Tony & Tina's Wedding" and to this date, has been in more than 600 performances. Melissa continued to work in theatre, as a writer and performer at the improvisational comedy theater, The Brave New Workshop. While working there, she also performed at the Chicago Improv Festival and the Big Stink Comedy Festival. With some persuasion by friends and no experience with big-budget productions, Melissa made her film debut in "Fargo," a classic, award-winning thriller starring William H. Macy and written by the Coen brothers. While Melissa's role was small and did not launch her to stardom, it was a memorable moment. Melissa began to stick her toes into television with small cameos in "Just Shoot Me!" and "Normal, Ohio." For reasons unknown, Melissa's footage was not used in the aired version of "Normal, Ohio." The next year, Melissa scored another small role in "How High," a major motion picture that was distributed internationally. The same year, Melissa was cast as the quirky Barbra Jean in the family sitcom, "Reba," a new comedy that starred country superstar Reba McEntire in the title role. The sitcom was very popular and lasted for six seasons, and ended in 2007. During the six years that the show was in production, Melissa's comedic talents were shown internationally and the audience grew to love a woman who had betrayed their idol, Reba McEntire, and stolen her man - all on screen, of course. The success of "Reba" was great for Melissa and the rest of the cast, but she kept other projects going on the side during the show's run. She starred in two comedies, "Recipe For Disaster" and "Cook-Off!," both of which were comedies. One of the writers of "Cook-Off!," Cathryn Michon, stated that Melissa was cast without an audition. The film is currently seeking a distributor. Shortly after "Reba" ended, Melissa made a comeback as the host of "CMT Comedy Stage," a new television series for CMT that also marked their first foray into stand-up comedy. Unfortunately, the show was quickly canceled after only eight episodes aired. That summer, Melissa was added as the opening act on Reba McEntire's "Key To The Heart" tour. She opened for ten of the twenty-plus dates on the schedule. Also during the summer, Melissa portrayed Mr. and Mrs. Diagle in an independent production of "Bad Seed," a revival of "The Bad Seed." Because Melissa was also touring with Reba, she teamed up with Mo Collins to play the part. Melissa stayed busy in the fall, as she was cast in "Cedric," a new family sitcom that was created by, written by, and starred Cedric The Entertainer. However, the pilot was not picked up, and Melissa moved onto a new project. Melissa filmed a movie titled "Dirty Politics," a comedy that revolves around a senator, a dead body, and the Presidental elections. The movie has yet to be released. Possibly due to the phenomenal reviews from critics and the adoration from fans that she recieved from touring with Reba the previous year, Melissa was added as the opening act on Reba's tour with Kelly Clarkson across the United States Of America in the winter of 2008. Melissa opened all fifteen dates on the tour schedule. Melissa and her husband, John Brady, were friends for over three years before getting married on June 5, 1999. On October 20, 2005, they had their first child, a boy named Riley. They currently reside in Southern California. This biography does not include all of Melissa's work. For a complete list of every known professional production that involved Melissa, please visit the Career section of this website. |