Christopher Rich Credits Reba McEntire For His Acting Comeback After Massive Stroke

Christopher Rich Credits His ‘Reba’ Co-Stars For His Return To Television

Christopher Rich took almost a decade off from acting after suffering a nearly fatal stroke.

Fans were so excited to see the latest guest cameo in the most recent episode of Reba McEntire’s show Happy’s Place. The episode featured a special reunion between McEntire and her former Reba co-star Christopher Rich, who played Brock on the early 2000s sitcom.

But seeing McEntire and Rich reunite on screen wasn’t just a nostalgic moment. It was also a major milestone for Rich. This was his first acting role after suffering a life-changing stroke in 2018.

His medical issues left him almost immobile. He was unable to speak or use the left side of his body. Even after years of intense physical therapy and rehab, working hard to regain most of his function, Rich was convinced he would never act again.

RELATED: REBA’S BOYFRIEND REX LINN IS “BESTIES” WITH HER FORMER CO-STAR CHRISTOPHER RICH

Everything changed when he was approached about making an appearance on Happy’s Place.

McEntire and Melissa Peterman, who played Brock’s wife, Barbara Jean, on Reba and also stars in Happy’s Place, encouraged him to take on the role.

“I mean, I’ve basically taken the last decade off,” Rich told ET during an interview alongside his friends and former co-stars. “And if anybody was going to drag me out of the dark corner of the closet, it would be the redhead.”

The cast and crew made sure Rich felt completely at home for his return to television, welcoming him with open arms.

To make things even more comfortable, they tailored his character to resemble parts of his real-life journey. In the episode, Rich played a local tattoo artist named Maverick, who, like him, had suffered a stroke and only used his right hand to tattoo his clients.

In a separate interview with US Weekly, Rich said that everyone made him feel so safe and at home that he hopes this experience will lead to more acting opportunities in the future.

“It’s great to be able to be a disabled person and play a disabled person. I’m hoping that when some of this gets out there, that people that I’ve worked with in the past are going to say, ‘OK, let’s bring him back. We can work with him.’”

Happy’s Place Renewed For Season 2

For many fans, seeing Rich return to television is a special moment, especially with his former co-stars. And now, there’s even a chance he could appear in more episodes of Happy’s Place. It was confirmed that the show has officially been renewed for a second season!

Reba McEntire shared the exciting news in a video on her social media. In the post, she surprises her castmates, and they all break down in tears of joy!

 

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Listen to Christopher Rich, Reba McEntire, and Melissa Peterman talk about working together again in the video below.