Melissa Peterman

Melissa Peterman is an American actress and comedian.

She has played the role of Barbra Jean in the television comedy series Reba, appeared as Bonnie Wheeler in the ABC Family/Freeform series Baby Daddy, and was host of ABC Family's Dancing Fools, ABC's Bet on Your Baby, and CMT's The Singing Bee.

In 1996, Peterman made her film debut as "Hooker #2" in the Oscar-winning Coen brothers' movie Fargo.

In 2001, Peterman was cast as Barbra Jean Booker-Hart in Reba opposite country music star Reba McEntire and television veteran Christopher Rich.

The show was the most-watched comedy on The WB in its debut season.

In 2007, the show ended its run after six seasons.

Episodes continue to air in syndication on multiple networks.

During this time, Peterman also returned to film with Recipe for Disaster alongside Lesley Ann Warren and John Lette.

She also made appearances in How High and the unreleased independent film Cook-Off.

Peterman remained loyal to her comic roots, too, as the host of 15 Minutes of Fem, a comedy showcase for women presented at the Egyptian Theatre.

On television, she appeared in the Oxygen sketch comedy show Running with Scissors and guest-starred on Just Shoot Me! and The Pitts.

She also portrayed an unstable guidance counselor, Mrs. Splitz, on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

During her summer hiatus from Reba, Peterman hosted The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long, reprising her hosting gig the previous summer's The Wizard of Oz Sing-a-Long, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Peterman also made appearances on the World Cup Comedy Challenge television series, as well as on the celebrity edition of Trading Spaces, with her Reba co-star Christopher Rich.

In October, ABC announced Peterman had been cast in an untitled comedy pilot starring Cedric the Entertainer.

The show was taped before an audience on October 30, 2007.

In December, the network announced they had secured the actors, indicating they were interested in the project.

In 2007, Peterman appeared as the opening act on country singer and former Reba co-star Reba McEntire's tour.

Peterman returned the following year when McEntire toured with Kelly Clarkson.

In 2007, Peterman hosted Comedy Stage for CMT.

The series finished its run after eight episodes.

The next year, she hosted a special, Redneck Dreams, for the network.

During the annual upfront presentation on May 13, 2008, ABC confirmed they did not order the pilot to series.

Also in 2008, she was in two episodes of Wanna Bet? as a celebrity panelist.

Peterman also appeared in an episode of animated comedy

American Dad!.

She announced she was shooting another comedy, this time for FOX, titled Living With Abandon.

The pilot was not ordered to series.

In 2009, she landed the hosting gig for The Singing Bee.

The show had been cancelled by NBC, and CMT expressed interest in reviving the competition.

Also in 2009, Peterman appeared in Rita Rocks on Lifetime, and in Surviving Suburbia on ABC.

She starred opposite Gary Valentine in Dusty Peacock, an online comedy series on Crackle.

In February 2010, Big Machine Records announced that they signed Peterman to a recording contract, and she was to release her debut comedy album that year.

The album has been recorded, but has not yet been released.

Peterman is no longer listed on the record label website.

Since 2017, she has played Brenda Sparks in The Big Bang Theory spinoff series Young Sheldon.

Since August 2022, she is the host of the television game show Person, Place or Thing.

Upon graduating from Minnesota State, Peterman was cast as Madeline Monroe in Hey City Theater's production of Tony n' Tina's Wedding.

After more than 600 performances, she went on to write and perform at Brave New Workshop, the improvisational comedy theatre in Minneapolis.

The theater boasts such alumni as Pat Proft, Louie Anderson, Cedric Yarbrough, Mo Collins, and Al Franken.