“Reba McEntire Talks About Coming Back to the ‘Happy’s Place’ Set and Collaborating With Fiancé Rex Linn: ‘It’s a Blast’”
By Website Content Manager
“They’re sharing romance both on-screen and in real life!”
Reba McEntire has returned to the set of NBC’s Happy’s Place for its second season, and she’s having a blast working alongside her fiancé, Rex Linn.
The duo first appeared together on the show when it premiered on October 18, 2024. The sitcom, both witty and heartwarming, follows McEntire’s character, Bobbie, who inherits a Knoxville tavern after her father’s death. She navigates life with a colorful team of employees, including Gabby (Melissa Peterman), Emmett (Rex Linn), Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), Steve (Pablo Castelblanco), and Takoda (Takala Black Elk).
Linn plays Emmett, the often grumpy yet wise cook who has kept the tavern’s kitchen running for years. Fans have also witnessed a romance developing between Emmett and Bobbie. After tension throughout Season 1, the new season kicked off with the pair embracing their connection, sharing their first on-screen kiss and going on their first date.
The budding relationship faces challenges, particularly due to a secret Emmett is hiding regarding Bobbie’s estranged half-sister, Isabella. Despite the drama, the chemistry between McEntire and Linn shines both on-screen and off.
Speaking with the TODAY Show, McEntire said that Season 2 has been “so much fun,” noting that the cast is more comfortable with each other after the first season. “Season one, you kind of get to meshing together and learn each other’s habits and how they want to work. And it was fun. Season two is so much more fun now,” she explained. “We know each other, our crew is the best. We’re having a great time.”
The pair share a long history of working together, having first met on the set of The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw in 1991. They’ve since collaborated on several projects, including The Hammer (2023) and the ABC series Big Sky (2022).
McEntire described working on Happy’s Place as a “blast,” adding that they’ve learned to balance their different working styles. “He is a workaholic and loves to rehearse. Me, not so much,” she joked. “So he makes sure I know my lines and that I’m ready for tape day. We have a blast. We’re so grateful we get to work together and then go home together.”
The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve 2024 and are taking their time planning their wedding. McEntire said in an interview with E! News that no date has been set yet, but their future wedding will reflect their personalities. “We like comfort, we love friends, we love food,” she shared.
Alongside acting and wedding planning, McEntire is keeping busy as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. She praised her fellow coaches, saying, “Michael [Bublé], Snoop [Dogg], Niall [Horan], they’re just so much fun to hang out with. They’re cute as a button, as I always say. And Snoop’s always coming up with something new. He entertains all of us.”