‘Barb and Star’: Reba McEntire Cameos in New Movie, and Fans Can’t Wait

The comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar was released on Friday to mostly positive reviews for the performances from stars Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, who also wrote the film together. The movie also features a cameo appearance from country superstar Reba McEntire, who made sure her fans knew about the project by tweeting out the teaser she narrated. Lionsgate released the movie on premium Video On Demand platforms exclusively.

In the movie, Wiig and Mumolo star as Star and Barb, respectively, two friends who live in a small Midwestern town and go to the fictional Vista Del Mar, Florida for a vacation. Things get surreal throughout the movie, which was directed by Josh Greenbaum and counts Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as producers. The rest of the cast includes Jamie Dornan, Damon Wayans Jr., and Wendy McLendon-Covey. Andy Garcia also makes an uncredited cameo as Tommy Bahama. McEntire plays a water sprite, as the Chicago Sun-Times points out in its review.

If McEntire hoped to get her legion of fans excited about Barb and Star, her tweet worked. Dozens of followers said they would be interested in checking it out. “Lol! What a nice surprise!!! Will definitely get this over the weekend,” one fan wrote. “You are always so good at giving these little teases about things your in or doing.. Definitely will watch it,” another chimed in. “OMG! Such a fun movie,” another wrote. “Ohhhh my god! I WAS NOT READY!” another wrote.

McEntire, 65, has been busy lately, as she will be making another appearance on CBS’ Young Sheldon in the Feb. 25 episode, “Crappy Frozen Ice Cream and an Organ Ginder’s Monkey.” She also appeared in a 2020 episode, “A Boyfriend’s Ex-Wife and a Good Luck Head Rub,” as June. McEntire’s makeup artist Brett Freedman shared a photo of himself putting on the final touches of McEntire’s look during shooting.

The singer has a connection to Young Sheldon, as her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn, plays Principal Tom Petersen on the series. The two originally met in 1991, when they starred in Kenny Rogers’ movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw. When they first met, McEntire was married to her now-ex-husband Narvel Blackstock. McEntire and Linn began dating last year.

Next up, McEntire is set to star in NBC’s series adaptation of Fried Green Tomatoes. McEntire will play Idge Threadgoode, the same character Mary Stuard Masterson played in the 1991 movie. The movie was adapted from Fannie Flagg’s novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. McEntire alos signed on to executive produce the new series.