Reba McEntire’s Former ‘Reba’ Co-Star Says What Songstress Is Like Off-Screen

JoAnna García Swisher will always adore Reba McEntire. The Sweet Magnolias star played the country singer’s onscreen daughter in the popular sitcom for six seasons and still has fond memories of their time together.

She said the Reba we saw on-screen isn’t far-fetched from the sweet persona she is behind the scenes. The actress gushed about McEntire in a recent interview with The Blast. 

“She’s just an exceptional person inside and out and such an inspiration,” she said. “You have this person that’s just such an icon, she’s the queen, and then she’s also like a mom to me. And she was in it with us. She was doing a sitcom for the first time and dove in fearlessly.”

García Swisher explained that McEntire’s impact remains to this day. “She’s just a real humble, good human. She doesn’t take herself too seriously. She’s all heart. I’m in awe of her,” she added.

She’s not just close with McEntire, but also the entire cast, some of whom currently star alongside McEntire on the NBC sitcom Happy Place. “We talk all the time. We are very, very close,” she said, calling her time on the show “a pivotal moment in my life.”

García Swisher said her character, Cheyenne, who overcame the challenges of teen pregnancy and marriage with the help of her mother, provided her with a blueprint of how to get through life’s obstacles. She says working alongside the cast was unmatched. 

“I look back on the show and remember Steve [Howey] cracking me up or trying so hard to keep a straight face,” she recalled. “Melissa [Peterman] knocking Steve over the head with a bat, on and off screen, still makes me laugh. We had a lot of fun. It was such a pivotal moment in my life. I was in my early 20s, and we spent so much time together,” she shared. “It was cool to see someone who had achieved so much in other areas of entertainment be so eager to try something new. Her fearlessness is something I’ll forever admire. She was in it with us.”