Reba McEntire Credits Someone Special For a Big Shift in Her Acting

There’s always something new for actors to learn about their craft. For country music legend Reba McEntire, a very special “Happy’s Place” co-star has changed her acting for the better in recent years: her boyfriend, Rex Linn.

In a recent interview with IndieWire, McEntire and other members of the sitcom’s creation team touched on working with Linn on “Happy’s Place.” As co-creator Kevin Abbott shared, McEntire was part of the reason Linn got involved in the series. “Reba said, ‘You know this guy I’m dating… [he’s a] pretty good actor. What about him? Is there a role for him?'” Abbott recalled. “I was like, ‘Yeah it’s perfect for Rex.'” Little did McEntire know that inviting her boyfriend to be part of the series would also help her improve her own approach to acting.

McEntire Finds Linn’s Work Ethic Inspiring

Getty

McEntire may have helped Linn land the role of Emmett, but the actor also helped her up her game thanks to his stellar work ethic. “Rex wants to have [the script] memorized before the table read,” McEntire said, referring to how dedicated Linn is to learning his lines as soon as possible. “But it’s simply amazing to me. His work ethic is so intense that it’s helped me be a better actor.”

McEntire went on to explain how Linn’s approach makes it easier to enjoy the acting process. “If you know what’s on the page, you have more fun on the stage, because you can start really working on how you want to perform a line,” she said.

What’s perhaps most surprising about Linn’s stellar performance in “Happy’s Place” is that his character’s personality is so different from his own. When Today hosts asked if Linn saw himself in Emmett’s quiet nature, he answered with a resounding, “No.” However, the actor did share that his character is central to “Happy’s Place” in many ways. “I will say this, I think Emmett kind of navigates the ship from the kitchen,” Linn said.

Linn Accompanied the Singer on an Important Visit

Getty

One fun aspect of “Happy’s Place” is its theme song, which McEntire created with fellow singer Carol King. As the country star explained in her interview, Linn was on hand for an all-important visit to King during the early phases of crafting the song. “I’m a huge fan of Carol King,” McEntire shared. “And when I asked her if she would be interested in helping me finish this song out, she said, ‘Absolutely.’ So Rex and I went down to her daughter’s house, where she was, visiting.”

As McEntire explained, King took what she had already worked on and gave it new life. In the end, the duo combined McEntire’s original melody with King’s new lyrics, giving fans the theme song they know and love today.