The television show “Reba” has been a staple on the Hallmark channel for several years, even though the last new episode of the show aired years ago. One of the core stars of the show, Christopher Rich, has just opened up about returning to acting after experiencing a debilitating stroke.
As People shared on February 21, Rich had a stroke in 2018. He told the media outlet that his “Reba” family has supported him through his recovery every step of the way.
“They were there from the beginning. I mean, they came to my hospital bed; they sent me gifts,” he shared.
Rich just reunited with two of his “Reba” co-stars, Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman, for an episode of “Happy’s Place.” It was his first time back on a show since his stroke.
He told Entertainment Tonight that McEntire “woke my life up by making me do this, she really did.”
Rich continued, “Now I’m back in the race. I’m gonna get to the finish line, I may have to limp across it, but I’m gettin’ there.”
Christopher Rich Felt Loved & Comfortable on the Set
Rich shared that his recovery has been a lengthy journey. “You know, I liken it to sort of climbing a marble facade of a building with your fingernails. You make tiny little bits of progress, but you don’t get up there very high.”
Initially after his stroke, People noted, Rich found he could not use the left side of his body. He has done physical therapy and rehab, which has given him the ability to walk again. Rich also had to learn how to talk again after his stroke.
His appearance on “Happy’s Place” seemed like the perfect opportunity for Rich to return to acting since he could reunite with Peterman and McEntire. “The whole group are old friends of mine and they’ve all wanted to help me bring my career back,” he explained.
Rich continued, “So they engineered this part that they thought was perfect and it was so much fun for me to play.”
The experience was “joyous,” Rich told People. He noted that Peterman and McEntire make him feel “so loved and comfortable.” He added it was “just a blast to be on set with them.”
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In March 2019, Rich opened up about his health journey in a video for the Centre for Neuro Skills. He shared that a year before the video, he’d experienced a “massive stroke” and arrived at the center in a wheelchair.
A year after the stroke, Rich was walking again and driving his Jaguar. He noted how having a brain injury is “stunning” as “everything changed in a moment.”
He insisted, however, there was hope for others in similar circumstances. “For me, the sun shines.”
Before his appearance on “Happy’s Place” aired, Rich told Entertainment Tonight, “I’ve basically taken the last decade off [from acting]. If anybody was gonna drag me out of a dark corner of the closet, it was gonna be the redhead.”
Rich admitted that after the stroke, he felt so “bizarre” that he didn’t even want to leave his house much of the time. However, Peterman and McEntire invited him to parties, football games, and other activities.
“I needed someplace where I could feel safe to really trot this broken body out again,” Rich shared, and the appearance on “Happy’s Place” became just that.
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‘Reba’ Star Returns to Acting After Stroke: ‘Woke My Life up’