“Happy’s Place” has brought on Justina Machado and Christopher Rich as guest stars, Variety has learned exclusively.
The role will mark a reunion between Rich and “Happy’s Place” star Reba McEntire, as the two previously starred in McEntire’s hit self-titled sitcom “Reba” across its six-season run.
Rich will play Maverick, described as “a local tattoo artist that is very good at his job … as long as he’s using his right hand. Turns out Maverick has had a stroke and likes to tease new clients about which hand he’s going to use when he starts doing their tattoos.”
Machado will appear as Maritza, the mother of Isabella (Belissa Escobedo). Maritza is said to be “a self-made woman who put herself through law school as a single mom. She started a wildly successful law practice and does not suffer fools.”
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Machado and Rich will appear opposite series stars McEntire, Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.
Machado is set to star in the upcoming Netflix medical procedural “Pulse,” which marks the streamer’s first entry into the procedural space. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in the reboot of “One Day at a Time,” which aired its first three seasons at Netflix before the streamer canceled it. It was then picked up by Pop for a fourth season. Machado recently starred in the Amazon Prime Video series “The Horrors of Delores Roach” and has also starred in shows like “Six Feet Under” and “Queen of the South.” Her film roles include “The Purge: Anarchy” and “The Throwback.”
She is repped by UTA, D2 Management, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
In addition to his starring role in “Reba,” Rich has appeared in shows like “Murphy Brown,” “The Charmings,” “Almost Home,” “Nash Bridges,” “Suddenly Susan,” and “Another World.” He has also appeared in films like “Flight of the Intruder” and “The Joy Luck Club.”
He is repped by Bobblehead Entertainment.
“Happy’s Place” originally debuted in October and was picked up for a full season at NBC in November. Per the official logline, McEntire stars in the series as Bobbie, who “inherits her father’s tavern and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella (Escobedo), a twentysomething half-sister that she never knew she had.”
Kevin Abbott is the writer and executive producer on “Happy’s Place,” having co-created the series with Julie Abbott. McEntire also executive produces along with Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry, and Pamela Fryman. Universal Television produces.