Melissa Peterman: On Zombies, Hallmark, and Sitcoms

Markos Papadatos interviewed actress, comedian, and TV host Melissa Peterman about the new indie horror film “Deadlocked: Dad of the Dead,” and being a part of the entertainment industry.

The indie horror film “Deadlocked: Dad of the Dead” was recently released.

“In all honesty, we filmed that so long ago,” she said. “I had worked on it for a couple of days.

We weren’t sure what was going to happen with it, but I am so glad that people are finally getting a chance to watch it.”

“I had an absolute blast on that project. The writer and director Casey Jackson was absolutely lovely to work with. It’s a zombie film,” she added.

This indie horror film afforded Peterman the chance to reunite with her “Baby Daddy” co-star Derek Theler. “I think I’ve proven in my career that if I can work with people that I’ve worked with before that I love, I will do it again,” she said.

“That goes for ‘Reba,’ ‘Young Sheldon,’ and for anybody on the show ‘Baby Daddy.’ I’ve been so lucky that I’ve worked with so many great people that I like. That is just the icing on the cake,” she said.

“So, it was so much fun to watch Derek in a completely different genre than a multi-camera sitcom. Derek was able to take charge of this role in a different way, and I am really very proud of him,” she elaborated.

‘All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong’ on Hallmark

Peterman found the Hallmark rom-com “All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong” to be “really fun.” “I had a really great time,” she admitted. “What I loved about it was there was also a great story about friendship between women, which I think is so great.”

“That’s also a love story in our lives, our love story with our friends. We have these friends that are with us forever. So, I love that aspect of it,” she said.

“Also, I think that Mahjong is one of the fastest growing games in the globe. My sister-in-laws are playing it, and so are my nieces are. It’s a very cool game and there are different versions,” she elaborated.

Peterman on the digital age

On being an actress and comedian in the digital age, now with streaming and social media being so prevalent, she said, “I don’t know if I’m as good at it as I should be. As far as my own social media, I should be doing more and probably getting a YouTube channel but it is what it is.”

“I love the fact that I’m still on a network multi-cam show, ‘Happy Place,’ on NBC. We are going into Season 3. That gives me a little hope that there’s still space for TV and for television and for multi-cam and sitcoms,” she elaborated.

“We have to be flexible and know that even though this show airs on NBC, of course, the next day it goes to Peacock. So, streaming is the way of the world,” she observed.

“I think verticals are going to be the way of the world, so be in charge of your own content and get yourself out there. People get talent deals based on their social media. So I’ve got to get with the program,” she added.

Peterman on being a part of the sitcom ‘Reba’

Peterman recalled her time on the sitcom “Reba,” where she played the role of Barbra Jean. “It was fantastic,” she exclaimed. “Why do you think I’m working with her again in ‘Happy’s Place’? It’s because we had such a great time the first time around.”

Plans for the future

Regarding her future plans, she shared, “I have a little time off. I’m going back to Minnesota to visit family. Then, I go back into production for Season 3 of ‘Happy’s Place’ in August. Those are all my plans at this point right now.”

Serving as a judge on a Hallmark reality competition

On being a part of “Finding Mr. Christmas” (hosted by Jonathan Bennett) on Hallmark, where she served as a judge and mentor, she exclaimed, “I loved it! It’s one of my favorites. I always have the best time ever. It’s like the dream job. All the guys this past year killed it on the show.

Peterman on Craig Geoghan winning Season 2 of the Hallmark competition

Peterman noted that she was “so happy” for Craig Geoghan for winning the second season of the Hallmark reality competition.

“Craig is awesome. What I loved about him is that he could deliver comedy too. He had great chops. I’ve kept in touch with him,” she said.

“I want to be his ‘Aunt Melissa’ and the same goes for all the guys on that show. Literally every single one of them was wonderful, and a contender,” she noted.

When asked if she would like to see Craig Geoghan someday play football star Tom Brady in a biopic, Peterman responded, “Oh my gosh, Craig would be brilliant. He would be so great. They do look alike so much. When I had first met Craig, I asked myself ‘who does he remind me of?’ and the answer was Tom Brady. So, let’s throw that into the universe. Let’s manifest that.”

Advice for young and aspiring actors and comedians

For young and emerging actors and comedians, she said, “I would say to say ‘yes’ to a lot of things. If there’ a chance to go and do a table read for somebody or work on an independent project, say ‘yes.’ I said ‘yes’ to ‘Deadlocked: Dad of the Dead’ because I wanted to do something different.”

“I wanted to do something in the horror genre,” she said. “Those are opportunities where you never know who you’re going to meet on each set. Just be in charge of your own destiny in a way.”

“Right now, you have more power than ever to be producing, especially since people can make their own content on their phones. So, try to be in charge of that creative process on our own,” she elaborated.

“Also, try to get good a self-taping because I’m horrible at it,” she said with a sweet laugh.

Stage of her life

On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Second Act — Chances.”

“I feel like I’m sort of in the middle,” she admitted. “I’ve had the prologue and I’ve had the first act. There has been an intermission. I feel I am starting my second act.”

Peterman on ‘Titanique’ on Broadway

Peterman shared that she recently saw the Broadway musical “Titanique” in New York, and that she thoroughly enjoyed it to the point where she would like to someday do her own short stint on that show.

“I’m throwing my hat in the ring to do a fun little short run in ‘Titanique.’ I think that would be really fun, so I’m throwing it out there,” she said.

Superpower of choice

If she were to have any superpower, it would be “time travel.” “Even though I have no regrets, I would love to be able to go back at any point and spend days or hours in certain times of my own life,” she said.

“I would also love to fly. That would be my second superpower, she added.

Success

Regarding her definition of success, Peterman said, “I think the word success meant something when you first started out in your career, and it changes as you get older. To me, success means working and doing what I love. I think that’s really important.”

“Success also means to continually evolve. I think I’m really getting open to that,” she admitted. “Try to do something that scares you because if you are not doing that, then you are not really pushing yourself.”

Message for her fans

For her fans, Peterman expressed, “I would like to thank them. I think they’ve been so loyal to me and they’ve stuck by me for a long time and I really appreciate them.”

“You wouldn’t get to do what you do if people didn’t watch you or like you. I love meeting fans. I have met so many really cool person through Instagram,” she said.

“There is nothing that makes my day more when they tell me that my work helped them get through hard times and that I’ve made them laugh. That’s the best feeling in the world,” she elaborated.

Closing thoughts on ‘Deadlocked: Dad of the Dead’

Peterman concluded about the new indie horror film, “Parenting is hard, especially during a zombie apocalypse.”

To learn more about Melissa Peterman, follow her on Instagram.