Minneapolis native Melissa Peterman studied theater at Minnesota State University before moving into the professional sphere, starring in over 600 performances of the Hey City Theater production of Tony n' Tina's Wedding. Her first film role came in 1996, when she was cast as Hooker #2 in the Cohen Brothers classic Fargo. Peterman went on to find her big break with a starring role on the sitcom Reba in 2001. She would also appear in several popular shows over the coming years, like American Dad! and Rita Rocks. In 2009, Peterman took on hosting duties on the reality series The Singing Bee.