Christopher Rich is best known for playing Reba McEntire‘s ex-husband Brock from 2001 to 2007 on her sitcom Reba. This week, he is reuniting with McEntire and their fellow Reba co-star Melissa Peterman on their new NBC sitcom Happy’s Place.
And it’s a small miracle Rich was able to take part in the reunion. In a new interview, Rich is opening up about the stroke and traumatic brain injury that he suffered back in 2018, and what it took to get back.
Rich’s Stroke And Brain Injury
“After my stroke and having a brain injury, it is like I got hit with an atomic bomb. So it all gets traumatized, and it is a hard reset,” Rich, 71, told US Weekly.
“After I finally got out of the hospital, I was moving around again,” he continued. “Then I threw a bunch of blood clots and ended up in the hospital with lung embolisms and debris on my heart. After surviving all of that crap, I’m feeling really, really good.”
“I lost 50 pounds since the last time I was a regular on television,” Rich added. “I just don’t have much of an appetite anymore. But I’m not disappointed by losing weight.”
Related: Reba McEntire Reveals All About Her New Sitcom – ‘We Can’t Wait’
Rich Looks To The Future
Ahead of his Happy’s Place episode, which airs on Friday night, Rich is feeling hopeful about his future in Hollywood.
“It’s great to be able to be a disabled person and play a disabled person,” he explained. “I’m hoping that when some of this gets out there, that people that I’ve worked with in the past are going to say, ‘OK, let’s bring him back. We can work with him.’”
Rich also said that he had “a blast” reuniting with McEntire and Peterman.
“The crew made it feel like the old Reba set because we were having a blast,” Rich gushed. “They had as much fun as I did and that was really heartwarming for me. It felt like I was back home in a safe place.”
“I was really well taken care of,” he stated. “It was a blessing. I want to go back so badly.”
So, now we know the name “Happy’s Place” isn’t just clever marketing!
Watch Rich, McEntire, and Peterman talk more about this reunion in the video below.
Related: Reba McEntire Makes Huge Announcement About Her New Sitcom – She’s Singing The Theme Song!
Rich’s Previous Comments
Rich previously revealed that his stroke damaged the right side of his brain, which impaired his ability to use the left side of his body. Indeed, the stroke made it difficult for him to walk and talk.
“It destroyed some of my brain so what I have been doing is I’ve been trying to redevelop neural pathways,” he once explained. “My left side was completely frozen. I couldn’t walk or use my left arm.”
Rich has also been open about how this has all impacted his marriage to his wife Eva, who he’s been married to for 22 years.
“My wife and I are still working hard to reestablish our relationship because it’s like she’s living with a different person,” he admitted. “I get frustrated with the fact that she doesn’t recognize me as the same guy that is still in here. But she’s like, ‘This is an adjustment.’ I don’t think I’ll ever be exactly what I was before and I hope not because this has been such a learning experience for me.”
Watch Rich talk more about this in the video below.
Happy’s Place airs on Friday nights at 8/7c on ABC. If you were a Reba fan, be sure to tune in to check out this epic reunion between Rich, McEntire, and Peterman!
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