After vanishing from the spotlight to grapple with his health issues, Christopher Rich is finally making his comeback. There's one person in particular he can highlight for giving him the courage to face the public again: Reba McEntire.
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Recently, he spoke with Entertainment Tonight to talk about his big comeback on Reba's latest show Happy's Place. After suffering a stroke in 2018, Rich took an indefinite hiatus from acting. However, he lauds Reba for lending him the confidence to get back in the swing of things. "I mean, I've basically taken the last decade off," Christopher says. "And if anybody was going to drag me out of the dark corner of the closet, it would be the redhead."
Christopher Rich Credits Reba for Giving Him The Courage to Come Back
Such a traumatizing medical incident would usually have anyone scared to go back outside. It often makes us want to shrink and treasure being alive. However, it's not truly living. Those are things that Reba and costar Melissa Peterman would emphasize when they got Rich back out of his shell. "I feel so bizarre recovering from the stroke thing that I didn't even want to go out of my house for a lot of the time," he admits. "But, they got me back out. They would invite me to parties and reunion things."
Additionally, Rich notes in an interview with PEOPLE that the pair stood by him since the very beginning of his health issues. The stroke left him incapable of walking or talking because he couldn't move the left side of his body. Regardless of such a dire outlook, they went out of their way to comfort him. "I mean, they came to my hospital bed; they sent me gifts. Melissa used to come over and bring me treats all the time in the hospital," Christopher shares. "And she was such a great supporter."
