Emma Kenney Joins Reba McEntire in NBC’s ‘Happy’s Place’

Emma Kenney, known for her role as Harris Conner-Healy on ‘Shameless,’ has joined the cast of NBC‘s new sitcom ‘Happy's Place,’ starring country music legend Reba McEntire. Kenney, 25, will play McEntire’s daughter, Gracie, in the series, which premiered earlier this season. The actress revealed that she sought advice from her former ‘Shameless’ co-star Steve Howey, who previously worked with McEntire on the sitcom ‘Reba.’

‘I was very excited to be a part of ‘Happy’s Place’ and work with Reba,’ Kenney told Us Weekly. ‘I worked with Steve Howey for a long time, who also worked with Reba for a long time. So going into it, I gave him a call. He had nothing but amazing things to say about her, and he was not wrong.’

Kenney praised McEntire’s welcoming energy, which she said made her transition into the established cast seamless. ‘She has such a kind and generous and welcoming energy, which is very special when you’re joining an already established cast to feel like that,’ Kenney said. ‘So I was very fortunate to have that.’

Kenney’s character, Gracie, is described as tough and no-nonsense, with a resilient and determined personality. The actress shared her preparation process, which included creating a detailed character analysis and even assigning Gracie a zodiac sign. ‘I chose [Gracie] to be a Capricorn. I felt it made sense for her,’ Kenney explained.

While Kenney is excited about her new role, she also expressed a desire to reunite with her former ‘Shameless’ co-stars. ‘I miss working with them all. It is always a sad and maybe nostalgic feeling when you wrap a show that you’ve done for years because it’s most likely never going to be the exact same casting crew,’ she said. ‘But I’ve been really fortunate to work with such wonderful people that I’ve really formed strong bonds with. I’d love to get on the set with any of them again.’

‘Happy’s Place’ airs on NBC Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.