Steve Howey & Reba McEntire Reunite on Happy’s Place: All About the Actor

Steve Howey is reuniting with his Reba co-stars in the Happy’s Place Christmas episode.

Over 20 years ago, Steve Howey earned his way into America’s TV heart as the sweet yet ditzy Van Montgomery on Reba, starring alongside Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman. Since then, Howey’s career has only continued to grow, starring in blockbuster movies, popular television series, and a long-running drama.

Howey’s returning to his roots as a guest star on NBC’s comedy Happy’s Place. He’ll share the screen once again with his former Reba castmates, and there’s talk that this reunion could happen more than once.

Read on to revisit the many TV shows and movies you know Howey from, and learn a bit about his childhood and his life as a father of three.

Steve Howey’s childhood included living on a boat

While Howey was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1977, he spent a lot of his childhood on a 67-foot yacht called “Valkyrien” and then a 38-foot schooner, sailing up and down the Pacific Coast. Howey told Forbes he “really learned how to survive on the ocean” during that time in his life. “Travel is the best education, in my opinion. I’ve always said that,” he told the outlet. “It’s better than any kind of book you can read or class and lecture you could attend. It’s the ultimate life lesson.”

Acting is very much in the Howey family; his father, Bill, was an acting coach for decades and operated an acting school with his mother, Carla, until he passed away in 2021. The two also wrote a book in 2004, titled The Actor’s Menu: A Character Preparation Handbook.

Howey studied acting under his father, an experience he told The Los Angeles Times in 2011 was tricky as it’s hard to take notes from a parent. But ultimately it “paid off,” he said.

Howey also has a sister, Tammy, and a brother, Bret.

Steve Howey is a proud dad of three children

Steve Howey and Sarah Shahi, daughter Violet Moon Howey and sons William Wolf Howey and Knox Blue Howey attend the World Premiere of ‘Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’ at Regency Village Theatre on June 30, 2018 in Westwood, California.

Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Howey shares three children with his ex-wife, actress Sarah Shahi. The two welcomed their first child, son William, in 2009 and later welcomed twins, Violet and Knox, in 2015.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Howey described himself as a “protector, especially when I’m with my kids.” He often posts sweet photos of himself with his children, somehow managing to hold all three at the same time and dressed up in costumes.

Steve Howey’s acting credits include many popular TV shows and movies

Joanna Garcia, Steve Howey, Melissa Peterman and Reba McEntire pose at the premiere of Twentieth Century Fox’ s “Supercross: The Movie” at the Wadsworth Theater on August 15, 2005 in Los Angeles, California.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Dating back to the late ‘90s, Howey has been consistently stacking up acting credits. Before he rose to fame as Van Montgomery in Reba, Howey had roles in TV shows including ER (2000), The Drew Carey Show (2000), as well as the movies Supercross (2005) and Class (1998).

In 2001, Howey landed a starring role in Reba, playing a teen dad, star football player, and husband to Reba Hart’s 17-year-old pregnant daughter Cheyenne. Van often provided comedic relief as a clueless goofball, but always loyal and loving to his family.

Reba fans have been begging for a reboot for years, and Howey is also on board, telling Entertainment Tonight he’d be open to a new series about the characters. “When I played Van on that show, I was in my early 20s,” Howey said. “And to see where Van is now and where the family is, I mean I would do anything. Reba says, ‘Jump,’ and I’ll say, ‘How high?'”

After Reba, Howey went on to star as bar owner Kevin Ball in Shameless from 2010 to 2021. He’s also had roles in New Girl, Law & Order: SVU, True Lies, and Sons of Anarchy. In movies, Howey’s had roles in Bride Wars, Something Borrowed, Making Babies, and Day Shift. 

In 2024, Howey appeared in Season 1, Episode 3 (“The Lost Biker”) of NBC’s drama Brilliant Minds as Wyatt James and will also guest star in a holiday episode of NBC’s comedy Happy’s Place. 

Steve Howey reunites with his Reba co-stars on Happy’s Place

Danny (Steve Howey) appears in Season 1 Episode 7 of Happy’s Place

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

Season 1, Episode 7 (“Ho-Ho-Howey”) of Happy’s Place marks a special reunion for McEntire, Peterman, and Howey. The three actors starred in all six seasons of Reba, which aired its finale in 2007.

In the Happy’s Place Christmas episode, airing December 6 at 8/7c, Howey plays a wealthy business owner named Danny who becomes friends with Gabby after meeting at a dog park. “When the tavern’s health insurance is threatened to be cancelled, Gabby has a plan; she’ll persuade her friend Danny to host his company party at Happy’s,” the episode’s synopsis reads. “But the catch is everyone must call Bobbie ‘Gabby’ and Gabby ‘Bobbie.’”

Kevin Abbott, creator of Happy’s Place who also served as an executive producer on Reba, told TV Line that Howey’s character may return. “One of the arcs for [Peterman’s] character Gabby is that she thinks she wants to have a baby… and the Steve Howey character becomes a potential sperm donor,” Abbott said. “We’re hoping that Steve’s character can come back.”