These days, Reba McEntire is considered a double threat. She’s just as well-known for her acting chops as she is for her country stardom. But, there was a time when the Oklahoma native was resigned to the studio, devoting all of her talent to music. It wasn’t until 1990 that McEntire earned her hyphenate. Learn more about McEntire’s first significant movie role, which was released over 30 years ago today, below.
Videos by American Songwriter
Reba McEntire’s Film Debut
McEntire has had many acting roles to date. She’s most known for her roles in sitcoms, including her self-titled show and her current acting gig, Happy’s Place.
While McEntire shines in comedic roles, she’s also known for portraying more serious notes. While a movie about flesh-eating worms has a touch of silliness, the 1990 release Tremors has high stakes. McEntire toes the line between comedic relief and certified scream queen in her feature film debut.
Tremors
Tremors is set in a fictional town where there is concerning seismic activity underground. The characters—played by Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Finn Carter—band together to uncover the source of the activity. They stumbled upon worm-like creatures hungry for the townspeople.
McEntire plays a gun-slinging doomsdayer who teams up with her husband to fight the underground creatures. McEntire earned audience and critical acclaim for her role, jump-starting her acting career.
The country star once recalled her first take on Tremors, recounting how exciting it was to join “the movies.”
“I went, ‘Yeah! I did it! And I was just screaming my head off and was, ‘That was my first take! I’m in the movies now,” McEntire once said.
It wasn’t just the experience in a film that made McEntire want to pursue acting; it was the grueling, “dirty” experience of filming Tremors out in the desert that appealed to McEntire’s “cowgirl” sensibilities.
“I’m all for that,” she once said. “I’m an old cowgirl. It’s fine.”
Franchise
Tremors became a large-scale franchise, earning seven sequels. The original movie, starring McEntire, became a cult classic.
“So many times, people wouldn’t even know I sang,” McEntire once said of the movie’s popularity. “It’s a cult film! People are into it!”
Pretty crazy, considering McEntire is one of the most decorated singers—not just in country, but music in general—ever to grace a microphone.
(photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.