ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) \u2014 Comedian and actress Caroline Rhea says if she had to pick only one thing to do professionally, she\u2019d always choose stand-up comedy, though, first and foremost, she\u2019d be her daughter Ava\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
Ahead of her Oct. 25 performance at Del Lago Resort & Casino, Rhea reflected on how her comedy has evolved over the years, how motherhood has shaped her material, and what fans can expect from her latest projects: including a new CBS drama.<\/p>\n
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The draw of stand-up<\/h3>\n
\u201cI actually, genuinely love people,\u201d Rhea said. \u201cI love checking in\u2026 I like hearing about people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
She describes stand-up as a reminder of shared humanity. \u201cNothing makes me happier than thinking, \u2018Here\u2019s a group full of strangers, and in an hour, they\u2019re going to feel better than they did before they got here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Rhea laughed that she\u2019s \u201cso codependent that when my friends laugh really hard, I pee in their pants,\u201d but said connection keeps her coming back to the stage after 36 years in comedy.<\/p>\n
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Comedy through motherhood<\/h3>\n
Now the mother of a teenager, Rhea jokes that raising a teen feels like \u201cthe heckler followed me home from the club.\u201d Her daughter\u2019s unfiltered honesty, often asking, \u201cWhat is wrong with you?, fuels much of her material.<\/p>\n
Rhea remains beloved for her roles in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Phineas and Ferb, and says fans of those shows often come see her live. \u201cI love that people who watched Sabrina come to my shows,\u201d she said. \u201cI have such a place in my heart for these kids who are now grownups with their own children.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also revealed she\u2019s writing and performing an original song for Phineas and Ferb, calling it both exciting and \u201ccompletely terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n
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A dramatic turn in Sheriff Country<\/h3>\n
Rhea is also taking on a new role in the CBS spin-off Sheriff Country, premiering this fall. She plays Gina, who runs the sheriff\u2019s office in the small Northern California town of Edgewater \u2014 a community connected to the hit series Fire Country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pilot alone is so riveting, it\u2019s like they\u2019re making a movie every week,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s very exciting to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although she was initially hesitant to commit because her daughter is a high school senior, Rhea said the schedule worked out, and the chance to return to dramatic acting was too good to pass up.<\/p>\n
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Returning to the stage<\/h3>\n
As for her upcoming Finger Lakes performance, Rhea promises an hour of laughter and relatability.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome with your mother, mother and daughters are my absolute favorite audience members,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to feel, in an hour, better than you did when you got here. I can guarantee that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rhea\u2019s latest stand-up special, I Identify as a Witch, touches on aging, parenting, relationships, and the quirks of everyday life.<\/p>\n
Tickets for Caroline Rhea\u2019s Oct. 25 show at Del Lago Resort & Casino are available now through the venue\u2019s website<\/a>. News 8\u2019s Gio Battaglia\u2019s full interview with Caroline Rhea airs Friday at 9 p.m. on the RochesterFirst streaming app.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/i><\/p>\n