Virgin River’s Annette O’Toole for season 6, Hope’s ex-husband and more

A virgin river star Annette O’Toole talks about her character Hope’s journey in Season 6 — including what it was like shooting that stripper scene.

“That scene I had to shoot was a bit difficult,” O’Toole, 72, exclusively said Us Weekly while promoting season sixwhich was released on Netflix on Thursday, December 19.

In the aforementioned scene set in episode four, a stripper meant for Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her friends — who are celebrating Mel’s upcoming wedding at a bachelorette party — happen to show up for Hope McCree (O’Toole) and her knitting circle at Jack’s Bar. Pilgrims follow.

While the shoot was “really fun”, O’Toole said it was also “bittersweet” as Hope’s friend Muriel (Terrill Rotary) was expecting a diagnosis of breast cancer. O’Toole explained how she was “thrilled” for Muriel – who was given a spicy lap dance by the erotic dancer, to the delight of the other women – because she was “horrified and feeling like you’re my life over”.
situation.

“It’s a real thing for everybody because you never know what’s going to happen. But especially for older people,” O’Toole explained. “You don’t know what’s around the corner. So you have to embrace every moment. And I love this scene because of that.

For O’Toole, delving deeper into the “complicated” dynamics and characterization of each woman in the knitting circle became one of her favorite parts of filming.

“They’re older women and they still have these wonderful, rich lives and problems and issues that they’re dealing with, with each other and with their city, which they all love deeply,” she said. “I love how dedicated they are to their community.”

While moments with her circle were filled with joy, O’Toole also faced more complex, emotional moments for Nadezhda this season. Her ex-husband Roland (John Ralston), was introduced in episode six, and their turbulent past was revealed when she went to visit him to adopt a horse. O’Toole admitted us that filming these scenes was “weird” as she had previously made up her own past for Hope in her head, noting that for her the character was a “widow twice”.

Although he initially had a different take on Hope’s past, O’Toole admitted that introducing an ex for Hope “makes sense” dramatically — and could serve as a potential Season 7 storyline.

“I have no idea how it’s going to go,” she said us. “I mean, I think it’s good that they leave the door open. So they’re enough enemies where it might be good to tell stories next year to do so.

O’Toole added: “They are I’m already writing season 7and I don’t know what they do with it all. I haven’t spoken to (showrunner) Patrick Sean Smith. So I think it would be fun. I think whenever you can throw more hardships, not hardships, but more problems into a relationship, not just a relationship, but just for a character to deal with, the better, especially if it’s going to be a long-term show . You have to have these issues and things to deal with. And everything can’t be smooth.”

Hope, of course, is happy in her current relationship with Doc (Tim Matheson). After years of ups and downs between them, Season 6 allowed the couple to move on to romance, something O’Toole “loved” to explore.

“We can just play around with that,” she said of her onscreen chemistry with Matheson. “We love doing this. And we’re preparing, trying to fill in the holes that… that aren’t explained in the script. We’re just reviewing them beforehand.”

While Season 6 gave Hope and Doc their much-earned honeymoon period, Season 7 will likely be more challenging for the duo. First, there’s Roland’s return, plus the issue of Doc’s practice in jeopardy that was revealed in the finale’s final moments.

Regardless of what’s next for the character, O’Toole is grateful to be able to “inhabit” someone like Hope, who she’s learned to look up to over the past five years.

“She has a lot of characteristics that I wish I had,” she said us. “I wish I was more of a pit bull sometimes. And he always knows what to say. She’s just a big, big person inside. She has great feelings about everything and nothing is trivial to her. I think it’s interesting to play. There’s just a lot about her that I find interesting.

O’Toole added that although many people claim that Hope is too “bossy” or “curious”, she sees this as a good thing, calling it proof that people are “interested” in the character. The Smallville alum also credited showrunner Smith, who vouched A virgin river is a balance of authentic storytelling while maintaining a means of escapism.

“It’s not just, ‘Oh, it’s a romantic show.’ Yes, it’s beautiful and there are all these wonderful, wonderful people running around. But that’s real, too,” she said. “It’s something that people can aspire to, to have that sense of a community where people really care about each other and are always there, always show up with a cup of coffee and (say), ‘Tell me what (you need) , how are you feeling?’

A virgin river season 6 is now streaming on Netflix.

With reporting by Kat Pettibone