Virgin River‘s Brady and Brie have faced many challenges over the years, but could their romance be taken down by some infidelity and a surprise proposal?
“From day 1, it’s been an uphill battle for them,” Ben Hollingsworth, who plays Brady, exclusively told Us Weekly while attending the Netflix House Philadelphia VIP Housewarming Party on Monday, November 10. “But I think that that’s what makes them so inspiring and what makes them a couple that people are rooting for.”
Hollingsworth, 41, praised Virgin River for making the romance feel realistic.
“They do face all these challenges — much like our own personal lives,” he noted. “No one’s perfect. But they do have something. They have this chemistry — this magnetic pull together.”
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As a result of Brady and Brie’s (Zibby Allen) strong connection, Hollingsworth urged fans not to give up hope, saying, “Against all odds, they’re going to figure something out and they’re going to survive.”
Based on the book series by Robyn Carr, Virgin River centers around the lives of residents living in a small town in Northern California, including Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her love interest, Jack (Martin Henderson). The series also stars Hollingsworth, Allen, Colin Lawrence, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, Sarah Dugdale, Marco Grazzini, Mark Ghanimé and Kai Bradbury.
Season 6, which premiered in December 2024, ended with Jack and Mel getting married. Elsewhere, exes Brie and Brady slept together before Brie told her boyfriend, Mike (Grazzini), about her affair with Brady, which led him to propose to her.
“Season 8, we haven’t started but we have shot season 7. I don’t think [the proposal] will get in [Brie and Brady’s] way but who knows?” Hollingsworth teased. “You never know. It definitely complicates things a little bit.”
The actor expressed faith in Brady and Brie’s romance.
“I personally don’t think that Brie’s heart is necessarily with Mike,” he hinted. “You’ll see both of them trying to navigate what this new normal looks like. Whether it involves Mike or not is really something that [you have to wait and see].”
Hollingsworth continued: “Brady just wants to be the best version of himself. Part of that is trying to give Brie space to figure out what she wants and let her come to him. I think that’s very hard for Brady to do.”
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For Hollingsworth, the strong support for Brady and Brie hasn’t only come from fans. He told Us that his wife, Nila Myers, who joined him at Netflix House Philadelphia, was just as invested in the fictional couple.
“It was pretty funny. I looked over and when that scene happened where Brie breaks up Brady, she’s crying,” he recalled of his wife. “I’m like, ‘Are you really crying while my onscreen girlfriend is breaking up with me?’ That’s how I know I’m doing OK, is when she’s into it like that.”
Myers, for her part, spoke to Us about trying to avoid spoilers for Virgin River while being married to one of the lead actors.
“I want to find out like everyone else,” she said on Monday. “He asks me if I want to know and then I usually say no. Because I want to experience it just like everyone else. That’s how I know if it’s good or not.”
Earlier this year, Virgin River was renewed for an eighth season, which made it Netflix’s longest-running scripted show.
“It’s humbling to be a part of a show that’s so large and has such a massive following. We’ve been doing it for so long, it’s an absolute blessing and to have a cast that we all get along with so much,” Hollingsworth told Us. “And I love my character. I have a soft spot for Brady in my heart. So I’m always fighting for him to do the right thing. Even though he does the right thing, bad things happen to him and I find myself taking it personally.”
He concluded: “But we have wonderful fans all over the world, no matter where I go. There’s always a Virgin River fan somewhere. I always say we have the best fans. Our fans are the best fans. I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Tickets for Netflix House Philadelphia are available now and Virgin River is currently streaming on Netflix.
