Virgin River star Annette O’Toole is opening up about her character Hope’s season 6 journey — including what it was like shooting that stripper scene.
“That scene for me to shoot, it was a little tricky,” O’Toole, 72, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting the sixth season, which was released on Netflix on Thursday, December 19.
In said scene, which takes place in episode four, a stripper meant for Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her friends — who are out celebrating Mel’s impending wedding at a Bachelorette Party — accidentally shows up for Hope McCrea (O’Toole) and her knitting circle at Jack’s Bar. Hijinks ensue.
While the shooting of it was “really fun,” O’Toole said it was also “bittersweet,” as Hope’s friend Muriel (Teryl Rothery) was awaiting a breast cancer diagnosis. O’Toole explained how she was “thrilled” for Muriel — who received a spicy lap dance from the erotic dancer, to the elation of the other women — because for her, “the dread and the feeling about your is my life over” is a relatable
situation.
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“That’s a real thing for anybody because you never know what’s gonna 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 that scene for that.”
For O’Toole, getting to delve deeper into the “complicated” dynamics and characterization of each woman in the knitting circle has become one of her favorite parts of filming.
“They’re older women, and they still have these wonderful, rich lives and problems and issues they deal with, with one another and with their town, which they all love deeply,” she said. “I love how committed they all are to their community.”
While moments with her circle were filled with joy, O’Toole also faced more complex, emotional moments for Hope this season. Her ex-husband, Roland (John Ralston), was introduced in episode six, and their tumultuous past was revealed when she went to visit him about adopting a horse. O’Toole admitted to Us that shooting those scenes was “strange” as she previously concocted her own past for Hope in her head, noting that to her, the character is a “widow twice over.”
Despite having an initially different vision for Hope’s past, O’Toole acknowledged that the introduction of an ex for Hope “makes sense” dramatically — and could serve as a potential story line for season 7.
“I have no idea how it’s gonna go,” she told Us. “I mean, I think it’s good that they leave the door open. So, they are enemies enough where it might be good storytelling next year to do it.”
O’Toole added, “They’re already writing season 7, and I don’t know what they’re doing with any of that. I haven’t talked to [showrunner] Patrick Sean Smith. So, I think that would be fun. I think anytime you can throw more hard, not hardship, but more problems into a relationship, not just a relationship, but just for a character to deal with, the better, especially if it’s gonna be a long-running show. You gotta have these issues and stuff to deal with. And it can’t just be all smooth sailing.”
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 pair to lean into the romance — something O’Toole “loved” getting to explore.
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“We can just play with it,” she said of her on-screen chemistry with Matheson. “We like doing that. And we prepare, we try to fill in the holes that … that aren’t explained in the script. We just go over those ahead of time.”
While season 6 gave Hope and Doc a much-earned honeymoon period, season 7 is likely to be a more challenging one for the duo. First, there’s the return of Roland, plus the issue of Doc’s practice being in jeopardy, which was revealed in the final moments of the finale.
Regardless of what lies ahead of the character, O’Toole is thankful she gets to “inhabit” someone like Hope, who she’s learned to look up to these past five years.
“She’s a lot of characteristics I wish I had,” she told Us. “ I wish I could be more of a pitbull sometimes. And she always knows what to say. She’s just a big, big person inside. She’s got big feelings about everything and nothing is trivial to her. I think it’s interesting to play. There’s just a lot about her that’s interesting to me.”
O’Toole added that while many people argue Hope is too “bossy” or “nosy,” she sees it as a good thing, calling it evidence that people are “interested” in the character. The Smallville alum also gave credit to showrunner Smith, who has ensured Virgin River is a balance of authentic storytelling while also maintaining a means of escapism.
“It’s not just, ‘Oh, it’s a romantic show.’ Yes, it’s beautiful and you have all these lovely, gorgeous people running around. But it’s real too,” she said. “It’s something people can strive for, to have that feeling in a community where people really care about one another and are always there, always showing up with a cup of coffee and [saying], ‘Tell me, what do you [need], how do you feel?’”
Virgin River season 6 is now streaming on Netflix.
With reporting by Kat Pettibone