EXCLUSIVE | 'Virgin River' star Benjamin Hollingsworth wants more of Brie and Brady in Season 4
'Virgin River' star Benjamin Hollingsworth has made an enormous fan base in a short period of time. His impeccable acting on the Netflix show is not only wooing the viewers but is also be considered a top-notch performance by the critics as well. The Netflix series is one of the most popular series in the world right now and it has the stats to prove it
According to the recent Nielsen streaming chart rating, 'Virgin River' spent a second week atop the organization's US streaming chart and was the only title to draw more than 1 billion minutes of viewing. One of the biggest reasons for the show's success has been Hollingsworth's character Brady. The show has played an integral role in taking his popularity to a whole new level and he understands that Netflix has been massive for his career.
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<Netflix 'Virgin River' Season 4: Release date, how to watch and cast of romantic drama.>
Season 3 of 'Virgin River' ended with Brady being behind the bars for something that he did not do. Meanwhile, fans want Brie (Zibby Allen) to help him at court. But, no one knows what will happen in Season 4.
MEAWW spoke with Benjamin about the show, what he expects from Season 4, and the difference between working for Netflix and a traditional television network.
Fans got to see a different side to Brady, a softer side, in Season 3. What do you think is in store for Brie and Brady?
Well, I hope there will be a fourth season. Hopefully, people will see more exploration of what could potentially become a serious relationship between Brady (Hollingsworth) and Brie (Zibby Allen). But the big issue is that he’s in jail for something that he didn’t do. So, she is a lawyer and I feel, it would be a good thing for her if she ends up believing that he didn’t do anything and defend Brady in court. I think that would be really great and there will be an opportunity to expand their relationship.
Then there is the massive cliffhanger, of course. Brady himself seemed shocked when he was arrested. Do you think he was behind Jack’s attempted murder? Or was it someone else?
Honestly, I don’t know. At first, I thought I did, but then I heard something which was contrary to what I thought. But I think Mike (Marco Grazzini) seems to be acting very strange toward Brady. It might be because he has set his eyes on my (Brady) girl. But it might also be possible that there is something there in the past that makes me think it has something to do with him.
Speaking of season 3, what was it like, working through the pandemic?
We were one of the first shows that were back when the pandemic had subsided a bit and people had found a way to return to work. I got to give full credit to Netflix, they made us feel safe and they took care of us. The testing was constant and the guidelines, protocols were excessive but necessary. Fortunately, no one got Covid and we never faced any issues. But it was surreal going to work and wearing a mask and not being able to hang out with other cast members in between the scenes. At first, it was bizarre but you know you could get used to anything and by the end of it, we weren’t thinking of these things. It just became a habit and we just wore a mask after finishing scenes and then sitting in the private area. However, it was unfortunate that it cut down our connection with other cast members, but it was really important for everyone’s safety.
With 'Virgin River' being on Netflix and 'Joe Pickett' on Spectrum, global audiences have easier access to shows. As a professional in the industry, what is your take on that?
I just finished a series called ‘Code Black’ that was on a network platform. I actually have a good comparison when it comes to the difference is working on a network television series that airs on the biggest and most-watched network in the US (CBS) and then I have a series on Netflix. I would say there are three major differences. First, the creative voices are given all the freedom to be creative without network interference. So, Netflix doesn't interfere and is quite different in some things that happen on a network like CBS where you get a draft and they change it considerably. The second difference is in the storytelling. So, when you are able to binge something, you can control how much you watch, when you want to watch, and how you wanna watch it. This is something that you don’t get on traditional television networks. On TV networks, you are told when to be there, how to be there, and what time. So, you look at it like a meal whereas streaming services feel like when you want it and how you want it kind of deal.
Meanwhile, the third thing is the difference between your show going global and being televised nationally. So, on TV networks we were getting a viewership of 9 million or 12 million per episode for ‘Code Black’. But for ‘Virgin River’, we had 1.8 billion minutes streamed in the first week, which means a viewership of 66 million per episode. It is catastrophically bigger of an audience. So, I get recognized more because of my show on Netflix when I go out. It is fun, but it takes a little bit of adjusting.
Are there any other upcoming, exciting projects that we should keep an eye out for?
There are many things in the pipeline, but I can’t talk about them right now. I will update fans on social media whenever I am allowed to.