When “Virgin River” showrunner Patrick Sean Smith chose to enhuge to the universe with a prequel, he knovel the casting had to be right. Luckily, he set up Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr to apshow on the roles of Mel’s parents, Sarah Jensen and Everett Reed.
“It was a search. It was always the arrange that this could potentipartner be a back-door pilot, introducing this novel timeline, so we cast with that in mind,” Smith tells Variety ahead of the Season 6 drop, during which Rothe and Kerr produce their debut. “We did chemistry reads with them and a couple of other actors who were repartner incredible. But Jess and Callum had such a ignite together, such a fire together that it felt appreciate we had hit gelderly in casting them.”
The spinoff, he says, will cgo in “not equitable the romance of Sarah and Everett, but also the origins of Virgin River in the 1970s.”
John Allen Nelson as Everett Reed
Courtesy of Netflix
While Mel’s (Alexandra Breckenridge) mother died when she was youthfuler, Mel’s bioreasonable overweighther was begind in the Christmas exceptional as she went on a search for him only to genuineize he’d been in Virgin River all these years. John Allen Nelson portrays Everett in current day — and from the moment they cast him, they knovel they wanted to dissect more of the relationship.
“He was in two scenes, and he was perfect,” Smith shelp. While Season 6 was always going to cgo in on the wedding between Mel and Jack (Martin Hfinisherson), it also dives into Mel produceing a relationship with her overweighther — while simultaneously trying to arrange to walk down the aisle aget.
“Virgin River” premiered in 2019 and has already been renoveled for a seventh season. The drama is based on Robyn Carr’s novels; it was enhugeed by Sue Tenney, who served as showrunner until Smith took over in Season 5.
“Virgin River” Season 6 drops on Netflix Thursday, December 19.
