Virgin River has officially been renewed for season 9 but what does that mean for the show’s future after cast changes?
During an exclusive interview with Us before news broke on Friday, November 13, about the show being renewed for season 9, Ben Hollingsworth hinted how long he could see Virgin River running on Netflix.
“I would like to see it go for a long time. I don’t want to compare it to a show like Grey’s Anatomy but it does have a feeling because Grey’s Anatomy is about that space and that place, where you do see doctors come and go,” Hollingsworth, 42, said. “I think it could go that long. We could be here in 10 years still talking about Virgin River.”
Hollingsworth, who plays Brady, teased “so much story potential.”
“There are so many books in the Virgin River series. There’s a lot of content to be drawn from it,” he noted. “And I think the fan base is still fairly hungry for more. We’ll see.”
Based on Robyn Carr’s book series, Virgin River follows the lives of residents living in a small town in Northern California, including Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson).
The hit series, which premiered in 2019, also stars Hollingsworth, Colin Lawrence, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, Sarah Dugdale, Zibby Allen and Kai Bradbury.
After seven seasons, there have been some major departures from the Netflix show. Grayson Gurnsey left as Ricky after season 4 in 2022, and Mark Ghanimé, who played Cameron, had a surprising exit once season 6 was released in December 2024.
In March, Virgin River returned for season 7, and it was later confirmed that Marco Grazzini will not reprise his role as Mike. In another twist, Lauren Hammersley, who has played Charmaine since the show premiered, is also not expected to come back for season 8.
“It’s always bittersweet,” Hollingsworth told Us. “We never know if and when someone might show back up on the show. One thing we’ve been really great at as a cast is welcoming in when new people do come along.”
He added: “Our show very much opens its arms to people. Just like on the show. Everyone’s super kind to everyone. It’s a great set to be a part of. It’s bittersweet to see someone go but also when someone new comes in, they do bring something new to the show and they bring a new texture to the show, which is also important.”
Hollingsworth’s insight came as fans remain concerned about his future on the show. The season 7 finale ended with Brady injured in a motorcycle accident and Hollingsworth has remained tight-lipped about whether Brady “will be a part of” Virgin River going forward.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting [the fan reaction] to be so loud. People have some opinions about it, which is a nice compliment. I really take that as a compliment that people are like, ‘This show can’t happen without Brady,’” he added. “I’m right there with them. It’s special to see people really do gravitate towards Brady and I think some of that is just he is very human. We’re all trying to be a better version of ourselves and Brady’s been working on that since season 1. Does he make mistakes all the time? Is he trying to be a better version of himself? Yes and he does have a lot of unfortunate things happen to him. He’s always trying to do what he thinks is right and he may do the wrong thing but it’s usually for the right reason. And that type of character is really relatable.”
Virgin River has been renewed for seasons 8 and 9 on Netflix.
