“I take this very seriously”: a Virgin River actor defends the series, accused of being too imprecise
Mark Ghanimé entered the Virgin River universe at the beginning of season 4 as a doctor and therefore a colleague of Mel Monroe. A role that cannot be improvised, on the contrary!
From the interminable pregnancy of Charmaine (played by Lauren Hammersley) to the unexpected survival of Jack (Martin Henderson), including the heart attacks that occur at the right time during helicopter trips, Virgin River, the successful Netflix series, sometimes flirts with the limits of realism. Fans have often wondered how certain plots could actually happen. Another subject that often comes up in the debates concerns the accuracy and legitimacy of the procedures and events that take place in the doctor’s office (Tim Matheson). Dr. Cameron Hayek (Mark Ghanimé), who arrived in season four to help Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Doc at the practice, has had his fair share of medical emergencies at the Virgin River office, as well as a frosty reception from Jack.
“You get to grips with certain terminologies,” says Mark Ghanimé (Cameron on Virgin River)
When asked about his role and how he prepared for a medical role, Mark Ghanimé defended the show for all the inaccuracies it’s been accused of, while explaining the lengths he went to ensure they didn’t detract from the drama. “I’ve had to play six doctor roles in my career,” he explained on the Chatting with B podcast. “The training and learning all the technical terms for all the drugs and procedures, it all adds up and you get to know certain terminologies. So when I get a new prescription, I know exactly what it’s for, I know what that drug does.” Virgin River Uses Medical Advisor
“On this show, we have an advisor who is either a doctor or a nurse who is available whenever we get the script and so I can talk to them, have a discussion with them to understand what I’m doing and why I’m actually doing this particular procedure, it’s very helpful,” Ghanimé continued, adding: “I have a lot of jargon in my head, the hardest part is sometimes saying it convincingly and knowing what you’re talking about. You’re not just saying the name of a drug, you’re not just saying a procedure, you have to know why you’re saying it and so that was the challenge for me.” “I take it seriously, I don’t want to sound like an actor playing a doctor,” Ghanimé concluded.
