Virgin River recently returned for a fifth season and it was not short of drama or emotion. Fortunately, if you stormed through the episodes quicker than you can say Jack’s Bar then there’s more on the way in the form of two holiday special episodes dropping at the end of November.
The feel-good drama follows 30-something Melinda ‘Mel’ Monroe, who answers an ad to work as a nurse in the remote Northern California town of Virgin River, thinking it will be the perfect place to start fresh following a tumultuous few years.
The series, which is based on the novels of the same name by Robyn Carr, has been immensely popular with viewers but have you ever wondered about the stars of the show’s lives away from cameras? We did some investigating, and here’s all you need to know about the cast and their real-life partners…
Alexandra Breckenridge
Alexandra Breckenridge leads the cast as Mel, a nurse practitioner and midwife who relocates to the sleepy town of Virgin River after losing her husband. In real life, however, Alexandra, 41, is happily married to musician Casey Hooper, 37, who is the lead guitarist for pop star Katy Perry. The pair tied the knot in 2015, a few years after they met at a Grammys after-party. They share two young children together, a six-year-old son named Jack and a five-year-old daughter, Billie.
Martin Henderson
New Zealand-born actor Martin Henderson, who is also known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy, stars as former US marine turned barkeep Jack. The 48-year-old star was believed to be dating Mexican model Aisha Mendez. The couple confirmed their relationship in early 2020 with a sweet Instagram post, although this has since been deleted, leading many to speculate that they have now gone their separate ways.
The TV star was previously in a relationship with movie producer and director Helen Randag and in 2012, he was linked to actress Demi Moore. And although he shared a kiss with Britney Spears in the music video for her hit single Toxic, the two were never anything more than friends!
Colin Lawrence
Playing Preacher, Jack’s close friend who works as the chef at the bar is Colin Lawrence. He has been with actress Lucia Walters for more than 20 years and together, they share two young daughters. In season four, Colin’s wife even made an appearance in the show playing the part of Julia, Preacher’s love interest after Paige’s exit!
Find out about Alexandra Breckenridge’s home life
Lauren Hammersley
Before Jack became happily engaged to Mel, he was involved with Charmaine who, at first, told him she was pregnant with his twins. However, she then revealed that she had lied and it turns out that local criminal and drug lord Calvin is the father!
Charmaine is played by actress Lauren Hammersley, who likes to keep her cards close to her chest when it comes to her love life. While there’s nothing on her social media profiles to suggest that she’s married or dating anyone, she may just prefer to keep her relationship status private. What we do know is that she shares a beautiful home in the Nova Scotia province of Canada with her adorable dogs.
Annette O’Toole
Annette O’Toole plays Hope who is one of our favourite characters on the show. Hope had a tough time in season four after losing her post as Mayor. But, after the town is enraged with fire, she pulls up her boots and manages to work tirelessly to help the authorities any way she can – well and truly earning her title back at the end of it.
Away from her role on the show, Annette has been married twice; she tied the knot for the first time to actor Bill Geisslinger in 1983, but things didn’t work out and they split ten years later. In 1999, she wed actor and musician Michael McKean, who is known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Better Call Saul and Grace and Frankie.
Libby Osler
Libby joined Virgin River’s most recent series playing the part of Ava, the daughter of Lilly – who died in season one – and the sister of Tara and Chloe. Ava is first introduced as someone who is a little sceptical of Virgin River and doesn’t immediately take to the small town, however, she soon forms a bond with Mel.
In real life, Libby is a 28-year-old actress with other TV roles in shows like Chesapeake Shore, Seventh Son and Supernatural. Away from her acting career, Libby likes to keep her personal life to herself and there’s no sign of a partner on social media.
Zibby Allen
Poor Brie has had a tough time of it lately. After finding out the truth behind Brady’s antics in season four, she struck up a relationship with Mike, who then found himself in the hospital after getting shot. What’s more, Brie and Brady are seen gazing at each other adoringly under some mistletoe in the trailer for part two – so it’s clear Brie has found herself in somewhat of a love triangle.
Away from Virgin River, actress Zibby Allen’s love life is seemingly more smooth sailing. The star is happily married to Adam James Blair, who works as an abstract artist and photographer. The pair reportedly married in Scotland in 2018 and Zibby even shared a gorgeous photo from their big day on Instagram in 2022 to celebrate Adam’s birthday.
Tim Matheson
Rounding off the show’s main cast is Tim Matheson, who plays Vernon “Doc” Mullins, Virgin River’s local physician. The actor, who rose to fame in the eighties in National Lampoon’s Animal House, has been married three times.
He first walked down the aisle at the age of 21 with actress Jennifer Leak. The pair were married for just three years before they decided to split. He wed again in 1985, this time to Megan Murphy Matheson. After 25 years of marriage, they split, but he managed to find love again just a few years ago. In 2018, he married theatre actress Elizabeth Marighetto.
