Before Virgin River’s Doc Mullins and Hope McCrea became one of TV’s most endearing older couples, actors Tim Matheson and Annette O’Toole had already shared decades of on-screen history—and off-screen friendship. In a revelation that delighted longtime fans and vintage TV buffs alike, O’Toole recently opened up about her deeply rooted connection with Matheson, which began long before the Netflix hit made them household names once again.
It turns out that Virgin River wasn’t the first time the two actors portrayed a married couple. Their first shared screen time dates all the way back to the 1970s, on a nostalgic series called What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?—a show that few remember today, but one that clearly left a lasting impression on its stars.
Long Before Virgin River: High School Reunions and Television Romance
“We go way back,” O’Toole shared in an interview with PureWow. “I met him when he did a movie [Almost Summer] with my then-boyfriend Bruno Kirby, and that’s when we first met.”
Not long after that initial introduction, O’Toole was cast in What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?, a drama series based on the best-selling photojournalistic book of the same name. It followed a high school graduate as he reconnected with old classmates—and in one of those episodes, O’Toole and Matheson played a married couple navigating adult life and lingering teenage dreams.
“It was such a different time in our lives,” O’Toole recalled. “We were both young, still figuring things out as actors. But there was an ease to working with Tim even back then.”
The Best Legs & Better Chemistry
Their working relationship didn’t end there. Several years later, shortly after O’Toole became a mother, the two reunited for another made-for-TV special titled The Best Legs in Eighth Grade. Airing in the early 1980s, the hour-long dramedy told the story of former classmates who reconnect under less-than-ideal circumstances. Once again, their natural chemistry made an impression.
“I’d just had my first daughter, and I was still adjusting to that balance of motherhood and career,” O’Toole said. “To do something light and fun, and to work with someone like Tim again, it was exactly what I needed.”
A Reunion in Virgin River
Decades later, fate—and Netflix—brought them together once more. Cast as the sometimes-sparring, always-loving small-town couple in Virgin River, Matheson and O’Toole didn’t just rekindle an old working relationship—they deepened it. Their portrayal of Doc and Hope is equal parts fire and familiarity, bickering and devotion, and it has become one of the most beloved dynamics in the series.
“He’s such a generous actor,” O’Toole said. “We have a lovely relationship. It’s really great to work with him—and to be directed by him as well.” (For the record, Matheson has directed four episodes of Virgin River, lending his creative vision to the very world in which their characters live and love.)
Their real-life rapport brings authenticity to every scene they share. Whether Hope is pushing Doc to open up emotionally or Doc is navigating the complexities of aging and illness, the pair’s performances are steeped in mutual respect and real history.
More Than Co-Stars: A TV Friendship Built to Last
Their story is rare in Hollywood: Two actors who met as young performers in a fleeting industry and, decades later, found themselves side-by-side again, this time anchoring one of streaming’s most enduring hits. While Hope and Doc’s relationship has weathered everything from brain injuries to mayoral squabbles, O’Toole and Matheson’s off-screen bond has remained steadfast through it all.
“We’ve known each other through many seasons of life,” O’Toole said. “To still be working together now, and on something this meaningful—that’s a gift.”
Did you know Annette O’Toole and Tim Matheson’s history went this far back?
Rewatch Virgin River with fresh eyes—you just might catch a spark that was lit nearly 50 years ago.
