Fans eagerly awaiting Virgin River Season 7, set to return next spring, can catch Vancouver’s Benjamin Hollingsworth—best known as Brady—on the big screen in the new holiday romance The Christmas Ring.
The film follows military widow Vanessa Mayfield (Jana Kramer) as she searches for a missing family heirloom. Her quest leads her to antiques dealer Ben Miller (Hollingsworth), who is grieving the loss of his own spouse. As Vanessa and Ben grow closer, the story intertwines their budding romance with flashbacks revealing the ring’s past, including how it found its way to Ben’s shop through his father, played by Kelsey Grammer.
“Vanessa and Ben have an immediate connection,” Hollingsworth says. “They’re both widowed, so they understand each other in a unique way. The story is really about navigating that second chance at love—how to open your heart again. Setting it at Christmas makes it both comforting and emotionally challenging.”
A Book-to-Screen Adaptation
The Christmas Ring is based on the new novel by Karen Kingsbury, who co-wrote the script with her son, director Tyler Russell. Hollingsworth appreciates working from source material:
“It’s like having a road map. The backstory and character work are already there.”
A Summer Christmas in Nashville
Although set in Georgia, the movie was filmed in Nashville during one of the city’s hottest summers on record. Temperatures soared close to 37°C with heavy humidity.
“It’s not much fun wearing scarves, gloves, and toques in that heat,” Hollingsworth laughs. Makeup crews were constantly toweling him down to keep sweat from rolling across his face.
Holiday Traditions at Home
Hollingsworth grew up in a family that adored Christmas, and he and his wife, Nila Myers, are keeping those traditions alive for their three children.
They cut down a tree themselves, decorate it with meaningful ornaments, sing carols (“my terrible singing voice included”), and leave cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. His father, he remembers fondly, went all-out—sometimes even creating sleigh marks in the snow or climbing onto the roof.
“He probably had too much eggnog that year,” he jokes.
Virgin River: What’s Next
Hollingsworth takes pride in having a career full of holiday films—movies he says his kids will one day be able to show their kids. But he’s equally grateful for his long-running role on Virgin River, now Netflix’s longest-running scripted original series.
Season 7 arrives on Netflix next spring, and Hollingsworth confirms that Season 8 will begin filming in Vancouver in spring 2026.
As for Brady’s journey, he says:
“I always played him as a lost soul with some good inside. By Season 7, he’s come full circle—you really see him doubling down on making good choices, even when they’re the hardest ones.”
Benjamin Hollingsworth’s Five Favourite Christmas Movies
1. Love Actually
“You can’t beat it. Chaos, charm, and heart—every storyline hooks you. It’s like cinematic eggnog: you know you’ve had enough, but you keep sipping.”
2. The Holiday
“The snow, the cottages, Jude Law being unfairly attractive—it’s the perfect cosy escape. I relate to his character: the guy who tries to stay cool but ends up being the emotional one.”
3. The Christmas Ring
“A shameless plug, but it’s got Kelsey Grammer, romance, mystery—and me. It’s a story about love and redemption. Plus, it’s in theatres. Great for a Christmas movie date night.”
4. Elf
“Will Ferrell screaming ‘Santa!’ in yellow tights is peak holiday joy. Impossible to watch without smiling. I try to channel that same energy with my kids—minus the tights.”
5. Klaus
“A beautifully animated film that sneaks up on you emotionally. I put it on for my kids and stayed up watching it alone with a glass of wine, pretending I wasn’t crying. Classic dad move.”
