For Zibby Allen, all creative roads seem to circle back to instinct — and lately, pickleball. Best known to fans as Brie on Virgin River, Allen steps into holiday-movie territory for the first time with Lifetime’s A Pickleball Christmas, starring opposite James Lafferty of One Tree Hill fame.
Allen plays Caroline, a fiercely competitive pickleball coach who teams up with former tennis star Luke Hollis to save his family’s racquet club. Romance, naturally, follows — but not without friction. The story leans into rivalry and mutual stubbornness, offering a refreshing twist on the holiday rom-com formula. Neither character is searching for love, which makes their eventual connection feel earned rather than inevitable.
The role arrived with uncanny timing. Allen had only recently discovered pickleball after signing up for a charity tournament with her Virgin River co-star Benjamin Hollingsworth. A few lessons quickly turned into a full-blown obsession — and soon after, the script for A Pickleball Christmas landed in her inbox. Sometimes, manifestation really does wear sneakers and carry a paddle.
