"Virgin River" stars gush about filming in beautiful Hollywood North (VIDEO)

We love to hear it! When it comes to filming in the US versus Canada, the stars of Netflix’s show Virgin River gushed about the perks of filming in Hollywood North ahead of the release of the upcoming season.

“I would rather work here, by far, than Los Angeles,” Alexandra Breckenridge said in an interview alongside actor Martin Henderson.

“I love it up here. The fresh air is amazing,” she said laughing as the pair answered questions from Daily Hive.

Breckenridge has played the lead character Melinda “Mel” Monroe in the BC-shot television series, and Henderson has been playing Jack Sheridan, a local bar owner, since 2019.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Daily Hive Vancouver (@dailyhivevancouver)

Now entering its fifth season, fans will be delighted to finally catch up on what’s been happening in the small town of Virgin River since last season ended.

One thing is certain, the backdrops will be stunning and we asked Breckenridge and Henderson what they thought about filming another season in BC.

“It’s very common in the industry to get up here, north of the border as they say,” Henderson said.

One of the reasons why, is Beautiful BC’s claims to fame: nature.

“Whistler is lovely, you can go on amazing hikes,” Breckenridge said.

“Grouse, Cypress… it’s green!” Henderson added, saying that as a lover of the outdoors, it’s ideal.

“That’s why I love it here the most [of] where you can get put in this industry. There’s stuff you can do here on the weekends… I went whitewater kayaking last year,” he added.

Watch the interview: 

“The show is stunning to watch and we get to experience all of that firsthand,” Breckenridge explained.

While eagle-eyed BC residents will likely recognize some of the backgrounds, the series is set officially in northern California and was adapted from popular novels by Robyn Carr.

The stars say fans can expect some twists and turns in this upcoming season.

“Season Five of Virgin River features surprising new relationships, a shocking break-up, a difficult court trial, a heartbreaking goodbye, and a wildfire that threatens the town, bringing some people of Virgin River together while tearing others apart. Issues of motherhood push Mel to make a big decision about her future at the clinic while her pregnancy unexpectedly sparks an emotional connection to her past,” Netflix said.

Season 5 is now available on Netflix.

While it’s not the first time by any means that BC has been a body double for a US location, the current strikes facing Hollywood have paused some notable films and TV shows this year.

To read more about the actors’ and writers’ strikes and how they might impact The Last of Us and Tron, head here.

You might also like:
• Opinion: Vancouver is always seen in Hollywood productions, but never known
• How "The Beachcombers" built the modern Vancouver film industry
• Stars have arrived: Here's what's filming in Alberta this August
• These are the most popular filming locations in Alberta
• 15 companies hiring for hundreds of jobs in Calgary this September

With files from Laurenne Karmel and Sar Anderson