Ben Hollingsworth, known for his role as Brady on the popular Netflix series Virgin River, recently opened up about his journey. He talked about the physical toll he experienced during the shooting of a grueling scene in the seventh season of the show. Hollingsworth has portrayed Brady since the series debuted in 2019, navigating the character through numerous dramatic arcs, including surviving a stabbing and a devastating wildfire that threatened the entire town.
Brady’s journey has included flirtatious moments while working at Jack’s Bar, as well as a memorable scene involving fornication on a public pool table. In talking about the latter, Hollingsworth jokingly remembered that the scene was originally pitched as a way to make the pool table blush. The production itself presented its own unique challenges.
I thought it was inevitable,” Hollingsworth said. I was not thinking that would happen until episode 9! Then he was just discussing the huge level of suspense around his character’s fate after that crazy cliffhanger at the end of season 6. That’s right, Season 7 is now available to stream on Netflix! The trepidation that comes with Brady’s arc increases the stakes and leaves audiences biting their fingernails with anticipation.
In season 7, Brady savors an important second with his love intrigue, Brie, portrayed by Zibby Allen. In this lively scene, Brie makes a passionate, erotic yet romantic appeal to Brady to return to her. Our crew had this put together entirely on the first day of shooting. She said this unprocessed dynamic between Brady and Brie sets them apart from the other paired-up castmates on the program.
He explained that Brady and Brie’s relationship is one full of sexy, scrappy freedom. It’s like the chemistry that we have with Mel and Jack or other couples on the show.
Though beauty and its exploration may have come naturally to the project, not everything about filming came easily to Hollingsworth. He shared that after shooting one take that included a high-wire motorcycle stunt, he was still feeling the very physical effects afterward. He joked, “The human body is badly designed to do sex on a motorbike.” He pointed to the dangers that accompany such audacious actions. The toll of this special shoot weighed heavily on his back for weeks afterward, leaving him with a sore back.
As challenging as this can be, Hollingsworth has no doubt that the extra effort devoted to these scenes pays off. When earning something, that emotional response is much stronger. It puts the audience in an optimistic space and feeling satisfied,” he added.
