Virgin River's Annette O'Toole in Season 6, Hope's ex-husband and more

Virgin River star Annette O'Toole She talks about her character Hope's journey for Season 6 — including what it was like filming that strip scene.

“That scene was a little difficult for me to film,” O’Toole, 72, said exclusively. Us Weekly while Promotion for season sixwhich was released on Netflix on Thursday, December 19.

In the aforementioned scene that takes place in the fourth episode, there is a stripper assigned to Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her friends – who are celebrating Mel's impending wedding at a bachelorette party – accidentally show up at Hope McCrea (O'Toole) and her knitting circle at Jack's Bar. Hijinks ensue.

While filming the movie was “really fun,” O'Toole said it was also “bittersweet,” Hope's friend Muriel said (Tyrell Rothery) She was awaiting a breast cancer diagnosis. Related
Attitude.

“That's a real thing for anyone because you never know what's going to happen. But especially for seniors,” O'Toole explained. “You don't know what's around the corner. So, you have to embrace every moment. And I love this scene for that.

For O'Toole, delving deeper into the “complicated” dynamics and characterization of each woman in the knitting circle became one of her favorite parts of filming.

“They are older women, and they still have this wonderful, rich life and the problems and issues that they deal with with each other and with their city, which they all love so dearly,” she said. “I love how committed they all are to their community.”

While the moments with her circle were filled with joy, O'Toole also faced more complexity, Emotional moments of hope This season. Her ex-husband, Roland (John Ralston), introduced in episode six, and their troubled past is revealed when she goes to visit him about adopting a horse. O'Toole admitted as much we Filming those scenes was “weird” because she had previously made up her own past for Hope in her head, noting that the character to her is “twice a widow.”

Despite initially having a different view of Hope's past, O'Toole acknowledged that introducing an ex of Hope's “makes a lot of sense” — and could serve as a potential storyline for Season 7.

“I have no idea how things are going to go,” she said. we. “I mean, I think it's good that they leave the door open. So, they're enough of an enemy where it might be good for next year's storytelling to do that.”

“They are,” O’Toole added I'm already writing season 7I don't know what they do with any of that. I didn't talk to (the model) Patrick Sean Smith. So, I think that would be fun. I think any time you can throw more difficulty, not hardship, but more problems into the relationship, not just the relationship, but just to deal with the character, the better, especially if it's going to be a long-term show. You have to have these issues and things to deal with. “It can't just be smooth.”

Hope is of course happy in her current relationship with Doc (Tim Matheson). After years of back-and-forth between them, Season 6 allowed the couple to turn to romance — something O'Toole “loved” to explore.

“We can just play with it,” she said of her on-screen chemistry with Matheson. “We love doing it. We're preparing, and we're trying to fill in the gaps that…that aren't explained in the script. We're just getting over those things ahead of time.

While Season 6 gave Hope and Doc a much-earned honeymoon period, Season 7 will likely be more challenging for the duo. First, there's Roland's return, as well as Doc's practice being compromised, which was revealed in the final moments of the finale.

Regardless of what lies ahead for the character, O'Toole is grateful to have been able to “inhabit” someone like Hope, who she has learned to look up to over the past five years.

“It has a lot of characteristics that I wish I had,” she said. we. “I wish I could be more of a pit bull sometimes. She always knows what to say. She's just a big, big person inside. She has big feelings about everything and nothing is trivial to her. I think it's fun to play. There's a lot about her and it's exciting Interesting to me.

O'Toole added that while many people argue that Hope is too “bossy” or “nosy,” she sees that as a good thing, calling it evidence that people are “interested” in the character. the Smallville The show alum also gave credit to Smith, who vouched for it Virgin River It is a balance between telling authentic stories while also maintaining a means of escapism.

“It's not just about saying, 'Oh, it's a romantic show.' Yes, it's beautiful and you have all these wonderful, wonderful people running around. But it's also real,” she said. “It's something people can strive for, that “They have this feeling of being in a community where people really care about each other and are always there, always showing up with a cup of coffee and (saying), 'Tell me, what (do you need), how do you feel?'”

Virgin River Season 6 is now streaming on Netflix.

With reporting by Kat Pettibone