{"id":45639,"date":"2026-03-11T09:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/?p=45639"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T13:49:19","slug":"benjamin-hollingsworth-on-bradys-evolution-and-what-to-expect-in-virgin-river-season-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/2026\/03\/benjamin-hollingsworth-on-bradys-evolution-and-what-to-expect-in-virgin-river-season-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Benjamin Hollingsworth on Brady\u2019s Evolution and What to Expect in Virgin River Season 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n

As anticipation builds for the Season 7 premiere of Virgin River on March 12, fans are ready to return to the picturesque small town and the characters whose stories have kept audiences invested for years. Among the show\u2019s most compelling figures is Brady, played by Canadian actor Benjamin Hollingsworth, whose layered performance has helped make the hit Netflix drama one of the platform\u2019s longest-running and most-streamed original series.<\/p>\n

Hollingsworth has built a diverse career across film and television. He first gained attention in The Joneses alongside Demi Moore and David Duchovny, and later starred in the medical drama Code Black opposite Marcia Gay Harden and Rob Lowe. His recent credits include the drama series Joe Pickett and the thriller Cold Pursuit with Liam Neeson and Laura Dern.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the new season, Hollingsworth spoke with Real Style<\/em> about Brady\u2019s evolution, why audiences connect so deeply with Virgin River<\/em>, and the kinds of roles he hopes to tackle in the future.<\/p>\n

Real Style: You\u2019ve played a variety of roles across film and television. How do you decide which projects to take on, and what draws you to a character?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin:<\/strong> For me, it always starts with the character. I\u2019m looking for someone who feels human, even if they\u2019re flawed\u2026 especially if they\u2019re flawed. Perfect characters are boring. I\u2019ve tried being perfect once. It lasted about six minutes. I\u2019m drawn to roles where there\u2019s an internal tug-of-war going on. Brady is a great example of that. He\u2019s constantly battling who he was and who he\u2019s trying to become. That tension is fun to play. Practically speaking, I ask myself two things: does this scare me a little, and will this stretch me? If the answer is yes, I\u2019m usually in. Also, if there\u2019s a good jacket involved, that doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Season 7 of Virgin River<\/em> premieres March 12. Without giving anything away, what excites you most about this season for Brady?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin<\/strong> Season 7 feels\u2026 earned. Brady\u2019s been through the emotional equivalent of a multi-season obstacle course. This year, we really get to see the consequences of the choices he\u2019s made\u2014both good and bad. What excites me most is watching him step into a version of himself that feels more grounded. He\u2019s still Brady, so don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s no sudden sainthood arc. But there\u2019s growth. There\u2019s accountability. And there are a few moments that even surprised me when I read them. It\u2019s messy in the best way.<\/p>\n

Real Style: The show has surpassed a billion streams. Why do you think audiences connect so deeply with it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin:<\/strong> I think people are craving sincerity. Virgin River<\/em> doesn\u2019t wink at the audience. It doesn\u2019t rush past emotion. It leans in. In a world that\u2019s moving at the speed of a thumb scroll, we offer something slower and more intentional. It\u2019s about community. Forgiveness. Second chances. Romantic love, yes, but also friendship and family. And the setting doesn\u2019t hurt. If your backdrop looks like a postcard fell in love with a forest, people tend to stick around.<\/p>\n

Real Style: The show thrives on emotional intimacy. How do you prepare for those quieter scenes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin:<\/strong> Those are my favorite days. For the quieter scenes, I actually try to do less. Less acting, more listening. If I\u2019m really present with my scene partner, the emotion tends to take care of itself. I also spend a lot of time thinking about what my character isn\u2019t saying. Brady is not exactly a \u201clet me journal my feelings\u201d kind of guy so a lot of his vulnerability shows up in what he avoids, or what he almost says. Sometimes the most powerful moment in a scene is the pause before the line.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Is there a role or genre you\u2019d love to explore next?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin:<\/strong> I would love to do a psychological thriller where the audience genuinely doesn\u2019t know if I\u2019m the hero or the villain until the last ten minutes. I\u2019m also very interested in playing a real historical figure someday. There\u2019s something about stepping into a life that actually existed that feels both terrifying and exciting. And if someone wants to cast me in a sharp, dark comedy where I get to be completely unhinged\u2026I will happily volunteer. Also, if Taylor Sheridan is reading this, I already own a pair of boots and I\u2019m very comfortable staring into the distance like I have a complicated past. Just saying.<\/p>\n

Real Style: What advice would you give actors navigating film, network TV and streaming today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin:<\/strong> Stay adaptable. The industry shifts constantly. The lines between film and television have blurred, and streaming has completely changed how stories are told. My advice would be to focus less on the platform and more on the material. A great script is a great script, whether it\u2019s on network TV or streaming to someone\u2019s phone on a treadmill. Also, treat every set like it matters. People remember how you show up. This business is smaller than it looks. And maybe develop a hobby outside of acting. It keeps you sane.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Where do you see yourself in five years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin:<\/strong> Still acting. Hopefully still surprising myself. I\u2019d love to be producing more\u2014telling stories from the ground up and maybe building out projects that mean something personally and creatively. And if I\u2019m lucky, I\u2019ll be balancing that with a lot of family time, a few adventures and a house full of noise. Career-wise, growth. Personally, depth. And ideally, fewer injuries from pretending to be tougher than I am.<\/p>\n

With Season 7 of Virgin River<\/em> arriving March 12 on Netflix, fans can expect more emotional turns, hard-won growth and the complicated charm that has made Brady one of the series\u2019 most fascinating characters. As Hollingsworth continues to expand his career across television and film, one thing is clear: audiences haven\u2019t seen the last of the surprises he has in store.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among Virgin Rivers\u2019s most compelling figures is Brady, played by Canadian actor Benjamin Hollingsworth, whose layered performance has helped make the hit Netflix drama one of the platform\u2019s longest-running and most-streamed original series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":45640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20189],"tags":[28178,28179,28180,28176,28181,28174],"class_list":["post-45639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-benjamin-hollingsworth","tag-benjamin-hollingsworth-interview","tag-brady-virgin-river","tag-netflix-virgin-river-cast","tag-virgin-river-cast","tag-virgin-river-season-7"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45639"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45647,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45639\/revisions\/45647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/lifestyle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}