IN CONVERSATION WITH ALEXANDRA BRECKENRIDGE
interview by JANA LETONJA
Alexandra Breckenridge stars as the beloved Mel in Netflix’s hit series ‘Virgin River’, returning with its sixth season on 19th December. With the announcement of a Season 7 pickup, ‘Virgin River’ has officially become Netflix's long-running drama series. Alexandra gained recognition for her roles in ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘American Horror Story’ and as Sophie in NBC’s award winning series ‘This Is Us’, for which she also won the SAG Award. Besides acting, she has also gained notoriety in the cooking space on Instagram, and her followers now rely on her as their go to for culinary tips, tricks and love re-creating her recipes at home.
Season 7 of ‘Virgin River’ has been announced prior to the sixth season premiere, making it Netflix’s longest-running drama. How does it feel to be part of such a monumental series?
Honestly, it blew my mind to hear that we were the longest running drama. I certainly wasn't expecting that nor did anybody at Netflix mention it when they picked us up for a seventh season. I just feel incredibly lucky to be working on something people are enjoying as much as we are enjoying making it. As an actor, you don't often get to pick and choose the characters you play, and I think I got really lucky with this one.
Season 6 promises a highly anticipated wedding and some joy after the emotional weight of Mel’s miscarriage in Season 5. How does Mel’s journey evolve in the upcoming season?
Don't worry, just because the season is a lot lighter than the past for Mel, it still carries a lot of uncharted territory, especially as she tries to develop a relationship with her biological father, which brings her a deeper understanding and connection with her mother who passed away when Mel was very young.
Your portrayal of Mel has been praised for its emotional depth. How do you prepare for such heavy and complex storylines, especially scenes like those after Mel’s miscarriage?
I don't usually rely on any special, acting technique other than following my gut and intuition when I approach Mel. I try to carry as much honesty and depth emotionally as I can. I've dealt with a lot of loss in my life, so that emotional well runs really deep for me and it's very easy for me to draw from. But I've also been able to become stronger from those experiences and find joy again, much like my character. I'm in such a great place with her because I can connect the dots emotionally to her very easily.
The chemistry between the cast is a big part of the show’s success. How has your relationship with your co-stars, like Martin Henderson, evolved over the seasons?
Luckily, Martin and I get along really well. We have a very similar sense of humor and sensibility. We approach work differently, but when we come together, we can play really easily off of each other, and the chemistry was just something we automatically had and didn't have to work for and that was just such a gift, especially knowing that the central love story of this show really needs that connection to work.
‘Virgin River’ resonates deeply with audiences. Why do you think the show has such a loyal and passionate fanbase?
I think people can relate to a lot of the storylines and what the characters go through, but I also think a big draw is the community and how the characters are always there for each other. It's human desire to be loved and accepted and have people that love and support you. I think small town living can get a bad rap, but Virgin River is definitely turning that perspective around.
Looking back at your role as Sophie on ‘This is Us’, what stands out most about being part of such a celebrated series?
I was so incredibly lucky to be able to be a part of that show and to play a role in such a sweet lifelong love story. I only wish that I was able to be involved in more seasons, but I'll take what I can get. Kevin and Sophie's love story spanning from childhood was incredibly special and every time I worked on that show I had the best time. The crew was always incredibly lovely and Justin Harley is such a wonderful actor. I hope I get to work with him in the future again.
Winning a SAG Award for ‘This is Us’ must have been a career highlight. What did that recognition mean to you?
That was such a whirlwind honestly. I had just had my daughter Billie, I think she was a month old, and I actually didn't know that I would be receiving an award. I thought I was just there to support the cast who had been nominated. About halfway through the dinner, I started leaking milk and had to go into the medical tent so I could pump before they announced our category. When they handed me the statue and I signed for it, I was in total shock. I might still be in shock. The award sits on my desk to this day.
You’ve also worked on genre shows like ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘American Horror Story’. What do you enjoy most about diving into darker, more suspenseful material?
I grew up watching horror movies and loving that genre. I also love sci-fi and anything that is psychologically suspenseful, so it felt like a natural fit for me. I also really love getting into characters that are completely opposite of me. Moira was such an evil sexually charged creature. Sometimes I look back at that role and don't even know who it was. Jesse from ‘The Walking Dead’ was in the beginning a much more insecure and under developed side of myself who became stronger and more resilient towards the end, but still not strong enough to survive. I loved working on both shows and hope to do something similar in the future.
Your Instagram followers love your culinary posts and backyard-sourced ingredients. How did cooking become such a passion for you?
My parents were both very young when they had me and I lived with my mother who worked during the day, but was also putting herself through college, so when I would come home from school, I would cook for myself. I would watch Julia Child on TV when my mother would get home from work, I would pretend to be Julia in the kitchen and try to make my mother dinner. She thought it was the funniest thing in the world. I think that's why I have such a love for cooking. It connects me to a moment in my childhood I was proud of and felt an immense feeling of love.
Balancing a successful acting career and family life must be challenging. How do you stay grounded and find time for personal interests like cooking?
I think there's periods of time when I'm grounded for sure, but a lot of the time the juggling act can be quite a whirlwind. I'm lucky that we only film for about four months out of the year, so if I don't take another job in between seasons, I can have a really wonderful amount of devoted time at home. But I will admit it takes me several weeks to a month sometimes to decompress from filming. Especially when Mel goes through some of her harder moments.
You are married to a musician, is music a big part of your life? What are your favorite bands?
Music has absolutely been a huge part of my life since I was a kid. I grew up listening to my mother's records on the stereo. I loved Prince, Queen, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin. I also loved Salt-N-Pepa and Whitney Houston. I think the range of music I like is pretty broad. I also adore Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and the list goes on and on. Music is a big part of our household. Both of our kids have music players and we try to give them new music to listen to regularly.
What’s next for you outside of ‘Virgin River’? Are there other creative projects or roles you’re excited to explore and can share with us about?
I can't wait to find out what's next. I have other things that I enjoy doing creatively and would like to spend some time enjoying those things over this last break. I am getting into pottery, building a garden and hopefully developing a cookbook. I also got back into photography, but I'll definitely always be acting. Hopefully my next role is something that's comedic. But I would also love something in the world of a psychological thriller. We shall see.
TEAM CREDITS:
photography AMANDA PEIXOTO-ELKINS
hair ARBANA DOLLANI
makeup SABRINA BATES-WHITED
