Martin Henderson Admits He Was Initially Unsure About Signing On To Virgin River

"Virgin River" is the kind of warm blanket of a series that some viewers are clearly craving with the doom and gloom of each passing news cycle (via Parrot Analytics). The romantic drama follows nurse practitioner Melinda "Mel" Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) as she leaves behind the hustle and bustle of the big city for a smaller-scale life amid the denizens of the titular North California town.

Of course, much of the comfort food feeling of the Netflix series comes from the fact the premise is essentially that of a Hallmark movie. Based on the "Virgin River" series of novels by Robyn Carr, one of the central focuses of the show is charting Mel's romance with local bar owner and military veteran Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson). However, despite how much his time on "Virgin River" has raised his profile, the actor revealed that he was initially hesitant to sign on to the series.

Martin Henderson sat down with Intervieweros to chat about his time on "Virgin River," It didn't take long for the actor to reveal that he hesitated to take the role in the series. "I was unsure. I remember having multiple conversations with my management and my agents about the show, and my agent was the one who really understood it," Henderson recalled.

Considering how pitch-perfect Henderson is in the role of Jack Sheridan, it probably comes as a surprise to fans of the series that he might have passed on the part altogether. Luckily for Henderson and "Virgin River" viewers, not only did he take the part, but he's still a central part of the series in its fourth season and is gearing up for "Virgin River" Season 5.

The actor explained how his agent sold him on the "Virgin River" role. "She said, 'Look, this show will do so well," Henderson explained. "She just saw the potential for it." The performer also pointed out that the appeal of the series for him was how most popular shows in modern times are dark and edgy.

With that in mind, the Netflix series' wholesomeness helped set it apart for Henderson. "This was a bit of a throwback to old-fashioned programming. It was very light-hearted, and, you know, the show is essentially about community," the actor concluded.