When Calls the Heart star Morgan Kohan’s new show could be the next Virgin River: exclusive interview

Virgin River, When Calls The Coronary heart, Candy Magnolias… Inspirational, feel-good TV exhibits are the brand new hit dramas, good for when our actual world will get robust. Now comes a brand new addition to the style, Sullivan’s Crossing, primarily based on a sequence of books by Robyn Carr, who additionally authored the Virgin River sequence upon which the favored Netflix present is predicated. 

Sullivan’s Crossing follows Maggie Sullivan (performed by Morgan Kohan), an excellent neurosurgeon whose life is turned the other way up when she finds herself unexpectedly on the middle of authorized troubles. Abandoning her brilliant life in Boston, she returns to Sullivan’s Crossing, a campground nestled in her hometown in Nova Scotia, which she left together with her mother nearly 20 years earlier, however the place her father, Sully, (Gilmore Women’ Scott Patterson) nonetheless stays. 

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There, she is compelled to reconnect with previous faces, and new faces, and take a look at her personal self to determine what she really desires to make of her life.

Born in British Columbia, Morgan, 29, by no means wished to be an actor, going to school for dance the place she was additionally required to take appearing lessons “I’d have these moments of bizarre blackouts, of being so current in these lessons and there was one thing so magical about that,” she shared of falling in love with the craft. 

She went on to have visitor roles on exhibits together with Star Trek: Discovery, The Daring Sort, Ransom and Batwoman, nevertheless it was as Lillian in Hallmark Channel’s When Hope Calls – a by-product of When Calls The Coronary heart – that followers might most acknowledge her. Season one concluded in 2021 after 12 episodes and though season two was greenlit, the channel has solely aired two episodes, billed as Christmas specials. 

For now, all of Morgan’s focus is on Sullivan’s Crossing, premiering on The CW on October 4 at 8/7c. The 29-year-old speaks to HELLO! an hour after wrapping filming in Canada, the place she is on set filming season two and admits that viewers who fall in love with the present can count on “a juicy” second season…

(Word: Sullivan’s Crossing is a Canadian manufacturing and the crew are ACTRA members quite than SAG-AFTRA members, who’re presently on strike.) 

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Robyn Carr is the writer of the Sullivan’s Crossing books and in addition wrote the Virgin River sequence, which has been an enormous hit. Did you are feeling strain to emulate that success? 

Morgan: It is somewhat little bit of a double-edged sword in that there’s the strain as a result of they did so effectively but in addition as a result of it did so effectively it offers you some confidence that there’s an viewers for this type of present. 

There’s clearly going to be plenty of similarities as a result of they’re each by the identical writer, however we’ve totally different administrators, and a distinct story, so it is innately going to be its personal factor – and I feel the audiences who love Virgin River will love Sullivan’s Crossing as effectively. 

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What do you assume it’s about these inspirational, really feel good tales – Sullivan’s Crossing, Virgin River, When Calls The Coronary heart – that’s gripping viewers? 

Morgan: The world proper now could be onerous and these sorts of exhibits allow you to sit down for an hour, go on a journey with these characters that you just be taught to like, and also you get pleasure from your time and get taken out of no matter else is occurring in your world. 

There’s nothing too loopy or darkish right here; you are going to go away that hour feeling good and plenty of the time, for me anyway, it makes me need to name my circle of relatives and my buddies, and produce my neighborhood nearer collectively which I feel is a lovely factor. 

Sullivan’s Crossing, Virgin River, When Calls The Coronary heart – all of them are about tight-knit communities the place all people is in it collectively. 

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Sullivan’s Crossing is premiering within the US on The CW after season one ran in Canada— have you ever been stunned by the success of the present up North?

Morgan: We had such an unimaginable reception with our Canadian run so there’s now positively somewhat little bit of hope that it goes effectively within the States – it offers you somewhat enhance. 

In Halifax and across the space the place we movie in Canada, we’re operating into folks which can be speaking in regards to the present in the event that they see us. These massive tour buses that go round Halifax and the town are additionally now supposedly together with the present – ”and so they filmed Sullivan’s Crossing at this place and right here” – and so it is cool to see that it has had an impression. 

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Once you assume again to your audition, what was it about Maggie you really liked? 

Morgan: I actually resonated together with her as a result of she is at such a crossroads on this life that she’s constructed for herself in Boston, together with her job and relationship and even her look. However then there’s additionally this child sapling model of herself from when she was youthful, and when she is compelled to take a look at that a part of her, there’s a reckoning. 

At that time in my life, after I auditioned, I very a lot resonated with that. So it simply felt actually serendipitous. 

Episode one sees Maggie return to Sullivan’s Crossing after authorized hassle in Boston, and by the tip of the episode, issues have someway bought worse – what can viewers count on from the remainder of the season?

Morgan: By the tip of the episode we all know that Maggie goes to be within the Crossing for a superb chunk of time, and so the remainder of the season will see her compelled to dive into these relationships which were pushed apart, with Edna (Andrea Menard) and Frank (Tom Jackson), and Sydney (Lindura). who was such an in depth buddy. 

So we then get to see her by means of the individuals who actually see her, and see that model of her open up. 

Maggie has outlined her life by her profession and I feel that is that time the place she’s like, ‘what do I need, and the way will I outline it?’ And Andrew (Allan Hawco), her boyfriend, is part of that good life that is been in-built Boston, that on paper all is sensible. However then Cal Jones (Chad Michael Murray) is launched and he’s the exact opposite of Andrew and a life that she has pushed away, and he opens up totally different sides of her. 

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Did you and Chad must do chemistry reads? How did you two work on constructing the connection between Maggie and Cal? 

Morgan: We did not meet till the day that we introduced the present – similar with Scott as effectively – however I feel that basically labored for the characters, Cal and Maggie. As soon as we have been in Halifax although, Chad and I had a few good chats, simply sort of attending to know one another and discovering one another’s vibe and power, and it has been a very respectful and bold working relationship between the 2 of us. 

Scott Patterson and Chad Michael Murray each starred in two iconic CW exhibits (Gilmore Women and One Tree Hill, respectively). What have you ever realized from them 

Morgan: I feel you be taught a lot from each actor you’re employed with each individual you work together with, however these two have very totally different experiences by means of the business than I’ve and so it’s all the time attention-grabbing to listen to these tales, and take bits and items of their recommendation. They’re very beneficiant with sharing their experiences but in addition they do not let that cloud them being current from the job that we’re in proper now.

With because of Ashley Galang (styling) and Taylor Chousky (hair and make up).

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