Tim Matheson had some initial reservations about joining Virgin River, unsure if it was the right project for him.
In his new memoir, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches (released on Nov. 12), the 76-year-old actor reflects on his hesitation to take on the role of Vernon “Doc” Mullins in the hit Netflix series based on Robyn Carr’s novels.
Matheson was concerned that the character of Doc, a small-town doctor, was too similar to his previous role as Dr. Brick Breeland on Hart of Dixie. He also drew comparisons to the role played by Robert Young as Marcus Welby, M.D., noting that it felt like a “bad omen” given Young’s final regular TV role.
“There are some timeless storylines we can always go back to. And yes, Virgin River had some similarities to Hart of Dixie,” Matheson shared in his memoir. “Even my agent had figured out the new Tim’s-a-young-cowboy phase of my career had become the Tim’s-a-curmudgeonly-doctor phase.”
Despite these concerns, there were aspects of Virgin River that attracted him to the project, particularly his enjoyment of the script.
“I figured there was no way they would want me for this after 80 episodes of me playing a similar character on the WB,” he wrote, referring to his time on Hart of Dixie. “While typecasting often works, I’d too often heard, ‘Oh, we’ve seen him play that before; we want something fresh.’”
But Netflix, with its advanced technology, had already recognized the audience’s desire for Matheson to take on another curmudgeonly doctor role. “Give the people what they want,” he wrote, which led him to accept the role and head to the show’s filming location in the north.
Since premiering in 2019, Virgin River has become a major hit, with its sixth season set to premiere on December 19 and a seventh season already greenlit. The show follows Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who relocates from Los Angeles to a remote California town, where she crosses paths with Doc Mullins and his wife, Hope McCrea (Annette O’Toole).
In his memoir, Matheson praises his co-stars, describing Breckenridge as “reminding me of my friend John Spencer and the hours we once spent together on The West Wing.” He also lauds Martin Henderson (Jack Sheridan), calling him “more than just an actor on a show” and “a totally committed and devoted leader on set.”
Matheson also reflects fondly on reuniting with O’Toole, whom he had previously worked with on several projects decades earlier. “Had nearly 40 years really passed since then? We’d been in our thirties when last passing scripted barbs and kisses,” he reminisces, recalling their time together on a flight filled with laughter and memories.
Following Virgin River‘s success, Matheson found a new lease on his career. “Not since VP Hoynes or Otter had random people so connected me to character,” he writes, referencing past roles. “I’d been Doctor ‘Brick’ Breeland in Hart of Dixie for four years, but within two years, people were shouting out ‘Doc Mullins!’ at the grocery store or while I was out for a jog.”
