Exclusive: When Hope Calls star Morgan Kohan's feel-good new show could be the next Virgin River

virgin river, When the heart calls, Sweet Magnolias… Inspirational, feel-good TV shows are the new hit dramas, perfect for when our real world gets tough. Now comes a new addition to the genre, Sullivan’s Crossing, based on the series of books by Robyn Carr, who is also the author A virgin river series on which the popular Netflix series is based.

Sullivan’s Crossing follows Maggie Sullivan (played by Morgan Kohan), a brilliant neurosurgeon whose life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly finds herself at the center of legal trouble. Leaving behind her glamorous life in Boston, she returns to Sullivan’s Crossing, a camp located in her hometown in Nova Scotia, which she left with her mother nearly 20 years ago, but where her father, Sully, (Gilmore Girls’ Scott Patterson) still remains.

There she is forced to reconnect with old faces and new faces and look at herself to figure out what she really wants to do with her life.

Born in British Columbia, Morgan (29) never wanted to be an actress, going to a dance college where she also had to take acting classes. “I would have these moments of strange blackouts, if I was so present in those classes and there was something so magical about it,” she said, explaining how she fell in love with the craft.

She went on to have guest roles on shows including Star Trek: Discovery, The Bold Type, Ransom and Batwomanbut it was like Lillian on the Hallmark Channel When hope calls – a spinoff of When Calls The Heart – by which fans would perhaps recognize her the most. The first season ended in 2021 after 12 episodes and although a second season was greenlit, the channel only aired two episodes, billed as a Christmas special.

For now, all of Morgan’s focus is on Sullivan’s Crossing, premieres on The CW on October 4 at 8/7c. The 29-year-old talks to HELLO! an hour after filming ended in Canada, where he is filming the second season and admits that viewers who fall in love with the series can expect a “juicy” second season…

(Note: Sullivan’s Crossing is a Canadian production, and the crew are ACTRA members, not SAG-AFTRA members, who are currently on strike.)

Robyn Carr is the author of the Sullivan’s Crossing books and also wrote the Virgin River series, which was a huge hit. Did you feel pressure to emulate that success?

Morgan: It’s a bit of a double-edged sword in that there’s pressure because they’ve done so well, but also because it’s done so well it gives you a bit of confidence that there’s an audience for this kind of show.

Obviously there’s going to be a lot of similarities because they’re both from the same author, but we have different directors and a different story, so it’s going to be a special thing – and I think audiences who like A virgin river will love Sullivan’s crossing too.

What do you think about these feel-good inspirational stories – Sullivan’s Crossing, Virgin River, When Calls The Heart – that engages viewers?

Morgan: It’s a tough world right now and these types of shows allow you to sit down for an hour, go on a journey with these characters that you come to love, enjoy your time and get out of everything that’s going on in your world.

Nothing too crazy or dark here; you’ll leave that class feeling good and a lot of the time, for me anyway, it makes me want to call my own family and friends, and bring my community together which I think is a wonderful thing.

Sullivan’s Crossing, Virgin River, When Calls The Heart – it’s all about close-knit communities where everyone is together.

Sullivan’s Crossing premieres in the US on the CW after its first season aired in Canada—were you surprised by the show’s success up north?

Morgan: We’ve had such an amazing reception with our Canadian run so now there’s definitely a bit of hope that it will do well in the States – that gives you a little boost.

In Halifax and the surrounding area where we shoot in Canada, we run into people who talk about the show if they see us. Those big tour buses that run around Halifax and the city are also now said to include the series – “and they filmed Sullivan’s Crossing at this place and here” – so it’s great to see that it had an impact.

When you think back to your audition, what did you love about Maggie?

Morgan: I really liked her because she’s at such a crossroads in this life that she’s built for herself in Boston, with her job and her relationship and even her looks. But there is also this version of the young woman herself from when she was younger, and when she is forced to look at that part of herself, a showdown ensues.

At that point in my life, when I auditioned, I really resonated with that. So it just seemed really random.

In the first episode, Maggie returns to Sullivan’s Crossing after legal trouble in Boston, and by the end of the episode, things have kind of turned sour – what can viewers expect from the rest of the season?

Morgan: By the end of the episode, we know that Maggie is going to be at the Crossing for a good amount of time, so the rest of the season she’s going to be forced to immerse herself in these relationships that have been pushed aside, with Edna (Andrea Menard) and Frank (Tom Jackson), and Sydney (Lindura ). who was such a close friend.

So then we can see her through the people who really see her, and we see that version of her unfold.

Maggie has defined her life with her career, and I think that’s the point where she asks, ‘What do I want and how am I going to define it?’ And Andrew (Allan Hawco), her boyfriend, is part of that perfect life that has been built in Boston, which on paper makes sense. But then Cal Jones (Chad Michael Murray) introduces himself, who is the complete opposite of Andrew and the life she pushed away, and opens up different sides to her.

Did you and Chad have to take chemistry? How did the two of you work on building the relationship between Maggie and Cal?

Morgan: We didn’t meet until the day we announced the show – the same with Scott – but I think it really worked for the characters, Cal and Maggie. Still, when we were in Halifax, Chad and I had a few good conversations, just getting to know each other and finding each other’s vibe and energy, and it was a really respectful and ambitious working relationship between the two of us.

Scott Patterson and Chad Michael Murray starred in two iconic CW series (Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill). What did you learn from them?

Morgan: I think you learn so much from every actor you work with and every person you interact with, but they both have very different experiences through the industry than I do, and so it’s always interesting to hear those stories and take bits of their advice. They are very generous in sharing their experiences, but they also don’t let it cloud their presence in the work we’re doing right now.

With thanks to Ashley Galang (styling) and Taylor Chousky (hair and makeup).

Get a digest of the biggest, hottest news, features and celebrity profiles coming out of the US Sign up for our HELLO! Hollywood Newsletter and have them delivered straight to your inbox.

Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education

Rate this post

Exclusive: When Hope Calls star Morgan Kohan’s feel-good new show could be the next Virgin River