Alexandra Breckenridge, the star of Virgin River, is once again stepping into the shoes of Mel Monroe but what about the actress’s life off-screen?
The sixth season of Virgin River was released on on Thursday, December 19, with all ten episodes available for fans to binge-watch over the festive period.
This season centres around the much-anticipated wedding of Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) and Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a storyline that has been brewing since the fourth season.
But will their journey to the altar be smooth sailing or will they encounter more hurdles along the way?
As viewers gear up to dive into the latest instalment, let’s delve into the life of Alexandra Breckenridge beyond her role in Virgin River.
Virgin River season six premieres on Thursday, December 19, on Netflix. (Image: NETFLIX)
Virgin River star Alexandra Breckenridge is the neice and goddaughter of NCIS star Michael Weatherly. (Image: CBS)
NCIS family ties
Born in Darien, Connecticut in May 1982, Breckenridge relocated to California with her parents at the age of 12.
Her mother worked as a house cleaner while her father held a position as the director of operations for the engineering department at Foxwoods Casino.
While her parents may not be household names, Breckenridge’s uncle and godfather is none other than Michael Weatherly, who played Tony DiNozzo in NCIS.
The brother of the Virgin River star’s mother, she has previously appeared on his YouTube show Pulling The Thread With Weatherly and even had a guest spot on an episode of JAG, the precursor to NCIS, in 2004.
In a heartwarming conversation with Connecticut Magazine in 2008, she expressed her admiration: “He can commiserate with me about whatever difficulties I’m going through, and he tends to have a lot of really good advice.”
She added fondly, “It’s wonderful to have a family member who’s so close, who’s also my godfather.”
Musician husband
Breckenridge is blissfully hitched to musician Casey Hooper, Katy Perry’s lead guitarist.
He’s shared worldwide tours with the pop sensation and even appeared in her 2012 fly-on-the-wall special, Katy Perry: Part Of Me.
Before strumming his way into the spotlight with Perry, Hooper tried his luck auditioning for a slew of other musical acts including Avril Lavigne, Selena Gomez, and Adam Lambert but didn’t make the cut.
Breckenridge encountered Hooper at a post-Grammys bash in 2012 after his performance alongside Perry at the prestigious music awards.
Following two years of dating, they took their love to the next level with an engagement in 2014 and exchanged vows in a picturesque Colorado setting at Dunton Hot Springs in September 2015.
Their family life features their seven-year-old son Jack and Billie, their six-year-old daughter.
Labour regrets
During a candid chat on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the American Horror Story actress opened up about opting for a water birth with her sizable son Jack, which didn’t quite align with peaceful expectations set by natural birth documentaries she viewed.
She humorously reflected: “I feel like the hippies lied to me, because I was watching these documentaries about these water births and I was like, ‘Wow, I can do that. I can do that! I wanna do a water birth.'”
However, she didn’t get the experience she was hoping for when it came time to give birth.
Virgin River’s Alexandra Breckenridge is married to guitarist Casey Hooper. (Image: GETTY)
Inside Alexandra Breckenridge’s life from NCIS family link and labour regrets to heartbreaking loss (Image: NETFLIX)
“I push for two hours out of the birthing tub screaming bloody murder, and I was like, ‘He’s stuck! He’s stuck!’
“I was waiting for someone to be like, ‘Oh, we have to take him out of you via emergency C-section!’ But I was like, ‘Nobody’s coming, and I’m still pushing.'”
Learning from her first ordeal, she opted for an epidural with her daughter, describing it as “It was a beautiful experience, magical. I should have listened to my two friends; two of my best friends had babies and they were like, ‘Girl, get the epidural.'”
Personal loss
The Walking Dead star shared the heart-wrenching news of her friend’s passing on Stories, amidst Mental Health Awareness Month.
Without delving into specifics about her friend’s death, Breckenridge acknowledged her friend’s battle with mental health issues.
In a candid confession, she said: “I feel like this is probably not advisable to talk about but I just found out that I lost one of my closest friends in my life.
“She was like my sister. For a really long time she was my sister.
“I just wanted to acknowledge that this happened and I don’t know why on but everything is so happy and perky all the time and we don’t always take the time.”
“Part of the reason, I think, that I felt compelled to say anything was because I saw that May is Mental Health Awareness Month and my dearly departed friend really struggled with mental health and depression.
“These are real things that happen to people and when something happens in your life that is catastrophic like this and you want to reach out and be there for someone, it’s always a good reminder to reach out.
“You might not think that someone wants you to reach out, maybe they don’t, but maybe they needed it.”
Virgin River is available to watch on .