Alexandra Breckenridge Was a Die-Hard Horror Fan Before She Took a Role in 'Virgin River'
Updated April 27 2020, 11:51 a.m. ET
A small town where the internet is slow but the gossip is fast? Welcome to Virgin River, the village where Melinda Monroe, a nurse and health practitioner moves to escape her dark past.
While her first attempts at starting life anew don't quite go to plan — she's refused from the doctor's office and the dainty cottage she had her eyes on turns out to be a shed — she does eventually find her way.
Who's Alexandra Breckenridge, the actress playing Virgin River's protagonist? Let's see.
Virgin River marks a turning point in Alexandra Breckenridge's career.
As the leading actress of the Netflix romantic comedy, the actress delivers a heartfelt portrayal of the everyday life of a struggling middle-aged woman.
Eager to take the big step and move away from her conflict-ridden past, Melinda applies for a job advertisement on a whim, hedges her bets and leaves for a village located in the California mountains.
This marks a significant change from her previous roles, most of which were in gorey, horror-inspired TV shows.
The role will allow Alexandra to show us a hitherto-unseen side of hers. She's appeared in a range of hit TV shows, but she hasn't taken up many roles in romantic comedies.
In American Horror Story, she played the young Moira O'Hara, the housekeeper forced to engage in sexual activity with employer before being shot in the eye and buried in the garden.
Dying on screen is something Alexandra possesses extensive experience in. In Walking Dead, she played Jessie Anderson, the mother-of-two devoured by a group of walkers.
In True Blood, she was cast as Katerina Pellham, an undercover agent who joins the coven to determine whether its members are powerful enough to pose a real threat to the vampires.
In Murder Book, she played Sarah, while in Reckless, she was cast as Christy.
Alexandra used to love horror movies, so much so that she chose her roles accordingly.
"I’ve been a huge horror fan since I was about eight years old, which is a little bit young to be watching scary movies," the actress told Interview.
Asked about which movies and TV series she was obsessing over, she listed Nip/Tuck, The Shining, The Children of Corn, and Rosemary's Baby.
As the actress explained in the interview, part of the reason why she auditioned for American Horror Story was that she knew she would get the chance to witness the legendary Ryan Murphy, the creator of Nip/Tuck, in action.
"He’s really, really smart, really funny. And you can tell, when you’re talking to him, the wheels are constantly turning. He’s very specific about what he wants and the way he wants it, and it’s really nice to be able to work with somebody like that," Alexandra told Interview.
Alexandra decided to look for more family-friendly roles after her first child was born.
Alexandra married Casey Hooper, the lead guitarist for Katy Perry, in 2015, as part of a romantic, sophisticated wedding in the mountains near Dunton Hot Springs, Colo.
They have two children, Jack and Billie, whom they're raising in a quaint and idyllic two-story house in the suburbs of Atlanta, Ga.
Alexandra and Casey moved away from Los Angeles a few years ago in search of a more harmonious life, notes Atlanta Magazine.
Virgin River will be available on Netflix on Dec. 6.
