As Virgin River‘s youngest star, Chase Petriw is living his best life, starring as Christopher on the Netflix drama. His adorable character along with his mother, were brought to the small country town after fleeing an unhealthy and unsafe environment with Christopher’s father. Their new, happy life in Virgin River, however, is disrupted after a freak accident forces his mother to part ways and leave him with their good friend Preacher.
In an exclusive interview with PopWire, Chase Petriw talks about his set life, working with his co-star, and previews what’s in store for his character in Season 3 (now streaming on Netflix).
Virgin River follows Melinda “Mel” Monroe, a nurse practitioner who moves from LA searching for a fresh start. She settles in a remote northern California town and is surprised by what — and who — she finds. Of that town, one of its many denizens is Petriw’s Christopher.
When finding out he landed the role on the romance drama for the streaming giant, the BC-born actor says he got the news at his grandfather’s house. “My parents told me I booked a new series,” Petriw tells us. “When my parents told me, I was jumping up and down with joy.”
Being the only kid on the show and on the set could be a little daunting during downtime, but Chase says that his castmates kept it lively — and as the series went on, things got more exciting. “In seasons one and two, I was the only kid, so I didn’t have any kids to chill with,” he says.
“However, the cast made being on set fun and they always found something to chat with me about. We would chat about video games, kick soccer balls between scenes, and would get snacks from crafty together. In season three at the summer camp, there were a few kids who were very fun to hang with. We played some chess and card games on our breaks.”
As the series progressed, so did his character. In Virgin River‘s latest season, Petriw’s on-screen presence grew, and the young actor was absolutely thrilled to be featured more prominently and given more to do.
“I was in shock and super excited when I heard I would be in more episodes for season three,” Petriw says. “It meant more work, but I loved having the opportunity! I loved going to set and having an adventure playing Christopher. I’m super happy that I got to elaborate on Christopher’s character and his relationship with Preacher.”
John ‘Preacher’ Middleton, played by Colin Lawrence, is a close friend of Chase and his mother. In Season 3, Christopher is taken in by Preacher after his mother needs to flee the town for an indefinite amount of time. On working with his scene partner, Petriw says that Colin is “a very nice guy” on set.
“I love acting with him,” he shares. “It’s very easy to work with him; he makes every scene fun (even if Christopher is in tears or sad). We would chill between scenes and chat about school or the book I was reading. Colin is a wonderful actor and I’m glad I got to learn a few things from him.”
As for his on-screen persona, Chase describes his character as “a kid that just wants to have fun and play,” however, he is always being held back by the situation with his mother and her ex-husband.
“Christopher was put into a situation where he had to leave his home and friends and change how he looked to stay safe,” Petriw explains. “When he moved in with Preacher, he discovered Preacher was a trustworthy adult that was there to help him with these struggles and try to live a normal life.”
In a Season 2 episode, Chris’ father returns and doesn’t make things easy for his mother Paige (Lexa Doig). During an altercation, she accidentally kills her ex-husband — and their son remains unaware of the tragic(?) accident. “At the end of season two, Christopher perhaps thinks that his dad just took off again,” he says. “I’m not sure if he will find out what happens to his dad.”
With both of his parents now out of the picture at the start of Season 3, navigating life “alone” is starting to take its toll. “Christopher is a bit heartbroken and scared that he has been sent to live with Preacher. Christopher is upset about his situation, and he is dealing with normal ‘kid’ issues as well. He finds comfort in having Preacher around to help him sort out and deal with these events.”
Throughout their entire time in Virgin River, Preacher has been an invaluable friend and an incredibly bright light during Paige’s darkest days. His willingness to drop everything he’s doing to help Chris and his mother is very endearing, and one of the reasons why he’s the perfect person to look after Chris while his mother is away.
“Preacher is a good friend to Christopher,” Petriw says. “He is trustworthy and understanding of his situation. Preacher is looking out for him, so perhaps Christopher looks up to him as a role model/parent figure.”
For those who have yet to see Season 3 of Virgin River, the young actor says things are coming up that are “really exciting” for his character. “There are a lot of adventures and scary scenarios. It’s heartwarming, sad, happy, and just a very fun show to watch.
“You see a more in-depth side of Christopher this season,” Chase Petriw previews. “He shows many emotions about being without his mom, and his ongoing struggles to try to live a normal kid life. It’s a great storyline this season, and I really hope you enjoy it.”
Virgin River Season 3 is now available to stream on Netflix.
