Fans of the popular Netflix romance drama, Virgin River, have recently discovered that a key actor from one of 2025’s biggest horror films had a recurring role in their favourite series.
The show centres around Mel Monroe (portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge), who relocates to the quaint town following a personal tragedy and finds love with bar owner and former Marine, Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson).
Alongside forming bonds with the locals and aiding them through their individual hardships, Mel supports her new partner (and as of season six, husband) as he grapples with his own military-induced trauma.
A sharp-eyed viewer took to Reddit after recognising a familiar name from Jack’s Marine squad in The Monkey, Osgood Perkins’ acclaimed horror film based on a Stephen King short story.
“Just watched the movie The Monkey and looked up one of the actors, Rohan Campbell, whose face you don’t really see much (bc of having bangs, not a spoiler),” they wrote.
“And it says he played “Lonergan” in 4 episodes of VR, but I have literally no memory of this character. Who is this?”
In The Monkey, Campbell plays Ricky, a young man harbouring a grudge against Hal Shelburn (Theo James) and sporting a goth look complete with long, black hair obscuring much of his face.
Given Campbell’s limited screen time in Virgin River, it’s understandable why fans might have overlooked this connection. One fan clarified: “Lonergan was a member of Jack’s squad or platoon in the Marines.”
In a key plot twist, “[Spoilers] he was killed, which has had lingering effects on Jack [Spoilers]. They hired an actor for the flashbacks to Jack’s time in war”, reports the Mirror US.
While Lonergan might not be a staple in Virgin River’s primary narrative, he’s been pivotal to Jack’s character development. It was through poignant flashbacks that viewers learned Lonergan died in Jack’s arms, inflicting deep-seated trauma that he has battled with ever since.
In another heartfelt scene, when Jack’s Marine pal Zeke (Garfield Wilson) broaches the subject of Lonergan around a campfire, Jack clams up and leaves to grab another beer, avoiding the topic.
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Thankfully, Jack finds solace in Mel, who is by his side, helping him deal with past marine life traumas, contributing significantly to his improved mental health in the latest seasons.
Jack has even kicked alcohol, acknowledging that it was a crutch for his PTSD. Still, his military brothers like Preacher (Colin Lawrence) remain central in his life, and Jack grapples with feelings about Ricky (Grayson Gurnsey) choosing to join the forces.
The question looms whether Lonergan’s death will resurface in future storylines, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the seventh season for answers.
Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix.
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