Virgin River casts Chicago P.D. and Hollyoaks stars as season 6 first look revealed

Virgin River has unveiled which stars have been cast to play Mel's parents in the upcoming sixth season of the Netflix romance series.

Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day, Chicago P.D.) and Callum Kerr (Monarch, Hollyoaks) will play Mel's parents, Sarah and Everett.

First-look images revealed by Deadline show the actors in flashbacks to 1972, with Sarah described as a "witty, free spirit from the big city with an ardent passion for activism", while Everett is a "singer-songwriter with a poet's soul" skimming through life in a VW Van until his chance meeting with beautiful hitchhike Sarah shows him there's more to life than he ever thought possible.

While Jessica, 37, is best known for starring in the comedy slasher film Happy Death Day, she's also appeared in the musical films La La Land and Valley Girl, as well as episodes of Chicago P.D., Blue Bloods and Gossip Girl. 

Meanwhile, Callum rose to fame playing PC George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, before landing a recurring role as Wade Stellings in the Fox series, Monarch. He's also set to portray Smoker in the Netflix series One Piece.

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The introduction of Mel's parents is part of Netflix's expansion of the Virgin River universe with a prequel following Sarah and Everett's love story.

The official logline for season six reads: "Against the backdrop of Mel and Jack’s romantic spring wedding season, this sixth installment promises fresh twists and turns, escalating love triangles, delightful wedding drama, as well as uncovered secrets from Mel’s father’s past which will transport us to the magic and mystique of Virgin River in the 1970s."

The new episodes will see Alexandra Breckenridge reprise her role as Mel alongside Martin Henderson as her on-screen fiancé Jack Sheridan as the couple continue on their path to parenthood while transforming Lilly's farm into their dream house.

Season five ended on a cliffhanger as Mel's father Everett turned up on her doorstep with "something important" to tell her.

Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith revealed that the series will explore "who Everett Reid is, what his backstory is, what his connection to Virgin River was when he met her mom and then also what it is today," during a Q&A with Deadline, adding that the new episodes will explore the "relationship of Everett with the town as well as Everett and Mel".

Season six will arrive on Netflix later this year.