Vancouver-based actor Benjamin Hollingsworth, celebrated for his role as Brady in the hit series Virgin River, is now captivating audiences on the big screen in the new holiday feature, The Christmas Ring. For fans eagerly awaiting the show's seventh season next spring, this festive film offers a perfect seasonal treat.
A Story of Second Chances and a Lost Heirloom
Currently in theatres, The Christmas Ring tells the heartwarming story of military widow Vanessa Mayfield, portrayed by Jana Kramer. Her character embarks on a quest to find a lost family heirloom—a precious ring. During her search, she crosses paths with Ben Miller (Hollingsworth), an antiques dealer who has also experienced the loss of his spouse.
The narrative beautifully intertwines the budding romance between Vanessa and Ben with flashbacks that reveal the history of the ring. The heirloom finds its way into Ben's shop after his father, Howard, played by the esteemed Kelsey Grammer, purchases it at an antiques sale.
Hollingsworth, who lives in Vancouver, elaborated on the film's core connection. "Vanessa and Ben Miller meet, and they have this immediate chemistry," he said. "One thing they share is that they are both widowed, so they immediately have that connection. It's about navigating that second chance at love... and the difficult nuance of opening your heart again. Having Christmas be the backdrop of that is both encouraging but also challenging to navigate."
From Bestselling Novel to Big Screen
The Christmas Ring is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by New York Times-bestselling author Karen Kingsbury. Kingsbury co-wrote the movie's script with her son, Tyler Russell, who also directed the project.
Hollingsworth expressed his appreciation for projects rooted in literature. "I always love it when a movie or project that I'm doing is based off a real book, because it's kind of like a road map in a way," the actor shared. "It gives you a little insight behind the characters that you might not get in a script. The backstory and character research is already kind of done for you."
Shooting Christmas in a Nashville Heatwave
Although the film is set in Georgia, production took place in Nashville during the summer of 2025. Hollingsworth, no stranger to filming wintry scenes in warm weather, admitted this shoot was particularly gruelling. He described it as "one of Nashville's hottest summers on record," with temperatures often soaring close to 37 degrees Celsius accompanied by high humidity.
"It was in the dead heat of summer," recalled the Ontario native, whose voice was reportedly hoarse from cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays the previous day. "It's not very fun to be multilayered with scarves and gloves and toques in that heat. It makes the makeup job really hard, because they're constantly towelling down my face, just to prevent the sweat from rolling down my forehead."
Despite the challenging conditions, Hollingsworth is enthusiastic about participating in Christmas-themed projects. He comes from a family that fully embraced the holidays, and he and his wife are now continuing those cherished traditions with their three children, who are all under the age of 10.
