Virgin River Actor Kandyse McClure Dishes On Kaia Bryant's Season 6 Arc & Future In The Hit Netflix Show

Virgin River's fifth season saw the introduction of Battlestar Galactica veteran Kandyse McClure as Kaia Bryant, a tough-willed firefighter who winds up in a relationship with Preacher (Colin Lawrence) and might just be the one to break his streak of bad romantic luck. In addition to her star-making turn on Battlestar Galactica, McClure is known to genre fans for her roles on shows like Ghost Wars, The Good Doctor, and The CW's Charmed reboot.

Screen Rant interviewed McClure about her work on Virgin River, the themes of the series, and how they can apply to life. She spoke about playing Kaia and teased a bit of insight into the character's secret backstory and potential future on the series. The actor also shared some behind-the-scenes facts about the shooting process and working with some of her many co-stars.

Kandyse McClure On Joining Virgin River Back In Season 5

"I thought I had a week and then I got a call saying, "Your call time is 6 A.M. tomorrow morning.""

ScreenRant: First things first, tell me all of Annette O'Toole's secrets.

Kandyse McClure: I love Annette.

I know, me too!

Kandyse McClure: She's so amazing. God. Yeah. Getting to watch her on set is so... Because she comes from a theater background, right? She's so specific, she's so prepared, and ready. But in between takes, we're chatting about books and whatever else. She's just so relaxed. But then she gets in front of the camera and it's like, total focus. Yeah. I envy that.

So she's not, and I assume you're not someone who runs off to the trailer in between takes.

Kandyse McClure: No. We generally hang out with each other. In season 6 that's coming out, it was different in a lot of ways than my first season. For me, I only have season 5 to compare it with, but there was such a pronounced difference between 5 and 6 to me. Because, well, there's just so much going on! (Laughs) So many things happening! But we do actually have a lot of opportunity to be together.

Like in season 5, there was the carnival, we'll have some big event where we all come together, where everybody in the town is helping out, doing stuff. And in those situations, yeah, we were all on set, and we're on location. So we avail ourselves of each other. We're always darting in and out of each other's trailers as well. Like, I hang out with Colin all the time, and Zibby, yeah. There's also a lot of gift giving that happens. We're always leaving stuff in each other's rooms.

Was there an acclimation process when you jumped in, in season 5, and you're like, "I'm the new girl, I'm a firefighter. I'm going to fall in love with Preacher." Were they all like, "Who is this new lady?"

Kandyse McClure: Exactly. I have to tell you, my first day on set had some pretty big scenes. and something had happened with production. We were in the thick of Covid, and production did an amazing job of restructuring schedules whenever something would come up, which is incredible to me because moving a TV schedule is one of the most difficult things. But when I came on, something happened where the date that I thought I was going to be on set was a lot later than the date I actually was called to be on set.

I thought I had a week and then I got a call saying, "Your call time is 6 A.M. tomorrow morning." And I'm like, "Call time for what?" But it was great. I was totally ready. I was all prepared, but my first two scenes were pretty major! That was me like jumping over the bar and everybody was standing there, the producers and the director and the whole new crew. And I was just like, all right, this is how this is going to be. Let me, let's go get it. But I'm really comfortable on set. I mean, I've been on a set since I was 17. It's actually one of my favorite places to be. I know how it works, you know, the functions of it. And everybody's also really about their work.

It is a very work focused set. We're there to do a job, and we want to do it the best we can. So that helps, there's less ego about that. We're all pulling on the same chain, we're all headed to the same direction. But I did have to take a breath and, like, yeah, the first scene is I walk through the doors of the bar and I'm just like, "Okay, here I am, introducing myself."

Like a debutante ball.

Kandyse McClure: Exactly. I felt like I was being introduced to society or something.

Kind of as an aside, I'm wondering now, you have a fair few stunts on the show. What's more stressful for you as a performer, doing that stuff, you know, with or without, I'm sure you have doubles and stuff, but you know, doing like a stunt scene or doing like a monologue. What's more prep, and what's more stressful?

Kandyse McClure: Oh, that's kind of a good question because, because they're almost two different functions. Like with a monologue, the prep is internal because you're kind of building that private world of what you're associating that imagery with and where you're locating that in your body as a way to, you know, bring the reality to it. So the work is much more internal in story creation, whereas stunts, it's like, I have to say my line and do this thing at the same time, and don't mess it up because there are only three pyrotechnics.

They're like, we can only do this stunt three times, that's all we're prepped for. That's as much time as we have. There's only three squibs or whatever it is. So you get three kicks at the can, and one of them has to work. So it's more like a talking and chewing gum kind of situation. I also don't love loud noises. Like, my house is very quiet if I'm not playing music. So, like, the "bangs," I'm always just scared that I'm going to like flinch on camera.

Right, those pyrotechnic explosions...

Kandyse McClure: You've gotta pep yourself up, like, "Be tough, be tough!"

They've got all this fire and stuff and you're like, "I thought this was a soap opera!"

Kandyse McClure: There's quite a bit of action in the show! I was like, they've got grow operations and cartels, they got stuff going on!

When you were brought on in season 5, your character was set up to be a one-and-done storyline, but did you know that you were coming back after? Or were you brought back in response to the fans liking your character?

Kandyse McClure: Baby, this is television, ain't nothing guaranteed. (Laughs) They can audition you as a reoccurring and be like, "Ooh, we don't think so."

You get burned in a fire, you get reconstructive surgery and suddenly you're someone else.

Kandyse McClure: All of a sudden! "The character of so-and-so will now be played by..." No, they don't do that anymore. But... Like I said, it's never guaranteed. It is always about how the audience responds to you and whether they want to see more of you.

I was kind of nervous about it. I'm really happy that we did get a positive response because I think Kaia represents... Not to say that there are other characters on the show that don't. I'm thinking of Zibby Allen's character, and Alexandra [Breckenridge] having a modern take on relationships. But Kaia was different because she had this past, because she had come from a broken relationship where there was something within the relationship that caused her to leave, and we don't really know what that is because she's not super forthcoming about it.

She comes into town with a bit of a selfish agenda, so we weren't sure how people were going to take that, but I'm glad that somebody as kind of flawed as her in so many ways gets represented in the show, and it's an opportunity for her to recreate herself. And she does actually feel seen and meets somebody who really appreciates her for the kind of strong, dynamic, outspoken person she is. So I'm glad there was a place in the audience for that and that we get to explore that more, moving forward.

Virgin River's Kandyse McClure On Her Relationship With Preacher & The Rest Of The Cast

"That relationship brings out the vulnerability in both of them."

With Kaia's dynamic with Preacher, I like the way you said, you know, someone who can appreciate her for who she is... Is Kaia someone who can take a compliment in that way? Or is she prone to self-sabotage, is it hard for her to fully commit to a relationship?

Kandyse McClure: Yeah... Well...

I mean, don't tell me what's going to happen! But you know...

Kandyse McClure: I would never! Why would I take that joy away from you? But I will say that because of the way Kaia comes in, there is room to sort of challenge that. It's like in the universe, when you make a decision and you're just like, "Yes, this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to stay here. I'm going to do this thing. I'm going to create this life for myself. And this is what I want." And then the universe is like, "Ya sure? Are you sure that's what you want? Are you absolutely pinky swear positive that's what you're going to do? And that's who you are." I like that kind of testing ground, and I think we're going to see a bit of that for Kaia this season. And then, she's in a whole new community. Like, who are these people?

Right. I mean, for Kaia, it was mostly about her and Preacher last year.

Kandyse McClure: All season 5, they were in their little cozy love bubble. They just came out for Christmas.

But now you're finding bodies and crazy stuff is happening. Are you part of the ensemble more?

Kandyse McClure: It gets so real, it gets so real this season! Reality comes rushing in and we're like, okay, what are we actually going to do now? Like, when the rubber meets the road, what are you actually made of? What is this relationship actually made of? You know?

Do you find yourself this season getting to play with the rest of the cast a lot more?

Kandyse McClure: Yeah, well, I mean, it's a little town, they couldn't not invite me! Like, I would know what was going on, and the whole town's kind of involved. A hallmark of Virgin River is that, whenever anything goes on in the town, everybody's involved. So it's great. Yeah.

Right. Another hallmark is all of Preacher's relationships being doomed.

Kandyse McClure:This is such a theme!

Do you think you can break the streak?

Kandyse McClure: Writers, if you're listening, let me be the one! So, for his previous relationships... I mean, the Preacher is a hard nut to crack. Let's not put it all on the women, although they also had some stuff going on, let's be clear. But Preacher, for so long, I mean, he's such a self-contained kind of character. He has an established place in the town. He's such a recognizable feature with the bar and his close relationship with Jack... He's so steadfast in many ways.

I think we get to kind of see where the cracks are, but I think because Kaia is so flawed in so many ways and kind of sticks her foot in it a lot, (laughs), that allows Preacher to not have to be so together and so perfect all the time, because that's kind of how he is a lot of the time. So that relationship brings out the vulnerability in both of them. And I think that's what's different about this relationship. But I hear it, I hear the people arguing in my comment section!

Heh, is that a hassle?

Kandyse McClure: Listen, no, I love that people feel so passionately about it. It's like they're talking about their neighbors. I'm like, "Yes, go on. And then what happened?"

That's another thing, there's so many characters on the show. It's such a huge cast, and it takes these big events to bring everyone together every once in a while to figure things out. Are there any characters, or cast members, I should say, who you feel like you haven't had enough scenes with yet, who you're looking forward to getting to share the screen with?

Kandyse McClure: Yes! Well, I can never get enough time with Annette and Tim. Doc and Hope are one of my personal favorite relationships on the show. I love how feisty Hope is and how block-headed Doc is sometimes, but how they always kind of find themselves back together, and those moments of appreciation, and that representation of really enduring love, what love actually means when you have to go through the trials and tribulations of life. I really appreciate that.

And then Sarah and Kai, who play Lizzie and Denny. Sarah's a friend, and I think Sarah's hilarious on the show. She's got such great comedic timing. She's so deadpan. And that's another relationship that I find so interesting, you know, young people thrown in with really big, worldly problems and navigating that space. And I do wonder what that relationship can offer to both sides of the character dynamic. So, like the more sort of veteran couple on the show and then like the younger couple on the show.

Kandyse McClure On Virgin River's Cross-Generational Sensibilities

"I like the sewing circle, whenever the sewing circle gets together"

I'm so glad you picked them, that's so interesting to me. My best friend is in her sixties, and the best friend I ever had was 91 when she passed away last year. And the idea of being that old and having known people for 60 years, 70 years, you and I really don't have a concept of that. For me, I think I know what's a long time. I'm 33 and I'm like, my best guy friend, I've known him since I was 15. But that was only 18 years ago. That's not a long time at all!

Kandyse McClure: It's not. And it goes by fast. I used to hate this when people said this to me, but when I was in my thirties, they would be, like, you're 34, you're still a baby! And I'm like, no I'm not! I'm a whole adult. I have problems and bills!

Well, sometimes you can feel so old next to someone who's younger, but then when there's someone who's really been around the block, you learn that even 50 years isn't necessarily that long a time for people to spend their lives together.

Kandyse McClure: That's something so true. And I like the sewing circle, whenever the sewing circle gets together, and there's all this kind of wisdom and humor and we get to learn about their past sometimes, and we're always shocked and surprised, but they're the same people. I also have older friends, dear friends in their sixties... Conversely, my mother is quite young. She's in her early sixties. She had me when she was quite young. She has so many friends in their thirties. She's a very youthful, energetic person.

And the point is to have the kinds of stories that you can tell, that you can share, and look back on and share a kind of wisdom. And we do have that in the show and I love it. My mother often says to me that when she was in her forties and she would look back on her thirties with regrets, because she would go, "I was so worried about... Whatever, my body image or what people were thinking of me, or something that was happening in my career." And she realized that she didn't want to have the same regrets when she was 50, looking back on when she was 40.

Right.

Kandyse McClure: It's realizing the youth and the opportunity of whatever time she's in now. Now, the time of life that she's in, there's a lot of joy around the wisdom she has now... Now, not everybody who gets older, gets wise. Some people are very committed to their ignorance.

Yeah, I know a few of those, too!

Kandyse McClure: And just because you've lived a long time doesn't mean you've embraced that life. You've really taken on what there was to learn and to know and to feel about it. But I always keep that in mind. Whenever I think, "Oh, well, I should have, I would have, I could have, I didn't, I ought to..." I will never be as young as I am right now. And there is something to learn at every step along the way. And the alternative is not great! If you know what I mean. (Laughs)

The alternative is no more experiences! No more opportunity to try again, to learn again, to do something different. And yeah, I see my mother really reveling in the wisdom of her age, of people coming to her and her wanting to learn about her experiences and how she handled things beforehand. And also, like, the settling into herself where she really doesn't care so much about what other people think of her, because she's very busy kind of doing her own thing. My mother has so much energy. I don't know where she gets it from. I do not have my mother's energy. I'm envious of it. She gets a great deal done.

Are we... related? Because my mother's, like, the exact same way. She rides her bike 40 miles every day.

Kandyse McClure: Can I tell you... I remember being like, there was a time when my mother was in the local newspaper for doing yoga. And she's in some crazy backbend with one leg up, in these short shorts, doing, like, some 'hundred days of yoga challenge' or something. And I'm just, I'm tired just looking at it. I was like, I need to go bake a pie or something or have a nap (Laughs).

It Took Time Before Kandyse McClure's Family Accepted Her Decision To Become An Actor

"My mother's side of the family, they are all academics. They're all PhDs and Master's students."

At this point, especially, after all the cool stuff you've done, she must be tremendously proud of your career and your work. Was she encouraging when you were getting started? And is she a Virgin River fanatic?

Kandyse McClure: My mother is very proud of me. I do know that, for sure. But you have to understand the family that I was raised in, which is my mother's side of the family, they are all academics. They're all PhDs and Master's students. They all study very serious academic things. And so for a long time, they didn't really understand what I did. I grew up in South Africa until I was a teenager. And it was, like, the idea of like being on TV and getting paid for it was bizarre. It was ridiculous. It was a ridiculous notion. And I remember the first few years that I started acting, my grandfather would, (laughs) he would encourage me. He's like, "Baby, you need to get a skill. You need to become like a carpenter or an electrician or something."

Oh boy.

Kandyse McClure: "You're going to need a job." And I would send him my pay stubs, but he was just like, "That's great and everything, but when are you going back to school?"

They mean well.

Kandyse McClure: Yes. They never dissuaded me from acting. It was just kind of a lack of understanding. Now on my father's side, who I'm very much like, they're all artists, they're all singers and poets and really empathetic, social, lively people. So I'm like, this is who I'm actually like.

But you wouldn't be you if you grew up fully on that side of the fence.

Kandyse McClure: I love that I'm a blending of both sides. I do love my sciences. I do love the kind of academic process of things. I'm a big research nerd. I love a rabbit hole to go down, but the way I express it is in this kind of circuitous, dreamlike, artistic way.

That's got to work as an actor! I mean, if there's one actor right now who I would trust to actually be able to put out a fire, it would be you!

Kandyse McClure: Listen, I did learn! I happened to have a neighbor at the time when I started the job, my downstairs neighbor was a Wildland firefighter, Kev, and then my back alley neighbor was an urban firefighter, Dan. And I questioned the both of them and I learned all the differences, and about chemical fires and medical emergencies, and standing on rooftops, and different propellants, and all sorts of stuff. So yeah, that was a lot of fun. I do know how to put out a fire, you're right!

Yeah. Acting can be that cross-section of just wanting to research everything and just know everything. And sometimes it's just to know it. And sometimes you're like, hey, I can actually apply this. I know how to hold a fire hose without getting thrown across the room.

Kandyse McClure: I do have to be careful though. And luckily, I haven't done that many medical shows, but if they call for a doctor on an airplane, I have to remember not to put up my hand.

"No, but I play one on TV."

Kandyse McClure: "I'm Kandyse McClure, you may know me from such shows as..."

Oh man. Well, I feel like I could pick your brain all day. You are a delight.

Kandyse McClure: As are you. Thank you so much. This has been great.

Aw, thank you! Before we wrap up... Season six is the new one, but there's more coming up after that. Do you have a dream list of things you want to do on the show? Are you like, "I've done this on the show. I've done that, Kissed this guy. Beat up that guy..."

Kandyse McClure: Listen, we're not kissing any other boys, okay? Don't get me in trouble!

Do you have like a bucket list for Kaia, things you want her to do on the show?

Kandyse McClure: Well, I mean, selfishly, I want to know about where she came from. Like, I want to know about Colorado. I want to know about how this relationship, I mean, I've got my ideas about how this relationship started and ended, but it was like she was a different version of herself. I want to know what that is. And well, listen, they're always watching. I'm not going to say anything more.

Okay! I mean, we'll just have to keep on watching to find out.

Kandyse McClure: Just keep watching! December 19th and beyond. Season seven, I can't believe it!

More About Virgin River Season 6

A television adaptation of the romantic novel series from Robyn Carr, Virgin River sees nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe accepting a new job in the titular northern California town to escape her past. But Melinda's small-town expectations are checked when she realizes that adjusting to this new and straightforward way of life is a tricky balancing act - with the possibility of new love on the horizon.

Virgin River season 6 is now streaming on Netflix.