Since cosy TV series Virgin River started streaming, it’s had viewers hooked: it recently became Netflix’s longest-running English scripted series. Part of the charm is Ontario’s Benjamin Hollingsworth, who plays bad boy with a heart of gold, Dan Brady (and racked up almost 400,000 Instagram followers in the process). We caught up with him ahead of the season seven premiere to talk about his better-than-the-movies romance with his wife, Nila Myers.
How they met
Nila and I met in West Hollywood. The nightclub was packed with people, but I saw her, and it was as if the whole room went black and white, except for Nila, who was wearing this red dress. I was uncharacteristically paralyzed and too intimidated by her beauty to approach her. That’s when a real-life Cupid stepped in and came over to my table. He said, “Do you see that woman in the red dress?” I immediately apologized, assuming that she was his girlfriend and that I was creeping her out, but he asked if I wanted to take a seat, and the rest is history.
The first date
Our first date was a few days later at a place called Hemingway’s. Fittingly, Hemingway is now the name of our first son. At the time, I was sleeping on an air mattress, so I was very much young, dumb and broke. My entire net worth could have been folded up and tucked into a closet. Thankfully, Nila was able to see past the inflatable bed situation. True love is many things. In our case, it survived a built-in air pump.
The proposal
I proposed to Nila on my birthday. She kept asking what I wanted, and I kept telling her, “Something money can’t buy.” I think it was really frustrating for her leading up to the date. But when I got down on one knee in the middle of this intimate cobblestone restaurant in Vancouver with chandeliers everywhere, I think it took her, and the whole restaurant, by surprise.
The wedding
We got married at Nila’s sister and brother-in-law’s house in Malibu, California, just two months after getting engaged. Her sister was incredible and essentially planned the entire wedding. That night, most of Malibu experienced a power outage. My brother-in-law had the foresight to rent a generator, so we were one of the only houses with power. It felt like the entire coastline went dark and our place stayed lit.
The kids
We have three kids. Juniper, 5; Gatsby, 7; and Hemingway, 9. We don’t have any pets because our three kids act like 20 monkeys.
Shared hobbies and interests
One of the things we love most is hiking together through the woods. We’re lucky to live near old-growth rainforest trails, and whenever we need to reconnect, that’s usually where we go. There’s something about being surrounded by those towering trees that puts everything back into perspective for us.
The secret to success
Resilience. Life consistently throws curveballs at all of us, and the best partners are the ones who stay by each other’s side through the tough stretches and challenging seasons.
Balancing careers and a relationship
When possible, we travel together for my location shoots, but as the kids get older, that becomes more complicated. This industry is unpredictable and nearly impossible to plan for, so we’ve learned to stay flexible and keep choosing each other through it all. We also try to carve out time to get away, even if it’s just for a night each month. Sometimes a one-night stay at the local hotel can feel like you’re 3,000 miles away.
The future together
I see a life filled with travel, shared adventures, continued personal growth, giving back and time with family. I picture rolling green hills; a big, welcoming home; and a place where our kids, and someday grandkids, will know they can come back to. Oh, and maybe an Oscar or two above the fireplace.
