There are countless familiar faces in Netflix’s Virgin River, but we had no idea there was so much Grey’s Anatomy crossover. After a little digging, we discovered that there are not one, but four Virgin River cast members who previously starred in Grey’s Anatomy: Martin Henderson (Jack Sheridan), Zibby Allen (Brie Sheridan), Jenny Cooper (Joey Barnes) and Annette O’Toole (Hope McCrea). Keep scrolling for details.
entertainment
Wait, Not One But *Four* ‘Virgin River’ Stars Were on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’?!
1. Martin Henderson
Played: Dr. Nathan Riggs
Prior to Virgin River, Henderson portrayed Dr. Nathan Riggs on Grey’s Anatomy. The character was widely known for being Meredith’s first love interest after the death of her husband, Derek Shepherd. He starred in a total of 48 episodes between 2015 and 2017. (Grey’s aside, Henderson also appeared in Britney Spears’s “Toxic” music video.)
2. Zibby Allen
Played: Nurse Zibby
Allen only appeared in five episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, so it might be difficult to place her character. But if you think back to the nurses’ strike in season two, you’ll remember that she was brought in as a temporary replacement. Although her name tag read “Angela” during her first on-screen appearance, writers later changed the character’s moniker to Zibby.
3. Jenny Cooper
Played: Bethany Tanner
You probably recognize her from Grey’s as the villainous mother of patient Jessica Tanner. She only appeared in one season 12 episode, titled “Sledgehammer,” but it was a memorable one (to say the least). The character riled up doctors after she refused to accept her daughter’s sexual orientation, which forced the staff to call Child Protective Services.
4. Annette O'toole
Played: Madeleine Skurski
O’Toole’s character appeared in season nine, episode 18 of Grey’s Anatomy, titled “Idle Hands.” After Madeleine was admitted to the hospital, it didn’t take long for Meredith to realize that she didn’t have the stomach flu, as originally diagnosed. She had terminal cancer. (Shout-out to our readers for this fourth addition.)
Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.
Why You Should Trust Us
PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.