After five years of portraying Brie Sheridan, Zibby Allen shares insights into the sixth season of ‘Virgin River’ and opens up about her passion for herbalism and natural remedies.
Known for playing Brie in ‘Virgin River’, American actress Zibby Allen has been part of the cast since 2019. The series has touched the hearts of thousands, and its sixth season premiered in late December. A season, according to Zibby, which is marked by the evolution we’ll see in Brie: “It won’t be a clean evolution; there will be constant conflict between her head and her heart, especially regarding the love triangle she’s involved in. Her career is just starting to take off again. This season, we’ll see her in the courtroom and, without revealing too much, she’ll be defending Preacher in his murder trial. Returning to the courtroom on that side of the podium, instead of testifying in her own case like last season, is a big step in the right direction for her.” This step will be incredibly important for Brie as it will help her regain the confidence that the sexual assault she experienced last season took away.


Six seasons mean sharing many years of experiences with a character, and it’s natural that after five years of playing Brie, Zibby feels she’s like family: “We’ve probably become more alike, if anything,” the actress says. “Brie is very headstrong, independent… She is a toughie. On the other hand, I’m much more sensitive and gentle. I like to think that Brie needs a lot of who I am to soften herself, but she also helps me to be tougher and set boundaries, so it’s a good mix. For different reasons, we’re both always grappling with the idea of self-worth and whether we can have the things we want most, whether that’s love or a career.”
‘Virgin River’ has been such an important part of Zibby Allen’s life that it even opened the door to one of her other notable projects: the podcast ‘I Like You Very Much’, which she created alongside her co-star Alexandra Breckenridge. In it, they sit down with fellow actors and discuss various topics. “Alex was really the one who pushed the idea. I was nervous because I thought no one would care. ‘We can’t just be two more actresses with a podcast; everyone has one these days,’ I told her. But she insisted because she felt it was worth sharing our conversations. It’s a celebration of our friendship, and it’s very sweet and genuine because we want listeners to feel like they’re in the room with us.” One of the things both actresses do at the beginning of each podcast episode is to tell their guest things they like about them. “It’s fascinating to see how people react—most get embarrassed when we give them compliments—but we’ve also discovered it’s a wonderful way to start conversations about their humanity and the shared humanity we all have,” Zibby shares.


Friendship is one of the values this podcast celebrates most. Since Alexandra and Zibby share the idea that friends are a reflection of who you are, perhaps bringing people they like onto the podcast is also a way for the audience to get to know them better. “I’d never thought of it that way, but maybe we do, unconsciously,” Zibby reflects. “Acting is a strange business where, because of our characters, people can have all sorts of ideas about who we are as individuals—and that’s normal. But as actors, there’s a desire to share our humanity with audiences because it fosters empathy. It’s harder to judge someone when you get to know them a little, and the world definitely needs more of that.”
“I love wearing my husband’s clothes; I feel most myself in his clothing or a blazer”
Zibby Allen
Another hallmark of Zibby’s identity is her passion for herbalism and natural remedies. Being easily accessible, natural, and gentle, they are the perfect way to take care of oneself. There isn’t a single aspect of Zibby’s health and well-being that hasn’t been impacted by these remedies.
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Find the full interview in the print magazine, available from today at NewsStand UK