VIRGIN RIVER actor Benjamin Hollingsworth says THE CHRISTMAS RING offers something that can be hard to find during a season of celebrations: hope for people missing someone they love.
“What makes it special to me is the hope in it,” Hollingsworth told TV Insider ahead of the movie’s streaming and television premieres.
Hollingsworth plays Ben Miller, a widowed antiques dealer who meets military widow Vanessa Mayfield, played by actress Jana Kramer. Vanessa is searching for a lost family ring, but the two discover a connection that reaches beyond the missing heirloom.
“Through their connection, they begin to see that there’s still room for joy and love in their lives,” Hollingsworth explained. The actor also found a personal connection to Ben’s interest in history and poetry, two things he enjoys himself.
The adaptation of author Karen Kingsbury’s novel arrived on Great American Pure Flix Nov. 5, followed by Great American Family and GFAM+ Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. ET. It first released in theaters last year and was nominated for several Movieguide® Teddy Bear Awards®.
The friendship behind the romance started before the cameras rolled. Hollingsworth said Kramer invited his family over for a barbecue before production, and their spouses and children quickly hit it off.
Related: Jana Kramer Talks About What Makes Christmas Special | The Christmas Ring Interview
“By the time Jana and I got to set, we already had that friendship and comfort with each other, and the chemistry carried right onto the screen,” he said.
Actor Kelsey Grammer, who plays Ben’s father, brought another connection: a shared interest in history. Hollingsworth compared acting alongside him to playing catch with one of the greats, enjoying the back-and-forth of being fully present in a scene.
Away from the set, Hollingsworth’s three children give him another way to stay present. Asked how fatherhood has changed his approach to his career, he described the temptation to worry about box-office results, a show’s future or choosing the right project.
“But when I come home after a long day and my kids are excited to see me, all of that stress melts away,” he said.
Those priorities fit with his earlier comments about giving his children a small-town childhood. In this new interview, he offered a particularly vivid example of how his family spends time together during the holidays: skating on a frozen lake.
When the children were smaller, he would tie their toboggans together, put on their hockey helmets and pull them around the lake. The arrangement gave the children a sleigh ride and their dad a workout.
“I was basically a hockey-playing Rudolph,” he joked.
For families considering THE CHRISTMAS RING, Movieguide®’s review of the 2025 movie praises its Christian worldview, including prayer, Bible reading and the Nativity story. The review also highlights themes of forgiveness, friendship and helping others, while noting brief family arguments and a kiss.
Read Next: What THE CHRISTMAS RING Reminds Us About Grief During the Holidays
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
