She’s sharp, witty and willing to spend half her time in blimmin’ Scotland for a bloke. Not a bad catch! As VIRGIN RIVER returns for its sixth season on December 19th, Loaded snuggles up with Zibby Allen, who plays Brie Sheridan, to get beneath the winter layers for an incredible photoshoot well worth turning the pages for. Merry Christmas chaps!
* How does your character Brie compare to the real life Zibby? Are there similarities?
There are definitely similarities. I like to think Brie and I have a lot to offer each other. She projects a much tougher, hard-charging exterior, whereas I’m outwardly softer in real life. Personally, I’ve gained a lot from embracing some of Brie’s toughness over the seasons. It’s a cool balance.
We’re both from Northern California, which actually comes with a really specific point of view. But even more, I think our shared ground might lie in Brie’s internal battle with worthiness—a theme that resonates with me and, I think, with many others.
Brie is fighting to believe she’s worthy of a love she can trust. In my own way and for different reasons, I understand the longing to feel truly deserving of the things I want most in life. Exploring that through her story has been a privilege.
I’m also exploring the opportunity to direct, but whether that becomes a long-term part of my career remains to be seen. It feels natural for my creative interests to extend beyond acting—they always have. I’ve always been drawn to understanding how things work, especially when it comes to creating the things I love. Selfishly, I can’t help but want to be part of it all.
* Your podcast “I Like You Very Much” is such a breath of fresh air with so much negativity online and focus on "problem podcasts". Nowadays, it's all about letting people think they have a problem so there is something to sell them to solve it. Celebrating friendship, love and laughter is a problem-solving exercise in itself. What can listeners take away from your positive bond with your friend and co-host Alex?
That’s so kind of you to say, and I completely agree—it’s exactly what motivates our podcast. Being human is hard enough, even if you’re well-adjusted… and honestly, who is? So, getting together for organic, unpolished conversations with each other and our guests has this naturally uplifting quality because it’s rooted in connection—and connection just feels good.
Starting each episode by highlighting what we like very much about our guests creates a really meaningful entry point into conversations about who they are (and who we are). We don’t shy away from heavy topics, but we’re not framing them as “problems” to solve, if that makes sense.
Our hope is that, as a listener or viewer, you feel like you’re right there in the living room with us—having a glass of wine or a cup of tea, just chatting with your friends.
* Falling for a bloke who lives in Scotland…hmmm (Zibby famously married an Ulster Scot after declaring her aversion to tying the knot). We love Scotland but it's blimmin' cold! Tell us about how you divide your time and your adventures? What do you guys enjoy doing outside of work?
It is so cold, but it’s beautiful here—we’re in Edinburgh. Adam is an artist (a painter), and he finds so much inspiration in the three countries we bounce between—the US, Canada, and the UK. Edinburgh, in particular, is incredibly rich in history, architecture, and culture. It’s simple, but one of our favourite things to do is go on “inspiration walks” through the city, taking photos, exploring neighbourhoods, and dipping into a random pub for a wee dram. Wandering out in the world with no screens in our faces and no schedule feels so good and it’s such a lovely thing to do together.
Other than that, outside of work, we both seem to love a project. I write, make music, study herbs, and am often making various tinctures and teas. Adam paints, seems to always be redesigning our interior spaces, he gardens, plays football… We’re also lucky to have amazing friends in all three countries and we love spending time with our mates.
* Even though you're stunning, you've always maintained 1000% modesty, both on and off camera. Do you think there is too much pressure on aspiring performers to strip off, especially given the overwhelming influx of 'content creators' vying for fame.
Thank you for the compliment! I think the pressure really depends on the circles someone is seeking attention from. There are definitely corners of the world that place a lot of value on ‘sexual desirability’ and all that. Depending on where you are in your personal journey, you either buy into those value systems or you don’t, I guess.
The lesson I keep learning is that authenticity is what truly matters. Whatever that looks like. But it’s what draws the people and projects that resonate with you on the same frequency. As long as I want me, that’s what counts. That means I can be modest, overtly sexual, or anything in between— who I am is always changing anyway—and it’s not about meeting anyone else’s expectations or fitting into their scale of value.
I’m not always 100 percent there, but that’s the aim (and for the record, I loved taking these photos for this article—hardly modest, but still very much me).
And for dessert…
* If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be? Toast (We hope it’s not soggy at least).
* Favourite holiday destination? Kauai (Can we come?)
* Scotland or LA? Scotland (Erm…ok then!)
* Dream role? Lead in a period piece
* Walk or run? Walk
* Any future plans? Holidays in Scotland/Ireland, filming Virgin River Season 7 early next year, and after that I'm open to suggestions
Photographer: Corinne Moffatt
