Ben Hollingsworth is all about giving his young kids the freedoms he grew up with.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the 42-year-old actor discussed his participation in the upcoming Meet Cute Con, the latest season of “Virgin River” and how raising his kids in a small town affords them certain freedoms.
“Our kids are actually, we’re able to kind of let them go off and be like, be back at five, which I feel like is kind of gone away now,” he explained. “It’s really, really tricky to do that. You definitely can’t do it in major cities, or you’ll be arrested as a parent. Like, what are you doing? Letting your kid run across Ventura Boulevard? In LA, that doesn’t fly.”
He went on to say that he is “thankful” he is able to give his children the kind of life where they can play outside as long as they are “back by this time when the sun goes down,” noting, “I’m happy to provide them with some of what I got growing up.”
Another way they have managed to keep their children out of the Hollywood bubble and grounded is by keeping them active in sports and through family activities, including hikes.
WATCH: Ben Hollingsworth is ‘grateful’ to give his three children the childhood he had
The actor also shared that while shooting season three of the show in British Columbia, Canada, his wife got pregnant with their third child, and inspired their big life change.
WATCH: Ben Hollingsworth and his family moved to a ‘Virgin River-esque town’
“I’ll be transparent with you, I won’t say where we are, but we did move out of a large center and we actually did move to a very Virgin River-esque town because of ‘Virgin River,'” he said. “We got pregnant with our third and we made a decision to put down roots in a smaller place. And raising your kids in small town is just, it’s a luxury, and we’re very happy that we’re able to provide that for the kiddos.”
He admitted that for them spending more time outside of Los Angeles happened “organically,” noting that he isn’t the only Hollywood star choosing to leave the city, citing Jana Kramer and Bethany Joy Lenz as examples.
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Hollingsworth also shared his excitement about participating in the upcoming Meet Cute Con taking place at the Loveless Barn and Virgin Hotels Nashville between November 6 and 8.
The “Small Town Swoon” themed event will bring together stars from “Virgin River,” “One Tree Hill” and “The Way Home,” providing fans with the warmth, romance, and community they see on television in real-life.
WATCH: Ben Hollingsworth says ‘Virgin River’ is ‘apple pie entertainment’
“I think community is the key,” he said. “In today’s world, we’re losing that sense of community more and more every day, I feel like. And there’s something really great about getting together and bringing a fan community together with some of the people that they’re excited about, and they’re used to seeing on the screen. They can meet and see in real life and ask questions that they’ve been dying to ask.”
He is looking forward to meeting all the fans, noting this is the first time the entire cast of “Virgin River” has “gotten together as a cast to do this in the public,” saying it “just felt right.”
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“It felt really great. We love Nashville. Who doesn’t love Nashville? They’re doing it at this barn, and it’s not gonna be this massive convention center,” he added. “It’s a small intimate thing. So everyone who comes is gonna be a few feet away from us. And that really kind of helped sell it to us that we should do one.”
When it comes to the success of his own show, Hollingsworth attributed it to the idea that it speaks to “a part of America that that we don’t celebrate enough.”
He explained that many television shows on Netflix and other streaming services tell stories of people in big cities, but as “more and more communities outside those centers have gained access” to these services, stories with “small town charm” and a “sense of community” have begun to resonate.
WATCH: Ben Hollingsworth is excited to attend Meet Cute Con with the ‘Virgin River’ cast
“We really took off during the pandemic,” he said. “Because I think just… that it was a comforting show, it is a comforting show. We really take pride in kind of supplying, it’s almost like medicine for people. You don’t need to take whatever to go to sleep. You can watch a nice episode of ‘Virgin River’ and it’s like a warm fuzzy blanket, or a hug.”
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He added: “It’s apple pie entertainment. And I mean that in the best ways because we’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re doing something that’s been done many times before, but we’re making really good apple pie, I think. And so you know what you want, you know you’re gonna love it, and we do it right.”
