Annette O’Toole Shares Her Favorite Show Business Memories and Reflects on ‘Virgin River’

She’s been a working actress since the age of 18, but Annette O’Toole admits that her current role on Virgin River, which arrives for its sixth season on Netflix on December 19, is special. The show, about the inhabitants of a remote Northern California town, has had a devoted following since its 2019 debut. “It’s just so nice to be in something that people really, really love,” Annette tells Closer. “I love that it appeals to people from all walks of life.”

A Texas native, Annette arrived in Los Angeles as a teenager and has rarely stopped working since. On the big screen, she played Lana Lang to Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent in Superman III. Eighteen years later, Annette returned to the comic book universe as Clark’s mom, Martha, on TV’s Smallville. These days, Annette, 72, splits her time between Vancouver, Canada, where Virgin River is taped, and film sets around the world.

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Tell us about your Virgin River character.

“I play the mayor, who is married to the town doctor, played by Tim Matheson. We have a very tempestuous relationship, although we’re in a really good place. Who knows if that’ll continue? She is a woman who’s lived most of her life in Virgin River and she loves the place passionately.”

The show is shot outside of Vancouver. Is it hard to be away from home so long?

“The hardest thing to deal with is being away from my family for big chunks of time. Last year, I did not come home at all. I went to visit my husband on location in New Orleans when he was doing a movie. I never came back to Los Angeles. The hardest part is that my mom just turned 99. She’s not able to travel, but I talk to her or talk to her caregivers every day.”

You trained as a dancer. When did you make the switch to acting?

“The week I turned 18. I had been cast in the Broadway show Promises, Promises, which is based on The Apartment, the Billy Wilder movie. It was coming to L.A. In the meantime, I got a Gunsmoke job. I had to decide what I was going to do. I decided to do Gunsmoke because I figured I could always go back to dancing. But then I started working like crazy.”

Did your parents approve?

“They were the reason it all happened. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. My mother was a dancing teacher and my dad was a mechanical engineer. I was an only child and they felt I was very talented. I had a cousin who wanted to go to art school in Los Angeles. We came out for the summer and I got an agent right away. On my very first job, I danced on The Danny Kaye Show.”

What was he like?

“He was great. He had a reputation for being snippy, but he was fantastic with me. He loved children. I remember they were going to do a sketch with a skateboard. He said, ‘Does anyone know how to skateboard?’ I’ll never forget skateboarding for Danny Kaye and Tony Charmoli, the choreographer. I’m lucky I didn’t fall — I didn’t know how to do it too well!”

If acting hadn’t worked out for you, what do you think you’d be doing?

“I’d either be a librarian or I would have a knit shop. I’m sitting in my craft room and you should see the books. Knitting is more than a hobby. It’s kind of my other life. I do it on set. It’s what’s kept me sane while you wait for the lighting to happen. I make gifts for people all the time. It’s a real joy to me.”

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You starred in Superman III. Can you share some memories of Christopher Reeve?

“Everyone was in love with Chris. He was such a sweet person. He was so welcoming to me — Margot Kidder was lovely to me, too. Chris invited me to his home with his wife, kids and some other friends, and they had this lovely dinner. Then they took me to Wembley Stadium to see Simon & Garfunkel. It was so nice. He was just a very, very nice man.”

You’ve been married to Michael McKean since 1999. What’s your secret?

It’s that old cliché that we’re best friends. It really is true. Michael and I had known each other for a long time just to say hi. We were both married to other people. And then we were both suddenly divorced. We did a TV movie together in Portland — I kidnap him and chain him to the toilet or something. It’s kind of ridiculous, but really fun. We kept in touch and then one night he called. Our very first date was going to UCLA to see Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell in concert.”

That’s so nice.

“It’s just gotten better and better. We play cards every day. We read to one another. Being away from one another is hard, but we’re also very good on our own because we had already lived full lives and raised kids. We were adults when we got together. I think it’s worked out really well for us.”

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You wrote a song together for the film A Mighty Wind that was nominated for an Oscar.

“Chris Guest, who directed the movie, asked Michael if he wanted to write the signature song for this couple called Mitch and Nikki. It was a folk song about a kiss. We wrote it in about half an hour. We were very thrilled to be nominated. It was nice to go through all that because it’s really ridiculous but really fun to do it together.”

Do you have a motto you live by?

“Less is more.”

You have three adult children. What’s the best thing you taught them?

“The first thing that comes to mind is to be generous with your love and your time. Be openhearted and put yourself in other people’s shoes. And when in doubt, say yes.”

What do you like most about being the age you are?

“The freedom. Freedom from thinking ‘What do people think of me?’ Just from having the practice of living every day, you get to this point where you just don’t care as much. I feel healthier in my life. It’s feeling good about yourself, about where you are in your life, and not being so worried now that the kids are grown.”