Pop-Culturalist.com

Kai Bradbury has firmly established himself as one of Hollywood’s most exciting young talents. He’s quickly racked up an impressive list of credits which includes projects like Warigami, Motherland: Fort Salem, and Family Law.

This summer, he reprised his role as the mysterious Denny in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series, Virgin River.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Kai to chat about Virgin River, how he prepared to tackle his character’s arc, and he tells us about his fondest memories working on Motherland: Fort Salem.

PC: Virgin River continues to be one of the most successful shows on Netflix. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Kai: It’s found this perfect niche. There aren’t a ton of shows out there that match its quality of storytelling. It’s got elements of escapism and great drama. It’s a really engaging, relatable story.

PC: There was so much mystery surrounding your character when he was teased in Season 3. How early on did the writers clue you in on Denny’s trajectory in the show?
Kai: When that cliffhanger happened, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into at the time. In fact, for my audition, they had asked me to do it in two different ways. One was a nice friendly guy and the other was a little bit colder and standoffish. It wasn’t until Season 4 that I had my meeting with the producers and showrunners when they told me about what they had planned for the season and for Denny.

PC: This is such a different interpretation of the Denny that we know from the books. As an actor, how did that creative freedom allow you to take agency over your character? Did you feel any pressure going in just given how different this take is?
Kai: Totally. I read Wild Man Creek, which is the first book where we meet the Denny that the readers got to know. I like to inform myself with the source material, but as soon as I realized exactly how different our Denny was, I had to completely relinquish any connection there. I had to receive all the information from the new scripts that I was getting.

PC: As a new character in the show, there are so many relationships to establish. Which was your favorite to explore in Season 4 and why?
Kai: The most critical one for Denny is his relationship with Doc. Getting to work with Tim Matheson was amazing. It mirrored real life. We were getting to know each other as people, as actors, while also having our characters get to know each other and peel back their own walls that they have up. But it’s a hard question because I love working with the whole cast. Everyone is so sweet.

PC: Denny is dealing with so much in his life. You handle that with so much nuance. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into that arc?
Kai: I just wanted to approach the material with as much honesty as possible. That’s how I approach any project that I work on. It’s storytelling from the heart. If I believe it, hopefully, the audience does as well. There’s definitely been a lot of research and reflection on Huntington’s disease. I’ve had the privilege of speaking with specialists and doctors. I hope to continue to do the topic justice, bring that representation, and handle it with care.

PC: Speaking of going forward, the series has already been picked up for a fifth season. Congratulations, by the way. Where do you want to see Denny’s storyline head in Season 5?
Kai: Thank you! We’ve already started shooting Season 5, so it’s very exciting. In Season 4, we see Denny meeting everyone in the town and there’s a lot of mystery surrounding his intentions. I’d like to see his mask peel off and get to see him build his relationships with the people in town and give the audience a bit more insight into who he really is. Now that his secret is out to a few people, maybe we’ll see a more comfortable Denny.

PC: This is such an exciting time in your career. As you look ahead to the next five to ten years, is there a dream role that you would love to bring to life?
Kai: I’ve been dreaming of playing a spy that speaks multiple languages. I speak Japanese, French, English, and a little bit of Spanish. I have a Venezuelan family. My Spanish should certainly be better than it is, but I would love to be able to use all those languages in a role. I’m such a mega fan of heist films, so I’d really love to work on and explore more features moving forward, as well as TV. I love these different mediums.

PC: You were also a part of Motherland: Fort Salem. When you look back at that experience, what do you remember most?
Kai: Oh my gosh. I got to meet some of the most amazing people who are still dear friends of mine. I’m so proud of everyone on that show. Of course, I wish it had gotten a longer life. I wish Gerit could have popped back in to say hi, maybe make a bird call or two. When I look back, I am really grateful as well for the opportunity to work on that show because I got to meet such cool people and the fan base is so wonderful.

To keep up with Kai, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Virgin River on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Noah Asanias