EXCLUSIVE: After Mel and Dr. Cameron, a third medical professional is coming to Doc’s clinic in the town of Virgin River. SkyMed star Natasha Calis has been tapped for a heavily recurring role as Dr. Astrid on the upcoming eighth season of Netflix‘s Virgin River, which recently started production in Vancouver.

Unlike Dr. Cameron (Mark Ghanimé) — and like Doc’s nurse practitioner Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) — Astrid might be here to stay. Calis has an option to become a series regular if the popular romantic drama is renewed for a ninth season and beyond. It would be the first series-regular cast addition to the show in four seasons, since Kandyse McClure joined as Kaia Bryant in Season 5. (As Deadline reported in March, two longtime Virgin River cast members have left ahead of Season 8: Marco Grazzini, who played Mike, and Lauren Hammersley, who portrayed Charmaine.)

Calis’ Astrid is a brashly confident surgical resident who finds herself assigned to a rotation in Doc’s (Tim Matheson) clinic after mysteriously being placed on probation. Her bedside manner may be lacking, but she’s willing to do almost anything to get out of Virgin River and back in the surgical wing.

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Astrid’s arrival may be connected to Doc’s controversial decision in the Season 7 finale to partner with Grace Valley Hospital, which may benefit his patients but certainly hurt his marriage to Hope (Annette O’Toole).

At the clinic, Calis’ Astrid may interact with the other new recurring Virgin River character that will be introduced in Season 8, Eddie (Mitchell Slaggert), a charismatic EMT.

Canadian actress Calis has strong TV medical credentials. She leads the Paramount+ Canadian medical drama SkyMed, which launched its fourth season last week, playing delivery nurse Hayley Roberts.

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According to sources, Calis’ contract for SkyMed was up, allowing her to become a series regular on Virgin River. She could do both shows if they get additional seasons, subject to a new deal with SkyMed which would be working around her schedule, I hear.

Calis previously starred in another Canadian medical drama, Nurses, which aired on NBC in the U.S. Her feature credits include Sam Raimi’s The Possession for Lionsgate. She is repped by Atlas Artist and Mary Falcon at Play Management in Canada.