Exclusive Interview
‘Hope Valley: 1874’s Roan Curtis & Lachlan Quarmby Tease Olivia’s Love Triangle
What To Know
- Olivia is at the center of a classic love triangle in the new series Hope Valley: 1874.
- She is torn between her longtime friend Clayton and newcomer Constable Alexander Vaughn.
- Roan Curtis and Lachlan Quarmby broke down Olivia’s budding love triangle to Swooon.
“Olivia is a dreamer,” Roan Curtis told Swooon in full 1870s garb on the set of Hope Valley: 1874. “Her head is maybe in the clouds a little bit. She’s very whimsical. The town is coming of age, and Olivia’s kind of coming of age with it.”
While Curtis’ character, the daughter of local trading post owner Hattie (Jill Hennessy), is only seen once during the first episode of the new series, it’s clear that there is a lot coming from “dreamer” this season, especially in the romance department.
On one hand, Olivia catches the attention of Constable Alexander Vaughn (Lachlan Quarmby), who has just arrived in town as one of the Mounties. On the other hand, she has local blacksmith Clayton (Jedidiah Goodacre), who has been holding back feelings for her.
“It’s kind of that classic [love triangle],” Curtis told Swooon. “You have somebody who’s been there all along in Clayton. He’s an old friend. They are familiar with each other, but I don’t think that she necessarily sees him as a romantic option yet, despite the fact that he obviously has feelings for her, and probably has for a while. They connect on art and their creative visions, and he’s very supportive of her and her creative endeavors.”
And then, she has Alexander, who rides into town at the end of Episode 1. “I think the thing with Alexander is that he’s new and he’s exciting and he’s dashing and different from anything she’s known before,” Curtis revealed. “He also is from the big city, which is something that she is very curious about, and something bigger than this town that she’s grown up in.”
Similar to the classic Jacob versus Edward debate, she explained, “I think that it’s kind of that age-old dichotomy of like familiarity and commonality versus somebody who stands in stark contrast to her and feels exciting and more novel.”
Of course, Alexander can empathize with Olivia being torn between what she can expect and what she can’t. During our time with Hallmark’s newest Mountie, Quarmby explained, “I think Alexander rides into town expecting grizzled prospectors and war veteran ranchers who are like, ‘Get off my land.’ And then he steps into the trading post and sees this little ray of sunshine. And [he’s] a little taken aback at first. Like, whoa. That is very unexpected.”
That being said, Quarmby did have to admit that, when it comes to yearning, a power the Providence Falls star knows all too well, Clayton may take the cake during Season 1. He confessed, “Jed, who plays Clayton, does a fantastic job showing that dynamic… I think Alexander hasn’t quite had the time yet to yearn. He’s still star-struck, and he’s got a lot going on on the side, a lot on his plate with those grizzled ranchers.”
As Curtis put it, “I think the thing is, they’re both such amazing options, she really can’t go wrong.”
Hope Valley: 1874, Season 1, Premieres March 21, Hallmark+
