VIRGIN RIVER star Tim Matheson has paid a heartfelt tribute to his co-star Annette O’Toole who starred as Hope McCrae.

The last time viewers saw Virgin River’s Hope McCrea (played by Annette O’Toole) she had just suffered a traumatic brain injury after being in a car crash. As Netflix streamers await to find out her fate in season four, her co-star Tim Matheson who played her lover Doc Mullins, shared some touching words about the actress.

When season one first introduced Hope and Doc, they were married but had been separated for 20 years.

After Hope realised she was still in love with Doc, she accepted his apology for cheating on her with Charmaine Robert’s (Lauren Hammersley) mother.

Although the two had remained friends they rekindled their romance and Doc eventually proposed to her.

However, the jaw-dropping season three finale threw away any chance of the two spending the rest of their lives together as Doc was forced to consider a future without his true love.

During the episode, Hope’s car was hit by a truck as she was making her way home.

She was immediately rushed to the hospital and underwent serious brain surgery.

As the finale ended with a major cliffhanger, fans are eagerly awaiting to find out if she will succumb to her injuries or make it home to recover.

Ahead of the season four premiere, Tim Matheson who played the worried Doc, paid a heartfelt tribute to his co-star.

The actor recounted working with O’Toole during an interview on the Chatting with B podcast.

He disclosed: “I’ve known Annette since we were pups, I worked with her then-boyfriend, an actor named Bruno Kirby … that’s when I first met Annette.

“I knew her as an actor and she was very talented and then we did a  TV episode called The Class of ‘65, where we were a young married couple who were having difficulties.

“Then I did a little HBO play with her and I don’t think we had worked since then.”

Matheson recalled: “When I got to the airport, when I was first coming up to Vancouver to shoot Virgin River, Annette pops up and runs at me.

“She was in the lounge waiting for the plane too, I didn’t know she played Hope.”

The actor continued: “It was great because when you have somebody you’ve worked with and you’ve known them for an amount of time there’s a backstory.

“There’s a connection you have that makes it easier than just an actor who goes ‘oh hi let’s pretend we know each other.’”

Matheson concluded: “She’s a lovely actress so it’s been a great joy to play all the scenes we play and all the crazy things that are happening to us.”

Although fans have questioned Hope’s uncertain fate in the upcoming instalment, the showrunner Sue Tenney shared a major spoiler about season four.

She confirmed to Entertainment Weekly: “We do move ahead, to us, it’s the recovery and