7 Stars Who Were Almost Cast in The Vampire Diaries (And One Would Have Changed Everything)

The late 2000s and early 2010s saw a huge surge in popularity for vampire stories, and The Vampire Diaries was a major contributor to that trend. The show, which was based on the book series of the same name by L.J. Smith and created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, quickly became a big success for The CW when it first aired in 2009. It ran for eight seasons and even led to two spin-off series. A major reason for the show’s popularity was the compelling characters at the heart of the supernatural teen drama, and the talented actors who played them, including Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert and Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore.

Even though it’s difficult to picture anyone other than the original actors playing the memorable characters from The Vampire Diaries, especially almost ten years after the show ended, the series could have looked quite different. This is common for television shows-many actors are considered during casting before final decisions are made. However, in the case of The Vampire Diaries, several stars were seriously considered for roles, and some of those choices would have drastically changed the show-and potentially impacted other franchises, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

7) Ashley Tisdale as Elena Gilbert

I remember when High School Musical was huge, and everyone was talking about Ashley Tisdale! It turns out she was actually offered the lead role of Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries – can you believe that? But she ended up choosing to play Savannah Monroe in Hellcats, another show on The CW. It’s a shame Hellcats didn’t last; it was cancelled after just one season. The producer, Tom Welling, later explained that it happened because The CW got a new president of entertainment – Mark Pedowitz replaced Dawn Ostroff, and things changed after that.

6) James Van Der Beek as Alaric Saltzman

I remember when The Vampire Diaries was starting up, James Van Der Beek was already a huge name on TV, especially for those of us who loved The WB (which eventually became The CW!). He’d spent six seasons as Dawson on Dawson’s Creek, so it makes sense he was considered for the part of Alaric Saltzman, the history teacher and vampire hunter. Ultimately, Matthew Davis landed the role, but James went on to do some great work too. I really enjoyed seeing him in Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23, and it was cool to see him alongside Krysten Ritter, who would later become a Marvel star!

5) Sarah Michelle Gellar as Rose

Considering Sarah Michelle Gellar famously played Buffy Summers, one of the most recognizable vampire hunters on TV in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it would have been surprising to see her switch sides and play a vampire – but it nearly happened. Gellar was offered the part of Rose, a vampire, in the second season of The Vampire Diaries, but she turned it down. The role ultimately went to Lauren Cohan, who later became known for starring in another popular series: The Walking Dead.

4) Jason Momoa as Alaric Saltzman

Interestingly, Jason Momoa, best known as Aquaman from DC Comics, was also considered to play the role of Alaric Saltzman – the history teacher and vampire hunter – in The Vampire Diaries. This information comes from the book I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries. Joe Manganiello was another actor in contention for the part. Although it’s difficult to imagine anyone else in the role now that Matthew Davis has made it his own, the show would have had a very different feel with Momoa as the vampire hunter. It’s worth noting that Alaric later ran a school for children with supernatural abilities in the spin-off series Legacies.

3) Taylor Swift as an unnamed vampire

No, it wasn’t a misunderstanding; Taylor Swift was seriously considered for a role on The Vampire Diaries. Though Swift is a hugely popular and successful musician, she’s also familiar with film and TV-and she was a fan of The Vampire Diaries herself. When creator Kevin Williamson learned this, a new part was written with Swift in mind. Sadly, according to Nina Dobrev, they couldn’t find a time that worked with everyone’s schedules. However, that story is slightly different depending on who you ask: Julie Plec shares in her book, I Was Feeling Epic, that the network actually wanted Swift to make a cameo appearance, rather than a character being created specifically for her.

2) Sebastian Stan as Damon Salvatore

It’s hard to picture anyone but Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore today, but Sebastian Stan was seriously considered for the role. Julie Plec revealed that Stan was initially their top choice for Stefan, but he was already committed to the NBC show Kings. Unfortunately, that series was cancelled after only one season. Although we didn’t get to see Stan as Damon – which would have drastically altered The Vampire Diaries – there’s a positive side: Stan later landed the role of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger and became a beloved character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

1) Pedro Pascal as Marcel Gerard on The Originals

Alright, while this isn’t strictly The Vampire Diaries itself, it’s connected to that world, so it’s worth mentioning. Pedro Pascal has become hugely popular thanks to his work on shows like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, and his recent appearance as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, he almost had a significant role within The Vampire Diaries Universe. Pascal actually auditioned for the part of Marcel Gerard in The Originals. From what we hear, his audition was excellent, but Charles Michael Davis was ultimately considered a better match for the character.

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2025-10-05 16:14