Sink Your Teeth Into These Juicy Vampire Diaries’ Secrets

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Dearest Journal, it’s hard to believe that “The Vampire Diaries” ended over eight years back! I must admit, it still feels surreal to us too.

Reflecting back, it seems as though only a short time has passed since we were enthralled by the love triangle involving Elena (Nina Dobrev), Stefan (Paul Wesley), and Damon (Ian Somerhalder). However, in reality, that was over 16 years ago when The CW’s popular show, which was based on L.J. Smith’s book series and created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, first introduced us to the mystical town of Mystic Falls on September 10, 2009.

For eight seasons, we never formally parted ways, fortunately followed by two sequels titled “The Originals” and “Legacies.

In retrospect, it’s hard to imagine that Nina nearly missed out on playing Elena to a star from “High School Musical.” Similarly, it’s astonishing how close Ian came to appearing in an entirely different vampire series.

Even though he secured the part of Damon Salvatore, the actor continued to crave more substantial roles to further challenge himself.

As Damon’s character began to develop a closer relationship with Nina on screen, he found himself becoming increasingly upset about the direction of his character. The feeling was so intense that at one point, he nearly broke down in tears during a meeting with Julie in Atlanta. He recounted this experience in the recently published book “I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries”, stating that he was so furious about it, he wanted to leave the show. He felt that Damon’s character was being steered towards a love-interest role, and he could see this development clearly on the horizon.

I realized that at my age in my early thirties, due to this show, I’ve gained a lot of attention. I must be able to discover something unique, perhaps with a dark and edgy twist.

But the creator wasn’t about to let her star walk off into the night. 

In my professional opinion as a lifestyle expert, I found myself saying something along these lines: “I made it clear that you weren’t considering departing from the show. To put it simply, you are an essential part of its success – one of its shining stars and a crucial element in keeping its pulse strong. Secondly, you’ve committed to a six-year contract, so that option is off the table. Lastly, rest assured that there will be multiple dimensions to keep things engaging.

Trusting the process, he sucked everything he could out of the part for several more seasons.

During the period when Nina’s six-season contract came to an end, she decided to take a break from her role after expressing a need for fair compensation, similar to what Ian and Paul were receiving. She explained, “My contract specified playing Elena, but in reality, I was portraying multiple characters, which effectively doubled my workload.” In her book “I Was Feeling Epic“, she shared this predicament.

But even though she got a slight bump, it never equaled that of her male costars. 

She shared that it seemed to her as though they implied her efforts were inconsequential, and furthermore, that she was not considered on par with her male colleagues. This left her feeling distressed.

To be sure, those stories are merely a few examples from the show’s impressive eight-season span. We’ve preserved many more intriguing facts about the cherished television program for you to discover.

It’s surprising to know that The CW initially intended “The Vampire Diaries” to be a showcase for Jessica Simpson’s younger sister, Ashlee Simpson. However, after discovering Nina Dobrev, the network ultimately cast Ashlee on their reboot of “Melrose Place”.

It’s said that following her stint on “High School Musical,” Ashley Tisdale was given the chance to play Elena as well, but she declined that offer and instead chose to star in “Hellcats,” a series that ran for only one season on The CW.

In an interview with TopMob News, Nina shared that a substantial number of actors from Hollywood competed for the roles they ended up playing. “It seems I must have impressed them,” she said, “because here I am. The process involved discovering and shaping our characters. With each episode, we discovered something new, and over time, we developed these remarkable, fantastic characters.

Although it seemed almost unthinkable that anyone other than Nina could have played the multifaceted character Elena eventually assumed (she had also portrayed Katherine Pierce, Amalia Giroux, and Tatia Petrova during her six-season tenure), surprisingly, the actress, well-known for her role on Degrassi at the time, didn’t particularly impress the showrunners during her initial audition.

As a devoted admirer recounting an amusing narrative, I’d say: “The most humorous incident regarding Nina’s first impression, surprisingly, was that she failed to make one. Co-creator Julie Plec elucidated this to EW. Intriguingly, none of us could recall our initial encounter with her. It wasn’t until later, through her agents and casting directors, that we learned she had been unwell on the day of audition and had expressed a strong desire for the role. Determined, she submitted a self-recorded tape which was so captivating and flawless, it felt like she secured the position from that very moment.

Upon learning that Nina was chosen to portray Elena in the show, fans of the initial book series expressed anger because Nina didn’t resemble the character’s iconic golden hair and blue eyes as described in the books.

In transitioning the story from page to screen, several adjustments were made: Elena was given an older brother named Jeremy, played by Steven R. McQueen, instead of having a 4-year-old sister Margaret. The name of her aunt was changed from Judith to Jenna. Matt’s last name was altered from Honeycutt to Donovan and he is no longer related to Vicki; in the series, they are siblings. Additionally, Caroline was turned into a close friend of Elena, as opposed to being an adversary.

To complete their cast for a key romantic triangle, TVD was in search of the two male counterparts once they had found their principal female character. Finding these roles was no simple feat.

In Julie’s own words, she shared that they extensively searched for both Stefan and Damon. She added that Nina performed numerous chemistry reads alongside several other actors.

As an ardent fan, it’s fascinating to delve into the audition process for some of the iconic characters on my favorite show. Among those who tried out for various roles, including ones I adore like Matt Donovan (played by Zach Roerig), Tyler Lockwood (portrayed by Michael Trevino), Kol (brought to life by Nathaniel Buzolic), and even the star of 7th Heaven, David Gallagher. Julie, the casting director, had expressed admiration for Gallagher during auditions, stating, “He left a lasting impression on us…but his association with 7th Heaven, I often ponder if he’ll ever be able to transcend that.” Interestingly enough, she later cast him in a werewolf role after watching Super 8.

And then, finally, they found their guys: Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder.

Julie mentioned that Paul and Ian seemed to arrive a bit later in the casting process. Interestingly, Paul auditioned about 15 times, while Ian appeared unexpectedly. Meanwhile, Nina remembered Paul (who initially read for Damon!) as the one who stood out among all the men who acted alongside her during chemistry reads: “The only one who wasn’t overdoing it and didn’t try to strike up a conversation with me unless we were filming was Paul Wesley,” she said to EW, which is amusing when you consider that he indeed followed the right approach.

Prior to securing the part of Damon, Ian originally harbored a strong desire to be part of HBO’s series, True Blood. In fact, he even auditioned for the role of Jason Stackhouse in it.

During a Q&A session, Ian shared that he tried out for the role in “True Blood,” but unfortunately, director Alan Ball didn’t see him as the right fit for the part, which eventually went to Ryan Kwanten. He admitted feeling quite disappointed at the time and couldn’t bring himself to watch the series until now.

Subsequently, Ian disclosed on the show “Watch What Happens Live” that another actor had tried to undermine him during the auditions.

In the final episode of the show, a man arrived attempting to act overconfident and possibly intimidate me. However, I quickly put an end to that behavior, asserting, ‘Not a chance, pal-this part is mine.’ And with that, I confidently took control of the situation.

During the final episode of the show, there was a man who tried to impress me with his cool demeanor and perhaps attempt to unsettle me. But I quickly put a stop to it, declaring, ‘No chance, buddy-this role is mine.’ And with determination, I took charge and made things happen.

Ian said, “You might recognize him as I can’t recall his name right now.

On September 10, 2009, the highly anticipated series premiere was about to go live, but suddenly, it became public knowledge that Nina and her fellow actors Sara Canning, Candice Accola, Kayla Ewell, along with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields, were arrested in Georgia for disorderly conduct. This was due to claims that they had been disrupting motorists during a photoshoot on a busy freeway.

In my role as a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that sentence as follows: Upon everyone’s compliance, including the payment of fines, I was personally informed that they had been granted their freedom by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

Much like onscreen, love was blossoming on the set throughout its eight-season run.

I had the pleasure of being in a long-term relationship with Phoebe Tonkin, a main character from The Originals, following my separation from Torrey DeVitto, who graced our screens as Meredith Fell in season three of TVD. After a brief fling with Steven, Candice and I shared a two-year relationship.

During the third season of the show, both Joseph Morgan and Persia White developed romantic feelings for each other while working together on set. They eventually got married in July 2014.

And then, of course, there’s the biggest IRL TVD relationship…

Fans of Delena were delighted to learn that their favorite on-screen couple were actually dating off-screen, but unfortunately, they parted ways in 2013 after being together for three years…right around the time when Damon and Elena’s relationship was just starting to blossom on the show.

However, any whispers of lingering tension between them were swiftly dispelled as the ex-pair playfully poked fun at their split during their acceptance speech for the 2014 People’s Choice Award for Best Chemistry.

In the shared presentation, when Nina discussed their breakup, Ian commented, “Yet, our on-screen characters are still romantically involved in the series.” To which Nina responded, “Fortunately, it’s not awkward between us…Luckily, we have good chemistry!

And after Ian’s April 2015 wedding to Nikki Reed, Nina had nothing but kind words to say. 

Nina replied to the Watch What Happens Live viewer who found it strange that she’s friends with her ex and his spouse, saying “I completely agree! It’s wonderful if people can remain friends.

During the initial season of their TV show, Nina and Paul were depicted as a popular new couple on screen, yet behind the scenes they had significant conflicts for the first five months of production, as Nina later shared.

In 2019, she confessed on the Directionally Challenged podcast that while she held Paul Wesley in high regard, she didn’t have personal affection for him. During their work together, people often assumed they were romantically involved due to their strong on-screen chemistry. Reflecting back, she acknowledges there was a thin boundary between love and hate, and they actually disliked each other intensely, which might have seemed like attraction.

In time, they managed to resolve their disputes, as Nina revealed that Paul has since become one of her dearest friends.

She mentioned, “We managed to find ourselves in a great situation, and it works well for everyone, but amongst all, I believe I spend the most time with him and socialize with him the most [currently]. In fact, we’ve grown very close – we frequently meet up and share a deep bond; I even adore his spouse. Isn’t it amusing how much things have evolved?

As a big admirer of Taylor Swift, Kevin expressed during TopMob News’ first season that he was eager for her to appear as a vampire.

He expressed, “She’d be fantastic as Kirsten Dunst from ‘Interview with the Vampire’ era! Oh my goodness, I’m really putting in a lot of effort to get her. I’d go to great lengths, even risk it all, to have her on our show!

Indeed, he specifically envisioned Arielle Kebbel for the role of Stefan’s best friend Lexi, a character he deliberately created with her in mind.

But alas, Kevin admitted she was “too big” for the show. 

Although not particularly fond of the practice, Julie harbored a secret wish for Joshua Jackson (known as Pacey Witter) to become a part of the show.

She mentioned that the success of our show is likely due to avoiding the practice of stunt casting, although if a renowned actor becomes available and we’re fond of them, then exceptions might be made. Jokingly, she often expresses her dream scenario: having Joshua Jackson, who played Pacey on ‘Dawson’s Creek’, join our show as a character in Mystic Falls.

As an ardent fan, if I had been given the chance, I would’ve dreamt of embodying the pivotal role of Original vampire Klaus. This part, so eagerly awaited by many, saw over 200 hopefuls audition before the enigmatic Joseph clinched it, igniting a successful spinoff, “The Originals.” If I’d been fortunate enough to land the role, it might have just been a one-season stint, as initially planned, before Joseph became too magnetic to be written off.

In an unusual move reminiscent of stunt casting, the creators of “The Vampire Diaries” invited Sarah Michelle Gellar, famed from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” to portray Rose – a vampire who formed a bond with Damon.

In an interview with The New York Post, Kevin shared that initially, he and his team had hoped to cast Sarah Michelle Gellar as Rose. However, she graciously declined the offer. He stated that she was the only instance where they would have been open to what seemed like a “stunt casting.

The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan nabbed the vampire part instead. 

Frequently, viewers of “The Vampire Diaries” were accustomed to witnessing numerous cast changes due to multiple on-screen deaths and resurrections. However, when Nina announced her departure from the series at the conclusion of season six, it took many by surprise.

In a recent Instagram post, the star expressed that she had long envisioned Elena’s tale as a thrilling six-season voyage, and during those six years, she experienced an unforgettable adventure.

Julie similarly made a statement expressing her feelings, saying that parting ways with Nina is both bitter and sweet, yet beautiful. She added that they will miss Nina’s portrayal of the 400 characters she played but are excited to tackle the crazy and thrilling task of continuing to narrate tales about their Salvatore Brothers and their talented ensemble.

The series went on for two more seasons without Nina, who returned for the series finale. 

In the second season, Kevin and Julie had a conversation about their preferred final outcome for the characters over a meal at a shopping mall food court. This decision likely would have caused controversy among fans of Delena and Stelena.

Julie explained to EW that the brothers, in a selfless act for their sister, might perish, and then spectrally observe her as she journeyed into the sunset to pursue her dreams – potentially marrying Matt Donovan or becoming a doctor. However, these brothers would be forever watching over her from beyond, side by side.

As the story progressed and the love triangle underwent a significant transformation, so did their ultimate goals, experiencing quite a major shift along the way. (Apologies, Matt!)

Following Nina’s departure and Stefan’s romantic involvement with both Julie and Kevin, a disagreement arose between them about two possible conclusions for the series finale. This dispute occurred after Julie left the production towards the end of season two but later came back to contribute to the final episode.

In Julie’s explanation to EW, she mentioned there were two options on the table. One of these would have been the ideal ending to the season, while the other would have wrapped up the entire series. She also shared that there were extensive discussions about eliminating Damon, similar to the deliberations they had regarding Stefan’s fate. For a considerable period, it seemed like the decision might go against Damon, but things eventually swung in his favor.

In the end, Stefan made the selfless decision to give up his life, thereby allowing Damon to enjoy his human years with Elena. Furthermore, Kevin confessed that he was in a quandary about who Elena would be paired with by the series finale of yet another famous TV love triangle – Dawson’s Creek.

Kevin, who had favored Stefan and Elena as a couple over Dawson-Joey-Pacey, openly confessed his preference for their union. “In an alternate reality,” he stated, “that could have been their ending. However, due to the absence of Elena in the last season, we didn’t have enough time or opportunity to explore that plotline and reunite them.

“Hello, brother.” 

In the opening episode, Damon’s initial statement marked the concluding line of the entire series, symbolizing the heartwarming reunion of the Salvatore brothers following Damon’s human demise. This closing moment offered a satisfying and circular resolution for both the series and the evolving bond between the characters. However, this particular line was originally intended to be something entirely distinct.

Kevin shared with EW that the initial line was, “It appears there’s heroic hair in heaven,” he disclosed. Then, they embraced.

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2025-09-10 13:17