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The Vampire Diariesfandom could hardly imagine another actress in the role of Elena Gilbert. Nina Dobrev delivered a memorable performance in the role, even grasping the nuanced details when playing Elena’s different doppelgängers. However, Dobrev almost lost the role during the audition and fought tooth & nail to get her role eventually.
One of the showrunners, Julie Plec, recalled that Dobrev couldn’t deliver her best during the audition because she fell ill at that time. It was wise of Plec and Kevin Williamson to provide her a second chance since she carried the series to its fame along with Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley.
Nina Dobrev almost lost the Elena role inThe Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diariescould’ve totally had a different actress as Elena afterNina Dobrev‘s first audition turned into a disaster. When the auditions for The CW show were underway, Dobrev fell sick. She added to the already mounting headache for the makers, who were struggling at that point to finalize the main three cast.
Nina Dobrev’s Health Update After Bike Accident Is Good News for “The Vampire Diaries” Fans
Dobrev attended her first audition early on in the process. Julie Plec shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she and Kevin Williamson passed over Dobrev at the time because she was sick. Plec shared thatDobrev didn’t back downonce they rejected her. The actress fought for a second chance after she got better from her illness. Plec toldTHR:
Nina came in early in the process and was sick, and so we kind of didn’t look twice at her and she had to fight to be seen again and put herself on tape so that we would take a second look at her when she felt better.
Plec explained toEWhow Dobrev contacted them for a second chance,“And then she, through her agents and the casting directors, said, ‘Hey, listen—I was sick that day, I didn’t do my best work, I really really want this part.'”Plec also shared that her second audition came at the perfect time for the creators.
They were almost exhausted looking for an Elena actress and Dobrev proved to be the perfect choice this time around. Plec told EW that Dobrev“basically had the job from that minute forward.”Dobrev played the character untilSeason 6after which she left the show to take on more mature roles. However, she returned for an appearance in the series finale.
Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley were also not easy picks for Damon and Stefan
Julie Plec told THR thatIan Somerhalderwas their favorite to play the role after they saw him inYoung Americans. However, Plec shared that Somerhalder tanked his audition for the role. Despite the poorly done audition, Somerhalder had already sealed his position as Damon in the minds of the creators. Plec shared:
And we were instantly interested in Ian because I had actually been a fan of Young Americans … anyway, so he tanked [his audition] and he knows he tanked and everyone knows he tanked and it’s cannon at this point. But we had a moment where we were like, “Well, if he’s not our Damon, then who is?”
Paul Wesleywas one of the contenders for Stefan in a sea of other contenders, which included Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, and Taylor Kitsch. Plec and Williamson initially found Wesley to be too old for the role. They weren’t really convinced of his casting until day one of the filming.
“She was the worst driver”: Nina Dobrev Was Terrified for Her Life on the Set of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ During a Scary Incident
Plec remembered seeingthe scene with Stefan playing outin front of her and she and Williamson going,“Oh my God, we were so wrong. How embarrassing, because he’s perfect.”Somerhalder and Wesley absolutely nailed their respective roles.
The Vampire Diariesis now available for streaming on Max.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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Ian SomerhalderNina DobrevPaul WesleyThe Vampire Diaries
