It may be close to a decade since The Vampire Diaries shut its coffin for good, but it still lives on in our hearts. Like the lives of the Salvatore brothers, our love for the vampire romance is eternal.
Premiering in 2009, The CW series was adapted from L.J. Smith’s books of the same name. The series strayed from the source material but became a huge success for the teen network, spawning two spin-offs. The Vampire Diaries dynasty has sadly come to an end after the abrupt cancellation of Legacies, but the actors who were catapulted to fame in the flagship series are still making the rounds in the entertainment industry.
Nina Dobrev — Elena Gilbert
Nina Dobrev got her start shortly before The Vampire Diaries in Degrassi: The Next Generation as teen mom Mia. However, it was her role as Elena Gilbert that made her a household name.
Dobrev starred in the series for six seasons before famously departing the show for greener pastures. The Vampire Diaries carried on for two more seasons and the actor returned for the final episode. Since then, Dobrev can be found attached to a variety of movies including Love Hard, The Out-Laws, and Reunion.
Paul Wesley — Stefan Salvatore
The younger half of the Salvatore brother duo, Stefan Salvatore was one of the most underrated characters of the series. Having to suffer his girlfriend falling for his brother and dying a human death, Stefan deserved more in the season finale. Thankfully, Paul Wesley found life in another franchise television show.
The actor has become the face of the new James T. Kirk in the Star Trek series, Strange New Worlds. The Paramount series finally tells Captain Christopher Pike’s (Anson Mount) story as he attempts to avoid his tragic fate. Wesley first appeared in the season 1 finale as an alternate version of Kirk but has since come to be a familiar face on the bridge.
Damon Salvatore — Ian Somerhalder
After breaking everyone’s hearts on Lost with the early death of his character Boone, Ian Somerhalder found solace as a long-standing lead on another series. An early antagonist of the series, Damon Salvatore goes on a long redemption arc and romance with Elena.
In recent years, Somerhalder has taken a step back from acting despite the fanaticism surrounding his character. Married to Twilight actor Nikki Reed, the two spend more time on philanthropic pursuits. Love for The Vampire Diaries is never far away, as Somerhalder and Welsey created a bourbon brand aptly called Brother’s Bond.
Bonnie Bennett — Kat Graham
By far the character that gets the most disrespect, Bonnie spends the entirety of The Vampire Diaries saving everyone else’s lives while getting nothing in return. Though she makes it through the entirety of the series, she has to live on without the love of her life.
Graham continues to act while contributing her time to humanitarian work. Being an ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and a council member for GLAAD are only some of her charitable works.
Caroline Forbes — Candice King
Caroline Forbes is the MVP of The Vampire Diaries brand. With some of the best character development in the series, she starts as a neurotic high school student and becomes a formidable and compassionate vampire. Candice King completed her run of The Vampire Diaries, while also making guest appearances on The Originals and Legacies.
Also a singer, King currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. After the conclusion of The Vampire Diaries, she appeared in The Orville, After We Collided, and is set to appear in The Vampire Diaries showrunner Julie Plec’s new series, We Were Liars.
Jeremy Gilbert — Steven R. McQueen
Jeremy Gilbert did not have as long of a tenure on the series as other cast members. As Elena’s little brother, he would often be sidelined, despite his skills as a hunter. The character has died and come back to life more than once before leaving the show altogether.
Since his run as Jeremy, he has had success in other series such as Chicago Fire and appeared sparingly in Legacies. His last acting role was in 2020.
Alaric Saltzman — Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis has also had a whirlwind experience on The Vampire Diaries. Entering season 1 as a vampire hunter looking for revenge, he becomes a surrogate father to Elena and a best friend to Damon. Davis also had an inconsistent run on the series, dying after becoming a superhuman vampire hunter. He returns in later seasons and is the lead in the spin-off, Legacies. Since the end of the series, he has had few acting roles.
Matt Donovan — Zach Roerig
Matt Donovan is the sole human of the group and somehow makes it the entire series. Portrayed by Zach Roerig, he has minimal storylines of consequence and constant questions about how he’s still alive. His biggest role following The Vampire Diaries was in the mystery series Dare Me as Sarge Will Mosley.
Tyler Lockwood — Michael Trevino
Unlike Matt, his best friend didn’t have as much of a charmed ending. Tyler Lockwood had incredible potential when the series first started. Learning that his family has werewolf genes, he does anything he can to avoid triggering the curse. However, after separating him from his relationship with Caroline, Tyler’s significance ultimately waned. He dies tragically at the hands of Damon close to the end of the series. After The Vampire Diaries, Michael Trevino had a decent run on Roswell, New Mexico which ended in 2022.
Enzo St. John — Michael Malarkey
A latecomer to The Vampire Diaries world, Michael Malarkey endeared himself to fans with his role as Enzo. Introduced as a former friend of Damon’s, he really hits his stride when he and Bonnie fall in love. The series also did him a great disservice as it yanked happiness away from him and Bonnie with his demise. Malarkey is a consistent actor who has had several episode-long runs on Westworld, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and The Night Agent.
Liz Forbes — Marguerite McIntyre
Marguerite MacIntyre warmed our hearts as Caroline’s mother Liz until her tragic demise in season 6. Her cancer diagnosis turns brutal when Caroline tries to heal her only for it to backfire. Liz was beloved among the characters, even calling Damon a friend. But that wasn’t MacIntyre’s only role in the series.
She would go on to write episodes on The Originals and Legacies before developing the short-lived vampire series, Vampire Academy, with Plec. Her most recent acting gig was on Little Fires Everywhere for one episode.
Klaus Mikaelson — Joseph Morgan
In typical The Vampire Diaries fashion Joseph Morgan wasn’t meant to last as long as he did. But after being cast in the role of Klaus in season 2, he became indispensable to the fanbase. The first hybrid, Klaus uses bloody and disturbing methods to get what he wants.
Morgan’s stunning portrayal of this monster led to a series of his own in The Originals. There, he goes on a character journey as he learns to care for his daughter. Since The Originals ended, Morgan continued to act in genre television from his stint on Titans to an arc in Paramount Plus’s Halo as James Ackerson in 2024.
Elijah Mikaelson — Daniel Gillies
Also part of the Mikaelson clan, Elijah is the moral center of the family. He first helps his brother achieve his hybrid status because of his sense of duty but later pushes the Mikaelsons to be the best versions of themselves. He joins the family in The Originals and has a heartwrenching goodbye with Klaus in the final episode. Daniel Gillies continues to act in Netflix’s Virgin River and Sight Unseen.
Rebekah Mikaelson — Claire Holt
Unfairly maligned throughout her tenure in The Vampire Diaries, Rebekah is yet another tragic character. Her constant quest for love and happiness is always thrown into chaos when he brother enters the mix. On one occasion, Klaus daggers her for 90 years because he didn’t like where her allegiances were headed.
Blamed for the crimes of her family, Rebekah gets no sympathy and struggles to find her happy ending. Claire Holt is an Australian actor who gained attention for her role in teen show H20: Just Add Water. She has also had arcs in Pretty Little Liars and Aquarius.
Published: Oct 23, 2024 04:51 am