Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years you will have heard of the Vampire Diaries. The popular American supernatural series follows the life of Elena Gilbert who falls in love with vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore as well as the dramas of the as the inhabitants of Mystic Falls, Virginia. It is a perfect mix of the supernatural and teen drama. When the show premiered on the CW television network in 2009 it attracted the largest audience of any series since the network began in 2006.
But as the cast are obviously not vampires just what, if anything do they have in common with their characters?
Nina Dobrev
Elena Gilbert & Katerina Petrova / Nina Dobrev
In the show Nina Dobrev plays both the protagonist of the series, girl next door Elena Gilbert and Gilbert’s vampire doppelganger Katherine Pierce (née Petrova).
In the show Katerina Petrova was born in Bulgaria and can speak Bulgarian which is something the character shares in common with Nina Dobrev who was also born in Bulgaria. In fact the writers heard her speaking in Bulgarian on the phone to her mum and decided to make Petrova Bulgarian as well.
When it comes to her private life Nina Dobrev is actually dating her co-star Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon Salvatore in the show and is part of the Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore/Stefan Salvatore love triangle.
Damon Salvatore / Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder
Played by Ian Somerhalder, Damon Salvatore is a vampire and older brother of Stefan Salvatore and part of the Elena/Stefan/Damon love triangle. In the series he starts out as being an anti-hero with a dark side but softens as he falls for Elena.
In real life Somerhalder is actually dating his co-star Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena, and like Damon has a brother but there the similarities end. In fact Somerhalder has quite a philanthropic side. He was involved in the clean-up after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster and supports the It Gets Better Project which aims to prevent suicide among young people who are lesbian, gay, bixsexual or transgender as well as supporting the St Tammany Humane Society, an organisation for animal shelter and welfare. He has also set up the Ian Somerhalder Foundation which hopes to educate people on the importance of protecting animals and the environment.
Stefan Salvatore / Paul Wesley
Paul Wesley
Played by Paul Wesley, Stefan Salvatore starts out as the good brother alongside his darker brother Damon. Like Damon, Stefan is in love with Elena and is part of the main love triangle. Stefan is said to have had a dark past but has turned away from killing humans and instead only consumes animal blood. But just how similar to Stefan is Wesley?
Well, unlike his character, who has somewhat of a love/hate relationship with his brother Paul Wesley has said that he loves working with co-star Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon Salvatore in the show, and who he says he has “a natural chemistry with”.
In real life Wesley is also married, unlike his character Stefan, to Torrey DeVitto – who also plays alongside him in the Vampire Diaries as the doctor Meredith Falls.
This article was contributed by Holly Powell on behalf of Execspot Dodo Cases and executive accessories.
