4. CREATORS RECEIVED BACKLASH FOR CASTING NINA
If you have read the books then you know that the character of Elena Gilbert has blue eyes and blonde eyes. Whereas Nina Dobrev who was cast for this role was completely different to the book version. So when the actress was cast, the fans were vocal at expressing their disapproval for the casting choice. The creators received plenty of backlash, but it was their conscious effort to change the version of Elena which paid off well. Also, in the books, Elena Gilbert is a mean and popular girl who always gets what she wants. Whereas the creators wanted a nice, relatable, sweet girl-next-door who the audience would root for. So not only did they change the physical appearance of the character, but also her personality.
3. KATHERINE PIERCE
While the creators not only changed the role of Elena from a meanie to a sweet girl next door. They transformed the character of Katherine too in a major way. In the books, she is quite innocent and naive whereas her TV Counterpart is downright malicious, manipulative, and evil. Nina Dobrev has played several doppelgangers on the show, but the most she had was playing Katherine. But did you know Katherine was supposed to be a minor character who would last only season, but the reception her character got from the fans made the studio bring her back and involve her in major storylines.
2. NOT TOO ‘SUPERNATURAL’
If you haven’t read the books then you are missing big time. The books have variety of supernatural elements such as the animal spirits, mystical creatures, angels, and hell dimensions. While the show is inspired and based on the books, but the creators made the voluntary choice to not make the show too supernatural. They decided to limit the supernatural elements on the show. Introducing various supernatural elements would only expand the lore and might take away the attention from the main characters and storylines, and also not to forget the budget constraints.
1. CELEBRITIES WHO ALMOST WERE A PART OF TVD
Sarah Michelle Gellar who is best known for her iconic role of Buffy The Vampire Slayer was the creators’ choice for the role of role. The actress was appreciative of the opportunity, but turned it down politely. The creators also wanted Taylor Swift to guest star on the show. They even wrote the character of Lexi, Stefan’s BFF, keeping her in mind. But apparently, Taylor was too big for the show. Several stars of Dawson’s Creek almost became a part of the Vampire Diaries. James Van Der Beek was Kevin’s original choice for the role of Alaric. He even auditioned for the role, but didn’t get it. Julie Plec badly wanted Joshua Jackson to be a part of the show. He would have played the role of Klaus, a character for which over 200 actors auditioned. Luckily, Joseph Morgan ended up getting the role.