Welcome back to Humor Nation. Launching a new show is a very challenging process. This process becomes even more difficult when a show is based on a book. Adapting a book into a TV show requires serious attention and a very faithful script which does justice to the book and its characters. In case of Vampire Diaries, when Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson began the process of crafting this iconic show, they experienced numerous hurdles.
A major criticism was regarding the casting of the characters. They took the risk of casting various newcomers and unfamiliar faces which turned many eyebrows. While the studio had wanted to cast popular faces such as Ashley Tisdale, Ashlee Simpson in the role of Elena Gilbert, but when it didn’t happen, the show would go to Nina Dobrev who was an unknown name back then. Her casting was met with a backlash among the fans because the titular character of Elena Gilbert was supposed to have a blonde hair and blue eyes. Whereas Nina has brown eyes and dark colored hair. The creators also transformed the personalities of Katherine and Elena on the show. Nonetheless, all the brave decisions of the creators eventually paid off.
So Take A Look At The Ages Of The Vampire Diaries Actors When The Show Started & Ended
NINA DOBREV
Nina Dobrev’s career skyrocketed after being cast into the Vampire Diaries. She perhaps gave the best performance of her career on this show. The actress played not one, but four diverse characters on the show which just sounds absurd, but she managed to pull that off, providing a distinct personality to each Petrova Doppelganger. After being the part for six seasons, Nina opted out of the show to explore different projects and to grow as an actress.
- Age when show started: 20 Years
- First Appearance: Pilot
- Age when show ended: 28 Years
- Last Appearance: I Was Feeling Epic
- Total Appearances: 326
IAN SOMERHALDER
When Ian Somerhalder appeared in the pilot episode of the Vampire Diaries, many fans recognized him as Boone Carlyle from the popular show ‘Lost’. But eventually, it would be his role as Damon Salvatore which would define his career. Compared to his fellow cast members, Ian was over 30 years old as the creators needed someone who could look older to Stefan Salvatore.
- Age when show started: 30 Years
- First Appearance: Pilot
- Age when show ended: 38 Years
- Last Appearance: I Was Feeling Epic
- Total Appearances: 171
PAUL WESLEY
You might have read plenty of stories about how much Paul has to struggle to land up a leading role in the show. He is believed to be narrator of the story of Vampire Diaries which is told from his perspective. Paul’s amazing chemistry with Nina translated to their roles, making Elena & Stefan one of the best pairings in the TV history.
- Age when show started: 27 Years
- First Appearance: Pilot
- Age when show ended: 35 Years
- Last Appearance: I Was Feeling Epic
- Total Appearances: 171