‘It was pretty wild,’ Nina Dobrev reflects on “The Vampire Diaries” fame

When Nina Dobrev first joined the cast of “The Vampire Diaries,” she had no idea just how successful the show would become.

In a recent episode of The Jess Cagle Show on Sirius XM, the 34-year-old actress opened up about the whirlwind of fame that accompanied her role in the hit series, comparing it to her previous experience on the teen show “Degrassi.”

Dobrev explained, “I mean, it was pretty wild. I think I did have a little bit of a transition. I was lucky in that way because I was on a TV show in Canada from when I was 15 until 19, and it had some success, but not the level of success that ‘Vampire Diaries’ did. So I sort of gradually built up to that, I guess.”

Even years after the show ended, Dobrev continues to witness the passionate and dedicated following of “The Vampire Diaries,” which aired from 2009 to 2017.

The Canadian actress described the fanbase as nearly cult-like, particularly evident during events like Comic-Con.

Dobrev expressed her gratitude for the experience, saying, “Nothing can prepare you for the thousands of people at Comic-Con that are still passionate and excited. It was a really cool experience.”

However, the journey on “The Vampire Diaries” was more than just fame for Dobrev. It became a transformative period of her life, during which she learned not only about the industry but also about herself.

She acknowledged the intensity of the fandom and the contrast between the public eye and her life in Georgia, where the show was filmed.

“Being on that show taught me so much. I was learning about myself,” Dobrev shared. “I was growing up sort of in the public eye but also in Atlanta, which is really cool.”

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While events like Comic-Con were overwhelming, “The Out-Laws” star found solace in the normalcy of her life in Atlanta outside of work. She expressed appreciation for the ability to lead a “somewhat normal-ish life” when she wasn’t on set.

“The Vampire Diaries” spanned eight seasons, and Dobrev’s character, Elena Gilbert, was at the center of a captivating love triangle with two supernatural Vampiric brothers.

The show continues to attract new viewers as all episodes are available for streaming on Netflix.