Whatever happened to the actors and actresses of 'The Vampire Diaries'?

In September 2009, a series for teenagers made TV history. Eight seasons, 171 episodes, and four spin-offs later, fans are still missing their charismatic characters. Given the (complicated) possibility of a comeback, let's see how the protagonists of 'The Vampire Diaries' are doing now.

He was 30 when he started shooting 'The Vampire Diaries' and he was the best-known actor in the cast. Ian Somerhalder was already a familiar face thanks to his role as Boone in 'Lost'. His character in 'The Vampire Diaries,' Damon Salvatore, was adorably obnoxious and the anti-hero of a whole generation.

His relationship and break-up with fellow cast member Nina Dobrev marked the development of the series. The two remained best friends until everything got tangled up. His subsequent relationship and marriage to Nikki Reed eventually led to Nina Dobrev's departure from the series. The actor's last project was the 2019 Netflix show called 'V Wars' where he played the main role of Dr. Luther Swan. However, the series was canceled in 2020.

When 'The Vampire Diaries' began, Paul Wesley was 25 years old. He already had the filmography of a veteran, though, with 'Fallen,' 'Smallville,' and dozens of guest roles in famous drama series. As the good Salvatore in 'The Vampire Diaries,' he endured 171 episodes with more ups and downs than the biggest roller coaster.

During the eight seasons that the series lasted, Paul Wesley had the time to both marry (2011) and divorce (2013) Torrey DeVitto who played Dr. Meredith Fell in the series. Also after the show, the actor participated in other successful shows like 'Tell Me a Story' (2018-2020) and since 2022 is currently starring in the new Star Trek series called 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' as Captain Kirk.

The two actors, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley ended up creating a similar bond as their two characters in the series, the Salvatore brothers, and shared the same appreciation for bourbon who they drink both on and off-screen. That's why, in May 2021, the two created their own brand of this liquor. Of course, its name is 'Brother's Bond'.

It was strange and difficult to see how this important character left the series in an unexpected and traumatic way. Elena Gilbert was in the series for 141 episodes and formed the axis of several important plots. During this time, Nina Dobrev was on the cover of every magazine thinkable.

More than a decade later, Nina Dobrev has managed to refine her style and become an elegant influencer on social media and in the most exclusive magazines. As an actress, we have been able to see Drobrev in films like the successful 'The Perks of Being a Wildflower' (2012), the Netflix Christmas comedy 'Love Hard' (2021), and most recently in the TV show 'Fam' (2019), where she was the protagonist.

Caroline Forbes, played by Candice Accola, grew as a character throughout the series. Going from a human being and friend to a powerful vampire, she had one of the most remembered stories of the eight seasons. Candice was part of the series for all of its 171 episodes.

The actress left 'The Vampire Diaries' with the name Candice King, as she married guitarist Joey King of 'The Fray' in 2014. The couple has two daughters: Florence May, born in January 2016, and Josephine June King in December 2020. Since the end of the series, she has devoted herself more to her family than to acting, although we could see the actress in a secondary role in the Netflix film 'After We Collided' (2020).

Elena Gilbert's younger brother needed more time than expected to come out of his long shadow. When he did, he took off like a rocket. His end was tragic, like that of his sister, and he participated in 134 episodes.

He was 19 years old when he gave life to Jeremy Gilbert for the first time, and he had a hypnotic model's face. As if that wasn't enough, his physical change throughout the series was spectacular. He became extremely muscular and the fans appreciated it. Around the same time, Steven R. McQueen played Jimmy Borelli in 'Chicago Fire' and Chicago P.D.' but there was no big role to follow after the series.

Although it may seem more, Joseph Morgan's character Klaus only appeared in 51 episodes of 'The Vampire Diaries'. The ultimate villain took two seconds to win over all the fans of the series. The character was so powerful and had so much potential that he ended up with his own spin-off: 'The Originals'. Quite a feat.

Joseph Morgan's 'Chris Martin style' and strong British accent elevated him to star status almost immediately. You may recognize him from the NBC sci-fi series 'Brave New World' (2020), the DC superhero series 'Titans' and the second season of the videogame-based show 'Halo' (2023).

Against all odds, despite being one of the most hated characters in the history of the series, Kat Graham's character Bonnie Bennett held out until the series was over. She did some horrible things in the series, which caused Graham to live unbearable moments in real life as the fans piled insults onto her social media accounts.

She was 20 years old when the series began but had a significant background as an actress and singer. This helped Kat Graham get past the hurdles for her character. Her maturity, beauty, and acting skills have continued to give her work since the end of the series, and she is also a worldwide fashion influencer. Her most recent big release was the 2020 Christmas comedy 'Operation Christmas Drop' and also appeared in the 2022 U.S. edition of 'Masked Singer'.

The character Alaric Saltzman made a career in the universe of 'The Vampire Diaries' and ended up in every spin-off that was made of the show. The man played by Matthew Davis arrived on tiptoes but ended up becoming one of the most loved by the fans.

To the surprise of many, Matthew Davis has the same age as Ian Somerhalder, even though the latter's character is about 140 years older than Alaric in the show. After 'The Vampire Diaries,' Davis tried his luck in the series 'Cult', but it was canceled in 2013. He then returned to the role of Alaric, which he has continued to play in 'Legacies'. His beard and grey hairs give him a wiser and more handsome look.

Daniel Gillies was 34 years old when he first appeared in the series. His Elijah Mikaelson had only 23 episodes in 'The Vampire Diaries', but it was enough to make millions of fans fall in love. He made the jump to 'The Originals' with his brothers and stayed there as part of the main cast.

Since 2019, Daniel Gillies has made the leap to Netflix with the 'Virgin River' series where he has a recurring role. On a personal level, the actor divorced Rachel Leigh Cook in 2019 after a marriage of 15 years. The couple has two children, Charlotte Easton (2013) and Theodore Viggo (2015).

Claire Holt's character appeared in 38 chapters of 'The Vampire Diaries' and then another 37 of 'The Originals'. She began discreetly and ended up explosive and surprising.

The actress appeared in 'The Vampire Diaries' for the first time at age 23. Since then, we have seen her in movies like '47 meters down' (2017), 'The Divorce Party' (2019), and 'Untitled Horror Movie' (2021). But it is clear that the actress has focused more on her family life. In December 2017, she got engaged to Andrew Joblon. She had a miscarriage three months later, but in August 2018 they got married. Then, in March 2019, their first child James was born. In September 2020, their second daughter Elle was born.

Tyler Lockwood was always the direct competition for the Salvatores as the alpha male of the series. A position that was strengthened when he came out as a werewolf. Tyler Lockwood lasted 144 episodes before leaving the vampire pack.

He was 24 years old when he started the series and had enviable musculature. Over the years he has kept his attraction even though he has lost muscle. Professionally, he is also known for being Kyle Valenti in the new version of 'Roswell' (2019-2022).

Matt Donovan was the light that made its way through the darkness. His character was the opposite of the cliché high school football captain: kind, generous, and a great friend. But he was handsome too. The actor Zach Roerig seemed to come from a Tommy Hilfiger catalog.

He was 24 years old when he got into Matt Donovan's shoes and covered all 171 chapters of the series. More than a decade later, we have seen the actor in the movies 'The Last Full Measure' (2019) and 'A Christmas to Savour' (2021). He was also part of the main cast of the show 'Dare Me' (2019-2020) which was canceled after just one season.

It's okay that Rose only appeared in six episodes of the series, but her story with Damon was wonderful. Moreover, Rose was brought to life by a Lauren Cohan who had yet to appear in 'The Walking Dead'.

She was 28 years old when she became Damon Salvatore's immortal friend and conquered the vampire fandom. After a brief stint on the show, she stepped into Maggie's shoes in 'The Walking Dead' franchise and made history. And she's still at it, now also as an executive producer in 'The Walking Dead: Dead City'.