Omg, the cast of The Vampire Diaries all look so different since the show first aired

The Vampire Diaries was a teen cult classic no other. Before that series, no one had even thought of what it’d be like to have two vampire brothers fighting over you, sometimes to the death. Over the years the cast have won multiple awards for their standout performances and with it now being back on Netflix, die-hard fans are going to remember exactly why they won those awards.

It’s been 15 years since The Vampire Diaries first hit TV screens and dominated The CW network alongside Gossip Girl and with the series now being back on Netflix it begs the question of just how different the cast must look now. Here’s a look at The Vampire Diaries cast from then to now.

Nina Dobrev – Elena Gilbert

via The CW and Netflix

Nina Dobrev rose to fame for her role as Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries and she has only gone on to do bigger and better things since. When she left the show in 2015, Nina went on to appear in Flatliners, Dog Days and Lucky Day.

In more recent years she has appeared in the Netflix Christmas film Love Hard and The Out-Laws.

Ian Somerhalder – Damon Salvatore

via The CW and Instagram

Ian Somerhalder went from playing the forever handsome Damon Salvator to playing Luther Swann (also a vampire) in V-Wars. Other projects he has worked on since the show include The Anomaly, Common Ground and Kiss the Ground.

Paul Wesley – Stefan Salvatore

via The CW and Paramount+

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Shortly after he finished portraying the role of Stefan Salvator in The Vampire Diaries, Paul went on to star in Tell Me a Story and Flowers in the Attic: The Origin. His most recent role is in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Captain Kirk.

Candice King – Caroline Forbes

via The CW and Open Road Films

It definitely took time to warm to Candice King’s character but she eventually proved to be a fan favourite. After going on to appear in the TVD spinoff, The Originals, Candice starred in Splitting the Bill and After We Collided.

She later returned to the TVD universe as Caroline Forbes-Salvatore in the Legacies season finale in 2022.

Kat Graham – Bonnie Bennett

via The CW and Netflix

Kat Graham has proved she really is that girl and has been booked and busy ever since The Vampire Diaries. As she deserves!

Kat has become a Netflix girly and has appeared in Love in the Villa and wholesome Christmas film The Holiday Calendar. Her other projects include voicing April O’Neil on Rise of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Zach Roerig – Matt Donovan

via The CW

Matt Donovan was one of the very, very few humans who lived and managed to survive living in Mystic Falls and was played by Zach Roerig. He appeared in a few episodes in the TVD spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies. Zach has also appeared in the TV series Dare Me and the movies The Year of Spectacular Men and Rings.

Michael Trevino – Tyler Lockwood

via The CW

Our favourite werewolf was played by Michael Trevino in The Vampire Diaries and eventually left the show in 2015 but returned for a handful of episodes in 2016 and 2017.

Over the years, Michael has appeared in Out of Control, The Caption and starred The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico in its entire run from 2019 to 2022.

Steven R. McQueen – Jeremy Gilbert

via The CW

Elena’s little brother, Jeremy, was played by Steven R. McQueen and he has had a major glow up over the years. After the series, Steven went on to star in The Take Off, Home by Spring and The Warrant.

Matthew Davis – Alaric Saltzman

via The CW

Matthew Davis has stayed in the TVD universe for quite some time and appeared in The Originals before starring in Legacies for four seasons. He has also appeared in Mistletoe Kisses and Christmas Wishes,

Sara Canning – Jenna Sommers

via The CW and YouTube

Sara Canning’s character, Jenna, met an unfortunate end in The Vampire Diaries and wasn’t in the series for very long. Over the years, Sara has appeared in Level 16, The Right Kind of Wrong and Eadweard. She has also appeared in a string of theatre shows.

Joseph Morgan – Niklaus Mikaelson

via The CW and Youtube

Joseph Morgan joined The Vampire Diaries in season two and he went on to lead the spinoff The Originals for five seasons. Joseph has also appeared in Brave New World, Animal Kingdom and Gone Baby Gone.

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Featured image credit via The CW and Instagram @iansomerhalder.