For years, ‘The Vampire Diaries‘ fans couldn’t get enough of the adorable chemistry between Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev on screen. The romance between Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore took off within a few episodes, until “Delena” happened in season 4. Even then, a solid section of fans liked their friendship that lasted throughout the show’s run.
But behind the scenes, things weren’t always as swift as the duo’s performances made them seem. Dobrev and Wesley have spoken about their rocky start before, but the latter is now looking back with a different perspective. This time, Wesley is taking responsibility for the tension from the early days of filming.
Paul Wesley Takes “A Lot Of Responsibility” For His Feud With Nina Dobrev
Paul Wesley recently appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast and reminisced about early filming days for ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ Paul revealed that during the show’s first few seasons, he and Dobrev were no less than rivals. But the most interesting part?
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The actor owned up to being “a bit of a curmudgeon, grumpy, pain in the a–,” blaming himself for the feud that occurred while shooting the series. Reflecting on that period, he noted that he took his role very seriously while other actors were rather relaxed.
“I was a little bit intense,” Wesley confessed. “Everyone else was a little bit more chill and, so, I think I’m going to take a lot of responsibility for being a bit of a pain in the a–.” Moreover, he even revealed that he deliberately chose to keep his distance from Nina before auditions.
Though they’ve clashed off-camera, Wesley claimed that they were professional during shootings. “We would butt heads on set, but then the minute the cameras rolled, it was like we knew we wanted to make it magical,” he continued.
“You can have two really good actors and the chemistry isn’t there. For whatever reason, Nina and I had this chemistry.” As they started acting before executives, the sparks flew naturally, and the same translated on screen.
Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert and Wesley’s Stefan Salvatore were love interests during the show’s early seasons. However, she starts developing feelings for his brother, Damon Salvatore (played by Ian Somerhalder). Things intensify in the third season when Damon gifts Elena a necklace on her 18th birthday.
Despite Stefan and Elena’s eventual breakup, the characters continued to share the screen. Dobrev eventually left ‘The Vampire Diaries’ in 2015, after the sixth season. Wesley recalled leaving her a sweet message.
The Two Transitioned From Rivals To Best Friends
By the later seasons, Dobrev and Wesley had developed a genuine friendship. “During season 6, I remember we all, kind of, grew up and I chilled out, and I was like less of a pain in the a–,” the actor said.
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“I just remember looking at her, and I was like, ‘You know what, Nina?’ I was like, ‘You’re gonna miss me one day.’ I said that to her.” And boy, was he right! During Dobrev’s absence, the two remained in touch. When she returned to shoot the series finale, Wesley understood that he actually missed her.
“We looked at each other, and I was like, ‘I missed you,’” he said. “I missed her. I missed having her around…It’s just like this thing that slowly happened.” Earlier, Dobrev mentioned having the same realization about Wesley on how much they missed each other.
“He was so f—— right. We ended up getting to a good place, and it was fine. Of everyone, I think I probably see him the most and hang out with him the most. We’re probably the closest,” she told PEOPLE in 2019.
With Dobrev describing him as one of her “best friends,” there’s no doubt that their friendship has only grown after the show’s conclusion in 2019. Now, the two are buckling up to star in an upcoming adaptation.
Produced by Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper and her Unwell Network, ‘You Deserve to Know’ will draw on Aggie Blum Thompson’s novel of the same name. But hey, this time, they’re not playing love interests.
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