When ‘The Vampire Diaries‘ started in 2009, fans fell hard for Stefan and Elena’s romance. Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev made the love story look perfect on screen, with all the drama, heartbreak, and passion you could ask for.
But behind the scenes, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. For years, there were rumors that Paul and Nina didn’t exactly get along during the early days of filming. Now, Paul has finally spilled his side of the story regarding why he and Nina clashed.
Paul And Nina Clashed On ‘The Vampire Diaries’
On the Podcrushed podcast, Paul admitted he and Nina had very different ways of working. “Long story short, I was taking the role very seriously. She was taking the role very seriously,” he said. “We were all young actors, and we could tell this was gonna be special. I felt an immense amount of pressure. Perhaps that’s why we didn’t get along.”
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Paul preferred spontaneity and believed that the best moments came when actors reacted naturally in the moment. Nina, on the other hand, liked to plan out scenes and focus on the technical details ahead of time. Those opposite approaches made filming tricky. Paul himself admitted, “The way in which she wanted to do a scene was not the way in which I wanted to do a scene.”
But despite the tension, viewers never suspected a thing. The pair’s performances as Stefan and Elena came across as seamless, and fans praised their chemistry week after week. Paul now laughs, recalling, “It’s so funny because people thought we had such great chemistry. But her and I just notoriously butted heads.”
The pressure of sudden fame also added to Paul’s strain. Overnight, Paul went from being a working actor to one of the faces of a global phenomenon. Paul himself accepted, “I’d never dealt with fame. I didn’t understand it. Frankly, I didn’t like it.” Maybe that added pressure didn’t exactly make him the easiest person to work with.
Are They Friends Now?
How Things Changed Between Them
How Things Changed Between Them?
As time went on, Paul and Nina’s working relationship got better. The clashes took a back seat, and they eventually became close friends. Talking about it, Paul said, “The irony is that now we’re such good friends… We even talked about maybe working together again.”
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Paul even thinks their early tension might have added something extra to Stefan and Elena’s story. The push-and-pull between them in real life may have fueled the intensity that fans loved so much. What do you think?
Off-screen, their lives also moved in different directions. Nina has continued building her career in film and television, while Paul has added directing and producing to his résumé. Also, Paul is now engaged to model Natalie Kuckenburg, while Nina recently ended her engagement to Olympic snowboarder Shaun White. Though the real reason behind the split is still unknown, there has been no blame game from the ex-couple, and they have tried to keep everything sober.
We only wish the best for both of them and can’t wait to see Paul and Nina share the screen again. Now, it’s almost funny to think they once couldn’t stand each other. Despite the rocky start, they have gifted ‘The Vampire Diaries‘ fans a friendship they will forever cherish.
