The Cast of The Vampire Diaries: Where Are They Now?

'The Vampire Diaries' quickly became a fan-favorite teen drama series after its premiere in 2009

Vampire Diaries
Kat Graham as Bonnie, Ian Somerhalder as Damon, Zach Roerig as Matt, Candice Accola as Caroline, Michael Trevino as Tyler, Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy, Matt Davis as Alaric, Nina Dobrev as Elena, Michael Malarkey as Enzo and Paul Wesley as Stefan on 'The Vampire Diaries'. Photo: CW

As the vampire frenzy swept through pop culture with the release of Twilight in 2008, it was the perfect moment for The Vampire Diaries to sink its fangs into the small screen.

From vampires turning off their humanity switch to unraveling the mystery of doppelgängers, the supernatural teen drama mesmerized fans for eight seasons (through compulsion, maybe?) from Sept. 10, 2009 to March 10, 2017.

Loosely based on L.J. Smith's book series of the same name and developed by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, TVD centers on orphaned Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who finds herself drawn into the shadowy world of vampires, witches and werewolves in the quaint town of Mystic Falls, Va. — thanks to two charming immortal brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

The show became one of the CW's most cherished series, birthing several spinoffs like The Originals and Legacies. And the saga isn't over yet.

"There will be another one," Plec told Entertainment Weekly in June 2022. "We're going to take a beat, but yeah, there's more ideas. There's more to do."

So, put on your daylight rings, and find out what The Vampire Diaries cast has been up to since the 2017 finale.

01 of 11

Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert

Nina Dobrev
Left: Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Nina Dobrev at Louis Vuitton X: An Immersive Journey in 2019. CW; Rich Fury/Getty Images

Nina Dobrev — who played Elena Gilbert, the teen orphan and student who gets caught up in all the supernatural chaos and a love triangle between two centuries-old vampire brothers — left The Vampire Diaries at the end of season 6 to pursue "adult roles," per Harper's Bazaar. However, Dobrev hasn't forgotten her experience working on the series.

“Nothing can prepare you for the thousands of people at Comic-Con that are still passionate and excited. It was a really cool experience," she said during an episode of The Jess Cagle Show on Sirius XM in June 2023. "Being on that show taught me so much. I was learning about myself."

Since her exit from TVD playing multiple characters — Elena, Katherine Pierce (née Petrova) and Amara — Dobrev starred in the 2017 remake of the classic 1990 film Flatliners. Her film credits also include Crash Pad (2017), Then Came You (2018), Run This Town (2019), Lucky Day (2019), Love Hard (2021), Redeeming Love (2022), The Out-Laws (2023) and Sick Girl (2023). Dobrev also appeared on the CBS sitcom Fam after briefly reprising her Degrassi role as Mia Jones in Drake's "I'm Upset" reunion music video in 2018.

Dobrev has been romantically linked to Olympic snowboarder Shaun White since 2019 and launched Fresh Vine Wine with bestie Julianne Hough in 2021.

02 of 11

Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore

Paul Wesley
Left: Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Paul Wesley at the 2019 Summer TCA Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California. CW; Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Paul Wesley (thankfully) moved on from drinking animal blood as the moody vampire Stefan Salvatore (and a slew of other immortal beings) on The Vampire Diaries, starring on the Paramount+ thriller series Tell Me a Story during its two-season run. He has also appeared on the limited series Flowers in the Attic: The Origin and as Captain Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

However, The Vampire Diaries remains a significant part of his life, just as it is for countless others. "I guess the show still lives on in so many ways," he told PEOPLE in August 2022. "People are rediscovering it [every day]."

In addition to his work on-screen, Wesley directed episodes of TVD, as well as an episode of Shadowhunters, Roswell, New Mexico, Legacies and Batwoman. In 2021, he and former Vampire Diaries costar Ian Somerhalder launched the craft bourbon line Brother's Bond.

Wesley married Ines de Ramon in February 2019, but the two divorced in March 2024 after two years of separation. Since 2022, Wesley has been in a relationship with model Natalie Kuckenburg.

03 of 11

Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore

Ian Somerhalder
Left: Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Ian Somerhalder at the 5th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards in 2019. CW; Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

With his days as the bad boy bloodthirsty Damon Salvatore behind him, Ian Somerhalder took some time away from the screen to focus on his family life. However, the actor returned to the realm of vampires as Dr. Luther Swann on the 2019 series V-Wars. He also executive produced the 2023 environmental documentary Common Ground.

Despite retiring from acting, he still manages to honor the legacy of The Vampire Diaries through his Brother's Bond bourbon line with Wesley. "It's creating another level of nostalgia and connection based around the story, the [intellectual property] and the brotherhood that we had on this show," Somerhalder told PEOPLE. "This is the distillation of that story and that brotherhood and that experience."

After dating his on-screen girlfriend Dobrev in real life for several years, the pair split in 2013, and Somerhalder jumped vampire franchises in his personal life, taking up with Twilight's Nikki Reed in 2014.

The pair tied the knot in Malibu, Calif., the following year and welcomed a daughter, Bodhi Soleil, in July 2017. In June 2023, Somerhalder and Reed announced the birth of their son.

04 of 11

Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett

Kat Graham
Left: Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Kat Graham at 'Harper's BAZAAR' celebrates 'ICONS By Carine Roitfeld' in 2019. CW; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

After playing Elena's witchy best friend Bonnie, Kat Graham has continued to charm fans in various films since TVD ended, portraying Jada Pinkett Smith in the 2017 Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me and starring in Where's the Money alongside King Bach, YouTuber Logan Paul and Terry Crews.

Graham's other film credits include How It Ends (2018), The Holiday Calendar (2018), The Poison Rose (2019), Operation Christmas Drop (2020), Collide (2022) and Love in the Villa (2022). She's also slated to portray Diana Ross in the 2025 Michael Jackson biopic, Michael.

When asked if she would consider doing a TVD reboot, Graham told PEOPLE in July 2021: "I feel like I've learned my lessons from that show. Eight years, if you can't get what you need out of a character in eight years… So I don't think so. I don't feel it, you know? I'm a soul person. I don't feel that that's my path."

Additionally, Graham voiced the character of April O'Neil on the animated reboot Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Aside from acting, Graham has focused on her music career, releasing the albums Love Music Funk Magic (2017) and Long Hot Summer (2022).

After breaking off her engagement with ex-fiancé Darren Genet in 2023, Graham married motivational coach Bryant Wood in a secret ceremony in October that same year.

05 of 11

Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert

Steven R. McQueen
Left: Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Steven R. McQueen at the Thirst Project and the City of Los Angeles Celebrate World Water Day in 2019. CW; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

After his stint as Elena's vampire-hunting younger brother, Steven R. McQueen — the grandson and namesake of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen — later reprised his role as Jeremy on one episode of the spinoff series Legacies in 2018. He also played Jimmy Borelli on Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., appeared on an episode of the 2018 TV docuseries Medal of Honor and starred in the 2020 film The Warrant.

In January 2018, McQueen proposed to his girlfriend of more than a year, Alexandra Silva — but that May, he announced they had called their engagement off.

06 of 11

Candice King as Caroline Forbes

Candice King
Left: Candice King as Caroline Forbes on'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Candice King at the 'Entertainment Weekly' Comic-Con Celebration in 2019. CW; Araya Diaz/WireImage

Candice King (née Accola), who played Elena and Bonnie's other best friend and the sheriff's daughter, seemed to have a "stake" in her character: She reprised the role of Caroline on The Originals for a handful of episodes in 2018. She also appeared in After We Collided (2020), Christmas in Tune (2021) and Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story (2022).

After dating for two years, the actress married the Fray musician Joe King — with whom she shares two daughters, Florence May and Josephine — and later divorced in 2022. A year later, King confirmed her new relationship with her former Originals costar Steven Krueger.

07 of 11

Joseph Morgan as Klaus Mikaelson

Joseph Morgan
Left: Joseph Morgan as Klaus Mikaelson on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Joseph Morgan at the 2019 Beverly Hills Film Festival opening night in Hollywood, California. CW; Greg Doherty/Getty Images

The original werewolf-vampire hybrid, Klaus was the main character on the aptly named spinoff The Originals — which Joseph Morgan began filming while still appearing on The Vampire Diaries.

"The one thing that I am really proud of is however the fans feel — especially the fans of that ship, of Caroline and Klaus — however they feel about how everything has gone so far, they’re incredibly passionate about the characters and they’re constantly opinionated about what’s happening and what should and shouldn’t happen, and I feel like that’s good," Morgan told PEOPLE in April 2015. "Then we’re doing our jobs, you know? People are talking about the show and about these characters and have really strong opinions about them."

After TVD ended in 2017, he landed a recurring role on the series Animal Kingdom and returned to the realm of sci-fi drama on the 2020 series Brave New World alongside Demi Moore. Additionally, the actor reprised his role of Klaus on an episode of Legacies, appeared as villain Sebastian Blood in season 4 of Titans and starred in season 2 of Halo.

In July 2014, Morgan wed his TVD costar Persia White in Jamaica.

08 of 11

Michael Malarkey as Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John

Michael Malarkey
Left: Michael Malarkey as Lorenzo 'Enzo' St. John on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Michael Malarkey at the 'Entertainment Weekly' Comic-Con Bash in 2019. CW; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Michael Malarkey joined the show during season 5. His character "Enzo" was a former cellmate of Damon who developed a romantic relationship with Bonnie. Malarkey went on to land recurring roles on The Oath and the sci-fi drama Project Blue Book. His TV credits also include Big Sky, Westworld, Quantum Leap, Law & Order: Organized Crime and The Night Agent.

In addition to acting, Malarkey released two studio albums, Mongrels (2017) and Graveracer (2020).

He married Mayfair Witches actress Nadine Lewington in June 2009, and the pair have two children.

09 of 11

Matthew Davis as Alaric Saltzman

Matthew-Davis-1-2000
Left: Matthew Davis as Alaric Saltzman on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Portrait of Matthew Davis at Day 2 of Comic-Con International in 2019. Bob Mahoney/CW; Michael Buckner/TVLine/Shutterstock

Matthew Davis was Mystic Falls' history teacher-slash-vampire hunter — previously famous for his turn as Elle Woods' Harvard-bound ex-boyfriend, Warner, in 2001's Legally Blonde. Davis reprised his role as Alaric on both TVD spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies. He also starred in the 2019 holiday TV movie Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses.

Davis married Kiley Casciano in December 2018, just hours after proposing to the actress. He and his wife welcomed their first daughter, Ripley Nightingale, in 2020 and their second daughter, Dorothy Lavender, in 2022.

10 of 11

Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, Zach Roerig
Left: Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Zach Roerig attends the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival premiere of 'The Year of Spectacular Men'.

Alan Markfield/CW/Courtesy: Everett; Amanda Edwards/Getty

After playing Matt Donovan — Elena and Caroline's ex-boyfriend–turned–deputy sheriff — for eight seasons, Zach Roerig reprised his role on Legacies and The Originals. He also appeared in The Year of Spectacular Men (2017), The Outer Wild (2018), The Last Full Measure (2019) and Serving Up the Holidays (2021). In addition to Legacies, Roerig had a recurring role on Dare Me and Step Up: High Water and reunited with his former TVD costar Arielle Kebbel in Hallmark's Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance (2023).

In 2020, PEOPLE confirmed the TVD alum was arrested and charged with OVI (Operating a Vehicle Impaired), also known as DUI, in Ohio, as first reported by TMZ.

Roerig has a daughter, born in January 2011, from a previous relationship, according to TMZ.

11 of 11

Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, Michael Trevino
Left: Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood on 'The Vampire Diaries'; Right: Michael Trevino at the Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala in 2022.

CW/Courtesy: Everett; Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty

Michael Trevino made quite the impression in the role of Tyler Lockwood, Matt's best friend and former football star–turned–werewolf hybrid.

"It’s just crazy to see how far our show, our genre, reaches fans," Trevino told PEOPLE in May 2015. "They love it, and I love that they love it. It’s pretty amazing to have been part of a global phenomenon ... I’m so fortunate."

Since wrapping his eight-season run on The Vampire Diaries and appearing in three episodes of The Originals, Trevino had a recurring role on another hit CW series — Roswell, New Mexico — on which he also directed an episode in 2022. His film credits post-TVD include 2017's Baker Daily: Trump Takedown, Out of Control and Sunset Park.

In January 2024, Trevino and Dutch model Bregje Heinen became engaged after four years of dating.

Updated by
James Mercadante
James Mercadante
James Mercadante has been a Content Update Editor for PEOPLE since November 2022. After earning his Bachelor's and Master's in English at The College of New Jersey, he's worked for various entertainment and lifestyle publications and has had bylines featured in Entertainment Weekly, TV Insider, Modern Luxury Manhattan, Ocean Drive, Hamptons Magazine and Honeysuckle Magazine. He enjoys reading, obsessing over Beyoncé and Ariana Grande on the internet and quoting lines from Twilight in everyday life.

Related Articles