The Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley has shared his candid thoughts about appearing on the long-running show. He starred in all 171 episodes of the CW show, which ran for eight seasons between 2009 and 2017. He played Stefan Salvatore, the younger brother of Ian Somerhalder's Damon Salvatore who falls in love with human girl Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and eventually enters a vicious love triangle between her and Damon.
In a recent interview with Vampire Diaries cast. He revealed that not only would he never want to return to the role of Stefan, he "would never do another vampire anything, period." While he expresses his appreciation for the role, which is still his most popular, "eight years is a long time" and he hopes future roles will help separate him from the iconic character. Read his full quote below:
[I] would never do another vampire anything, period, let alone Vampire Diaries. [I don’t] really miss anything about playing [Stefan]. I don’t mean that in a [negative way.] Eight years is a long time, and I’m so glad to put that to rest. Eight seasons. [I do appreciate] how dynamic [Stefan was.] Because the show ran for such a long time, in order for it to not become monotonous, every season, he sort of had a different arc. At one point he was pure evil, and he started out as the good guy, and then he ended as the good guy. But I liked the challenge of trying to keep the character fresh. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done, as far as popularity. I’ve done a bunch of roles since The Vampire Diaries, but nothing has been nearly as popular, so I think you have to get that next thing that puts you into a conversation that involves you and not the character that you’re known for playing.
Everything Paul Wesley Has Done Since The Vampire Diaries
For the most part, Wesley has made good on his promise to leave Stefan Salvatore behind. After The Vampire Diaries ended in 2017, his only with the franchise was directing an episode of the show's second spinoff Legacies in 2019, which allowed him to flex a different creative muscle. Likewise, one of his most prominent follow-up roles was in Tell Me a Story, from Vampire Diaries co-creator Kevin Williamson.
Most of his post-The Vampire Diaries roles have shown his intention to show how different he can be from Stefan Salvatore. He has also held smaller TV arcs in well-known titles, including the V.C. Andrews-inspired Flowers in the Attic: The Origin. Most recently, he has ed the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast on Paramount+ in the iconic role of Captain James T. Kirk.
Wesley has also explored other avenues outside acting, including theater roles, producing via his company Citizen Media, and directing episodes of more shows, including The CW's Roswell, New Mexico and Batwoman. Although he has put Stefan behind him, he hasn't done the same thing to Damon, as he and Somerhalder also collaborated on the release of the bourbon brand Brother's Bond Bourbon in 2020. Although roles like The Vampire Diaries are in his past, he has a lot of irons in the fire that showcase his intentions to be as well-rounded as possible.
Source: InStyle