- “The Vampire Diaries” was a teen drama that ran from 2009-2017.
- Not all of the actors cast on the show were teens.
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The teen stars of “The Vampire Diaries” weren’t exactly teens when they were cast on the show.
When the CW series first premiered in 2009, it centered on high school juniors who discovered vampires lived among them. Nina Dobrev (who played Elena Gilbert) was 20 when she was cast as a 17-year-old, while 21-year-old Steven R. McQueen played her younger brother, Jeremy.
Keep reading to see how each of the teenage characters on “The Vampire Diaries” differed in age from the actors who played them.
Nina Dobrev was 20 when she was cast as 17-year-old high school student Elena Gilbert.
Elena is changed into a vampire during the show’s third season as an 18-year-old, so that means she wouldn’t age past being a teen, though Dobrev continued playing her through six seasons. Dobrev also returned for the series finale in 2017 when she was 28.
Paul Wesley was 27 when he played Stefan Salvatore, a vampire who was roughly around 18 when he was changed into a vampire in 1864.
Wesley played Stefan for all eight seasons and was 35 years old when the show wrapped.
Damon Salvatore, Stefan's older brother, was transformed into a vampire when he was 25 and was played by a 30-year-old Ian Somerhalder.
Somerhalder played Damon for the full eight seasons and was 38 when the series ended.
Steven R. McQueen was 21 when he was introduced as Elena's 15-year-old brother, Jeremy Gilbert.
Jeremy stays human throughout the series and continues to age. McQueen left during the sixth season but briefly returned for the eighth, and he was 28 when the show ended.
Kat Graham was 19 when she was cast as Bonnie Bennett, Elena's friend and a junior in high school who was roughly 16 or 17.
Though she is a witch, Bonnie ages normally on the series. Graham was 27 when the show ended.
Candice King (née Accola) was 22 when she was cast as Elena's 17-year-old friend Caroline Forbes.
Caroline is changed into a vampire during the show's second season so she doesn't age past 17 during the show's eight seasons. Accola, however, was 30 when the show ended.
Zach Roerig was 24 when he started playing Matt Donovan, a junior in high school and roughly 16 or 17.
Matt stays human and ages. Roerig was 32 when the show ended.
Michael Trevino was 24 when he was cast as Tyler Lockwood, a roughly 16 or 17-year-old high school student.
Tyler is a werewolf but still ages for much of the show's run. Trevino was 32 when the show ended.