Nina Dobrev’s departure from the vampire Diaries in it’s sixth season was unexpected, but she wanted to move on from playing a teenager.
Nina Dobrev left The Vampire Diaries in 2015 before the CW drama wrapped up its eight-season run. Why did the star exit her role as Elena Gilbert?
Nina Kamenova Dobreva; born January 9, 1989), credited professionally as Nina Dobrev, is a Canadian actress. She is best known for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The CW’s supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2015).
Born
Nina Kamenova Dobreva
January 9, 1989 (age 35)
Sofia, Bulgaria
Citizenship
BulgariaCanada
Alma mater
Ryerson University
Occupation
Actress
Years active
2006–present
The Vampire Diaries had many iconic characters in its eight-season run, but few were quite as popular as Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert. As the show’s central character, Elena carried much of The Vampire Diaries’ early seasons. Dobrev even played a dual role in the series, portraying Elena’s villainous doppelganger Katherine. However, Dobrev eventually departed the popular series, moving on to other projects.
The other central characters were vampire brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Paul Wesley. The show later reveals Stefan arrived after the accident and saved Elena. Throughout The Vampire Diaries, Elena finds herself in a love triangle with the two brothers as they attempt to protect her from supernatural forces that threaten her town. However, as The Vampire Diaries developed, its focus expanded beyond Elena and made the ensemble cast indispensable elements of the larger story. Still, Dobrev’s departure led to a major shake-up as the show moved on without its central figure. Why did Nina Dobrev leave The Vampire Diaries? The answer was simple: She was just ready to move on.
The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev shocked fans in 2015 by leaving the teen supernatural drama on The CW in its sixth season. The adaptation based on the popular series of vampire novels by L.J. Smith continued for two more seasons without her. That was unexpected, at least given Hollywood conventional wisdom. Dobrev’s character, Elena Gilbert, one of many she played, lost her parents in a car crash and served as the series’ main protagonist. Critics and fans wondered if the drama could continue with the rest of the ensemble cast.
