What The Vampire Diaries Cast Looks Like Today

Based on the book series by L. J. Smith, "The Vampire Diaries" is the supernatural show for an entire generation. Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) is first introduced to vampires when she meets Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), a new guy in school with a secret connection to her. The teen has no way of knowing what's in store for her as she falls in love with Stefan, and then later his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder). It makes for a great love triangle, but who Elena loves is the least of their worries most of the time.

The cast is filled with vampires, werewolves, humans who somehow manage to never become supernatural, witches, and everyone in between. Over time, those lines blur with hybrids, people moving back and forth between species, power loss, and more. Despite this, most of the main characters make it to the end of the series. 

If you've been wondering what the cast of TVD has been up to since the show ended in 2017, look no further. Grab a daylight ring or vervain necklace and prepare to head back to Mystic Falls as we give you a look at what the cast looks like today.

Nina Dobrev starred as Elena Gilbert, teen girl and descendant of one of Mystic Falls' founding families, in "The Vampire Diaries." Her life is turned upside down when she survives a car accident her parents die in, and as she tries to work through her grief, things shift once again when she meets Stefan Salvatore, a new student who also happens to be a vampire. A world of supernatural beings, which she technically belongs to, will change everything she's ever known about her small town. Dobrev also portrays Katherine, the woman who turned Stefan and Damon into vampires, and Amara, the original female doppelganger Elena and Katherine are descendants of.

Since leaving "The Vampire Diaries" in Season 6, the actress has appeared in a variety of films, firmly pivoting away from the supernatural genre. Netflix fans might know her from the holiday romantic comedy "Love Hard," which she stars in alongside Jimmy O. Yang and Darren Barnet, or the action movie "The Out-Laws" with Pierce Brosnan and Adam DeVine. Outside of Netflix, she's appeared in the romance flicks "Then Came You," "Redeeming Love," and "Dog Days." Dobrev also executively produced the documentary "Fin," which looks into the extinction of sharks, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. On television, she had a lead role as Clem in the one-season CBS sitcom "Fam." 

Paul Wesley is Stefan Salvatore, the younger, more sensitive Salvatore brother. He regularly grapples with his life as a vampire, choosing to drink animal blood instead of human blood because he is a ripper, or a vampire that cannot control themselves when it comes to consuming human blood. Stefan is typically at odds with his brother Damon, especially when it comes to Elena's happiness and safety. He arguably has the most tragic ending of the main characters, sacrificing himself for his brother and the greater good, which shows exactly what kind of person he is. The actor also plays Silas, the original male doppelganger, and Tom Avery, another doppelganger who pops up.

Wesley pivoted from supernatural to space with his role as James T. Kirk in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" in 2022. He's continued to take on leading characters on television, with the CBS All Access anthology show "Tell Me a Story" and the Lifetime miniseries "Flowers in the Attic: The Origin." The latter took him back to his book adaptation roots, since it's based on the 1987 V. C. Andrews novel "Garden of Shadows."

Outside of acting, Wesley started a bourbon company with fellow "The Vampire Diaries" star Ian Somerhalder, Brother's Bond Bourbon. The company started in 2021 and has since sold five different varieties.

Ian Somerhalder is the face behind Damon Salvatore, the older Salvatore brother. While he goes on a journey across "The Vampire Diaries" that arguably makes him a better person, when he's first introduced, he wants to ruin Stefan's life. All of his anger and bitterness goes back to their relationships with Katherine, who strung them both along and refused to choose one over the other. This spills over into his other relationships, as the vampire mainly only looks out for himself, often at the expense of people he calls friends. However, Damon's love for Elena helps him grow, even if it's a slow change.

After "TVD," Somerhalder appeared in one more television series before retiring from acting. It was another vampire project, Netflix's show "V-Wars," where the actor plays Luther Swann, a doctor trying to understand a disease that causes vampirism. Though he isn't on-screen anymore, Somerhalder has been involved behind the scenes with the nature documentaries "Kiss the Ground" and "Common Ground," which look into regenerative farming.

In addition to his bourbon company Brother's Bond Bourbon with Paul Wesley, the actor is involved with The Absorption Company. The company's goal is to develop supplements that are better absorbed by the body when compared to standard supplements.

Caroline Forbes, played by Candice King, is one of Elena's best friends and the first of the group to be turned into a vampire. Caroline is worried about typical teen issues: winning Miss Mystic Falls, decorating for school dances, and her love life, until she's forcibly turned into a vampire by Katherine. After that, she tries to keep her life as normal as possible, but it's difficult when your father is a vampire hunter, your mother is the town sheriff, your boyfriend is a werewolf who could kill you, and supernatural beings keep trying to usurp the balance of Mystic Falls.

King reprised her "TVD" character in the spin-offs "The Originals" and "Legacies," but has since moved on to other book adaptations. Fans of the E. Lockhart novel "We Were Liars" might recognize the actress as Bess Sinclair, Mirren's mother, in the Prime Video adaptation, or those who follow the "After" series might know King as Kimberly in 2020's "After We Collided." She's also been in the TV movies "Christmas in Tune" and as the titular character in "Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story." Like co-star Paul Wesley, the actress ventured into sci-fi with "The Orville," appearing in the Season 2 episode "Home."

Kat Graham is Bonnie Bennett, a witch and one of Elena's best friends. While Kat grew up hearing her grandmother talk about their ancestors, she always wrote her off until her own powers came to light. As one of the few witches in Mystic Falls, Bonnie is regularly called upon to carry out different tasks, some of which cause her to lose her loved ones, lock her in the prison world with no way out, and tie her life to Elena's. She probably went through the most of any character on the series.

Since "The Vampire Diaries," Graham has added plenty to her resume. She's starred in three Netflix romantic comedies: "Operation Christmas Drop," "The Holiday Calendar," and "Love in the Villa." The actress also joined the cast of the animated shows "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" as April O'Neil, one of the few humans on the turtles' side, and "Trolls: TrollsTopia" as Rhythm & Blues. Graham worked with Tyler Perry on "Tyler Perry's Duplicity" and is set to star as Diana Ross in the 2026 Michael Jackson biopic "Michael."

The actress has also competed on "The Masked Singer" Season 8 as Robo Girl. Though she won during the Andrew Lloyd Webber episode, she was eliminated during Episode 5's Muppet Night.

Played by Steven R. McQueen, Jeremy Gilbert is Elena's little brother. When audiences first meet him in Season 1, he's making friends with a bad crowd to deal with the deaths of his parents, ditching school to party, and is crushing hard on Matt Donovan's sister Vicki. Over the course of six seasons, he grows into a strong young man, taking on his family legacy of becoming a vampire hunter, with the Gilbert family ring saving his life several times. After Elena is spelled into endless sleep, Jeremy leaves Mystic Falls, continuing his duty as a vampire hunter.

McQueen joined the cast of "Chicago Fire" right after his time on "TVD" came to a close, portraying Jimmy Borrelli in Seasons 4 and 5, and appearing as a guest on "Chicago P.D." Hallmark fans might know him from the 2018 romantic comedy "Home by Spring," where the actor is Wayne Hancock, the ex-boyfriend to Poppy Drayton's Loretta, an event planner returning to her hometown. McQueen also plays Korean War veteran Joseph Vittori in Netflix's "Medal of Honor."

Matt Donovan, played by Zach Roerig, is Elena's boyfriend before life throws her a curveball. While he continues to hold a torch for her in the first season, hopeful that they can get back together as she comes to terms with her parents' deaths, he eventually moves on with Caroline. Matt is somehow the only main character of "The Vampire Diaries" to never truly become supernatural. He is never a vampire, doesn't have the werewolf gene, and other than being involved because his friends are, has a normal human life and joins the police force in Mystic Falls as an adult.

Roerig continues to add more projects to his resume in addition to appearances in the spin-offs "The Originals" and "Legacies." He starred as Will Mosley in the one-season mystery series "Dare Me" and appears as Sergeant Knox in the Netflix show "Boots." The actor is also in "The Waterfront" alongside "The Originals" cast member Danielle Campbell. Movies fans might recognize him from the war drama "The Last Full Measure" or the western thriller "Day of Reckoning."

Matt Davis is Alaric Saltzman, the new history teacher in Mystic Falls. He seems to know a ton about the supernatural history of the town, and that's thanks to his missing wife-turned-vampire Isobel. He goes through several iterations, starting as a vampire hunter and even being turned into a vampire himself before becoming human again. Alaric does find love again with Jo, and that leads to him being the father of twin girls, who later become the main characters in "Legacies." To help his daughters and Hope Mikaelson, Klaus' daughter, have a place to learn about their powers and history, he creates the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted.

Davis' character has a leading role in the spin-off show "Legacies," serving as the school's headmaster. When it ended in 2022 after four seasons, the actor went on to join the cast of the one-season NBC series "Grosse Pointe Garden Society." Holiday movie enthusiasts might also know him as Nick Sinclair in Hallmark's "Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses."

After their parents' death, Elena and Jeremy's guardian becomes their Aunt Jenna, played by Sara Canning. Jenna isn't necessarily ready to be a parent, especially since she's still a graduate student, and struggles to rein Jeremy in as he goes a bit scorched Earth in his grief. However, with Alaric's help, who she also has a short-lived romance with, she begins to find her footing. Unfortunately, Jenna gets caught in the supernatural crossfire and is killed when Klaus tries to create vampire-werewolf hybrids in Season 2.

After "The Vampire Diaries," Canning joined the main cast of "Primeval: New World" as conservation officer Dylan Weir. When that series ended in 2013, she became part of the medical drama "Remedy" as Dr. Melissa Conner. The actress's next project was another book adaptation with Netflix's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" as Jacquelyn Scieszka, someone part of the Volunteer Fire Department. Canning has also been in several TV movies, including "The Christmas Yule Blog" and "The Christmas Temp." On the silver screen, the actress is in "War for the Planet of the Apes," the romantic thriller "I Put a Hit on You," and the horror films "Superhost" and "Influencer."

Tyler Lockwood, portrayed by Michael Trevino, seemed like just the spoiled mayor's son initially, but when it's revealed that he has the werewolf gene and so does his entire male family line, it marks another supernatural creature present in Mystic Falls. He becomes a werewolf, then a vampire-werewolf hybrid, one of the first to not die in the process, making him sired to Klaus but also able to control his werewolf transformation, which prevents him from experiencing the extreme pain that comes with the change. Like others on "The Vampire Diaries," his supernatural identity changes regularly, from werewolf to hybrid to human and then to werewolf again.

Trevino moved from one The CW series to another after his time on "TVD" came to a close. He joined the cast of "Roswell, New Mexico" as Kyle, a doctor and longtime resident of the town. It's a reboot of the 1999 show "Roswell" and aired for four seasons. On the silver screen, he starred as Bennet Kayser in the 2018 Chinese thriller "Out of Control."

Joseph Morgan is Klaus Mikaelson, an Original vampire, a werewolf, and the person usually causing the most problems in "The Vampire Diaries." Klaus is emotional, argumentative, and is only worried about what others can do for him. He has a soft spot for Caroline, though she doesn't reciprocate, especially after he turns Tyler into a hybrid. While he was first introduced in "TVD," when Klaus leaves Mystic Falls, he heads to New Orleans, which is where "The Originals" takes place.

After his time as a vampire ended, Morgan joined several other shows. He appeared as a young Jed in Season 4 of "Animal Kingdom," and he starred in Peacock's adaptation of "Brave New World" as CJack60. The actor also took on the roles of Sebastian Sanger, also known as supervillain Brother Blood, in Season 4 of HBO Max's "Titans" and James Ackerson in Paramount+'s "Halo" adaptation. While on "The Originals," Morgan directed three episodes, one each in Seasons 3, 4, and 5.

Elijah Mikaelson, portrayed by Daniel Gillies, is easily the classiest of the Original vampires. He's not interested in the petty games his siblings like to play and is an honorable man. However, like the Salvatore brothers, Katherine is his Achilles' heel, usually taking advantage of his kindness. While Elijah is certainly as calculated as his brother Klaus, he always keeps his promises, even if it takes a while for someone to hold up their end of a deal.

After "The Vampire Diaries," Gillies went on to appear in the Canadian medical drama "Saving Hope." The show does have a supernatural twist, but his character Dr. Joel Goran is not a vampire, just an orthopedic surgeon. Fans of Netflix's soap opera style drama "Virgin River" might recognize him as Mark Monroe, Mel's first husband who tragically died. The actor also had a leading role in "The Newsreader," an Australian series about journalists in the 1980s. From 2024 to 2026, he played Jake Campbell in The CW's "Sight Unseen," a crime drama following a homicide detective who becomes blind.

Claire Holt is Rebekah Mikaelson, a member of the Original family and an Original vampire. First introduced in "The Vampire Diaries" before she heads over to star in the spin-off "The Originals," she makes her mark on Mystic Falls. She takes Matt on a trip to Europe, remembers how she first met Stefan, and gets in more fights with Klaus than can be counted. She just wants to experience high school, something she never did thanks to when she was born and how often Klaus stakes her and puts her in a coffin.

Holt went on to star in two horror films: the creature feature "47 Meters Down" with Mandy Moore and the screenlife flick "Untitled Horror Movie" with Katherine McNamara and Darren Barnet. She also dabbled in romantic comedy with "The Divorce Party" and in crime drama with "A Violent Separation," both released in 2019. On television, the actress appeared in an episode of the Peacock series "Based on a True Story" and was a main cast member of NBC's period crime drama "Aquarius."

Enzo St. John, portrayed by Michael Malarkey, is introduced in Season 5 of "The Vampire Diaries." He and Damon were held by the Augustine society, a group who was doing medical experiments on vampires. Though they had a plan to escape, Damon left Enzo high and dry, something Enzo doesn't forgive right away. Stefan indirectly kills Enzo, but that doesn't stop the vampire from coming back and eventually falling in love with Bonnie. However, Enzo meets his final death, again at the hands of Stefan, in Season 8.

Malarkey joined the cast of the Crackle crime drama "The Oath" in 2018 as Sam Foster, a police officer in a rival gang. He continued his time with crime dramas as Deputy Harvey in ABC's "Big Sky." In 2022, he appeared in four episodes of "Westworld" and an episode of "Quantum Leap," adding sci-fi to his resume. History Channel buffs might recognize the actor from "Project Blue Book," in which he is Captain Michael Quinn, a World War II veteran. He is also part of the cast of Netflix's "The Night Agent" as Markus, the nephew of a terrorist.