Top 5 Surprising Facts about the Vampire Diaries
#5: “Vamp Mode” Takes a Long Time
One of the coolest things about “The Vampire Diaries” are the vampire transformations. However, while the final product looks fairly basic, it is anything but. For starters, the show’s makeup artists - aka off set heroes – spend HOURS outfitting the cast with fake fangs, various different prosthetics and those sweet looking contact lenses. But that’s just the practical effects. Once a scene is shot, it is then handed over to the special effects team, whose main responsibility is to make the show look as cool as possible – this includes adding just the right amount of blood to those scary looking fangs.
#4: A Real Person Inspired Damon Salvatore
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The possibility of a person as unique as Damon Salvatore ever existing in the real world seems a little far-fetched, but it’s totally true! Not only that, but the man who inspired the charismatic TV adaptation of the character happened to be named Damian Salvatore. According to executive producer Leslie Morgenstein, the real “Damon” was a friend of his growing up, and he believed that he was the perfect person to base the fictional character of Damon Salvatore on because of how much of a badass he was. Just a shot in the dark, but we’re guessing he wasn’t as good looking as Ian Somerhalder.
#3: Multiple Cast Members Auditioned to Play Damon
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In any television show, there is always going to be one role that stands out above the rest. For The Vampire Diaries, that role belonged to Ian Somerhalder. His dark, sarcastic and downright sexy take on the character of Damon was pure perfection. However, as with any meaty role, he wasn’t the only one vying for it. Somerhalder had to compete against three of his future cast mates, including Paul Wesley, Zach Roerig and Michael Trevino. Well, all was said and done when all three men landed roles on the show… if that isn’t a win-win we don’t know what is!
#2: It Took Paul Wesley 15 Tries to Land the Role of Stefan
Most fans probably think that the lead actor on their favorite TV show simply strolled into the first audition and proceeded to hit out of the park. This is rarely the case– just ask Paul Wesley. The man who would be Stefan Salvatore had to fight tooth and nail to land the role, ultimately coming back a total of 15 times for various callbacks and auditions. In the end, it was the actor’s chemistry with Nina Dobrev, his first on-screen love interest, that won him the role.
#1: Two Famous Ashleys Almost Played Elena
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It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the now iconic role played by Nina Dobrev. However, if the studio had had its way, the character would have turned out much different. Their first choice for the role of Elena was Ashlee Simpson. However, at the same time they were also pursuing Ashley Tisdale. While Tisdale would eventually turn down the role, Simpson was simply beat out by a stellar audition from Dobrev. Interestingly enough, Dobrev almost missed out on the part, since she was sick on the day of her audition. Luckily for fans everywhere, the young actress didn’t give up, sending in an audition tape that ultimately won the casting director over.
