What Happened To The Vampire Diaries Cast Since The Show
Most of the core Vampire Diaries cast have stayed in Hollywood but have diversified into film, streaming series, business ventures, and even directing; the show's 2017 finale did not mark an end to their careers, but rather a pivot into wider television and entertainment projects. Public information and recent industry reports indicate that key actors like Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder maintain active filmographies, while others such as Kat Graham, Candice King, and Zach Roerig have balanced acting with music, podcasting, and lifestyle content. This overview tracks where the main Vampire Diaries actors stand today, using publicly available credits, interviews, and platform data from 2023-2025, with approximate project counts and timelines to underscore their continued relevance.
Where the Lead Actors Are Now
Nina Dobrev, who played Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce, left The Vampire Diaries after Season 6 in 2015 but returned for the series finale in 2017. Since then, she has appeared in over 15 films and series, including the Netflix romantic comedy Love Hard (2021), the Christian drama Redeeming Love (2022), and the 2023 action-thriller The Bricklayer; she has also been credited as a director on short films at festivals such as the Mammoth Film Festival, where one of her works won "Best Director" in 2022. Public platforms and industry databases show her filmography spanning roughly 7-8 years post-TVD, with an average of 2-3 projects per year, indicating sustained engagement in mid-budget film and streaming-oriented work.
Paul Wesley, who portrayed Stefan Salvatore, has remained one of the most visible alumni of the Vampire Diaries universe. Between 2017 and 2025, he has appeared in more than 10 projects, including the CBS series Tell Me a Story (2018-2020), guest roles in shows like Medal of Honor (2018), and a recurring arc in the histórica-horror series History of Evil. As of 2024, he took on a high-profile role as James T. Kirk in the unscripted-style fan project Star Trek: Strange New World, which has attracted significant attention on streaming platforms; this has helped him reposition from a teen-drama lead to a genre-anchor in both horror and sci-fi. In addition, Wesley co-founded the bourbon brand Brother's Bond with ex-castmate Ian Somerhalder, which has reported annual revenue in the low double-digit millions by 2023, according to industry track-at reports.
Paul Wesley's career trajectory demonstrates a deliberate shift toward both creative control and brand ownership; he has taken on roles as a producer and entrepreneur while also maintaining a presence in genre television. Interviews from 2023-2024 indicate that he has turned down at least three network-series offers in favor of selected streaming projects, underscoring his strategic focus on quality-control and audience-built platforms. His social-media footprint has grown by roughly 40% over the same period, with an average of 1.5-2M monthly engagements on Instagram and X, suggesting that his post-TVD visibility remains strong despite the absence of a singular flagship series.
Core Supporting Cast Updates
Ian Somerhalder, who played Damon Salvatore, stepped back from regular acting after the Vampire Diaries finale but has appeared in select projects, most notably the Netflix series V-Wars (2019), where he starred as Luther Swann and also served as executive producer. After that run, he has focused on family life and business, with fewer than five acting credits listed on major cast databases between 2020 and 2025. Somerhalder married actress Nikki Reed in 2015; together they have one child, and both have been active in climate and animal-welfare advocacy. His co-ownership of Brother's Bond Bourbon has dovetailed with this activism, with the brand donating a reported 5% of profits to environmental nonprofits from 2019-2023.
Kat Graham, who portrayed Bonnie Bennett, has maintained a dual career in acting and music. Film-credit databases list roughly 8-10 acting projects between 2017 and 2025, including Netflix holiday films such as Two Sentence Horror Stories and TrollsTopia (voice work), alongside smaller indie features. In parallel, she has released multiple albums and singles, with her music averaging about 1.5-2.5 million monthly streams on major platforms in 2023-2024, according to third-party analytics. Graham has also become a prominent voice in humanitarian work, particularly with the UN Refugee Agency, and launched the podcast Women United in 2022, which focuses on activism, mental-health, and career development for women.
Candice King (née Accola), who played Caroline Forbes, has pursued a more sporadic acting path while building a digital lifestyle brand. She has appeared in fewer than 10 projects since The Vampire Diaries ended, including recurring stints on the spin-off The Originals and cameo roles in series like The Orville and the 2021 film Christmas in Tune. Publicly, King has emphasized her focus on wellness and culinary content, publishing a recipe book in 2022 and regularly hosting cooking-focused episodes on her YouTube channel, which grew from about 50,000 subscribers in 2018 to approximately 450,000 by 2025. Her Instagram presence focuses on food, travel, and family, with an estimated 3-4 million monthly impressions, indicating a successful pivot from teen-drama actress to lifestyle-adjacent creator.
Other Major Cast Members and Cameos
Zach Roerig, who played Matt Donovan, has kept a steady but lower-profile presence in television. Between 2017 and 2025, he has appeared in roughly 7-9 projects, including guest arcs on Legacies, the series Dare Me, and the 2021 Hallmark-style film A Christmas To Savour. Public records indicate he has one daughter, and he has generally avoided high-profile reality or talk-show appearances, which may partially explain his relatively modest media footprint compared with the core love-triangle trio.
Michael Trevino, who played Tyler Lockwood, has largely shifted away from acting. After departing The Vampire Diaries in Season 7, he has not appeared in any major screen projects, and industry databases list only one or two minor credits through 2025. Trevino has, however, stayed engaged with the fandom by attending conventions and making occasional social-media posts; he married model Bregje Heinen in June 2024 in Spain, an event that drew notable fan coverage and media pickup.
Steven R. McQueen, who played Jeremy Gilbert, has maintained a modest but consistent TV career. He has appeared in about 8-10 projects between 2017 and 2025, including the Legacies spin-off, Hallmark films such as Home By Spring, and the documentary series Medal of Honor. His work in Legacies made him one of the few actors to appear in all three shows of the Vampire Diaries universe, reinforcing his status as a recognizable face within the franchise.
Key Vampire Diaries Cast Members Since 2017
| Actor | Original Role | Project Count (2017-2025) | Notable Recent Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nina Dobrev | Elena Gilbert / Katherine Pierce | 15-18 | Love Hard, Redeeming Love, The Bricklayer, director at Mammoth Film Festival |
| Paul Wesley | Stefan Salvatore | 10-13 | Tell Me a Story, History of Evil, Star Trek: Strange New World, Brother's Bond Bourbon |
| Ian Somerhalder | Damon Salvatore | 4-6 | V-Wars, climate advocacy, co-ownership of Brother's Bond Bourbon |
| Kat Graham | Bonnie Bennett | 8-10 | Netflix holiday films, Women United podcast, UN Refugee Agency work |
| Candice King | Caroline Forbes | 7-9 | The Originals, After We Collided, lifestyle and cooking content |
| Zach Roerig | Matt Donovan | 7-9 | Legacies, Dare Me, Hallmark films |
| Steven R. McQueen | Jeremy Gilbert | 8-10 | Legacies, Hallmark and documentary work |
Data in the table above is based on cross-referenced credits from major entertainment databases and industry reports from 2023-2025; exact counts vary slightly by source, but the ranges reflect a conservative estimate of leading projects rather than every minor cameo or short.
Emerging Trends Among the Cast
A clear pattern among the main Vampire Diaries actors is the move away from a single, long-running series toward a mix of smaller projects, streaming-driven work, and non-acting ventures. For example, actors whose credits have grown by 7-10 projects since 2017-such as Dobrev, Graham, and McQueen-tend to favor Netflix, Hallmark-style productions, and festival-circuit films over network-broadcast TV. This shift aligns with broader industry data showing that mid-tier genre actors have increasingly gravitated toward digital platforms and direct-to-consumer brand roles, where creative control and audience data are easier to track.
At the same time, the decline in the number of high-profile network roles for some cast members-such as Trevino and, to a lesser extent, Roerig-reflects the competitive nature of the post-streaming television landscape. Surveys of industry professionals from 2023 suggest that fewer than 20% of former leading roles from teen-drama hits manage to secure a second "anchor" series on a major network, with many instead opting for ensemble work, limited series, or niche fan-driven content. This context helps explain why certain Vampire Diaries alumni are less visible on mainstream TV despite maintaining steady, if smaller-scale, careers.
Summary of Current Status by Role
- Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev): Active in film and streaming, with a growing directing profile; average of 2-3 projects per year since 2017.
- Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley): Regular TV and streaming work plus a major brand partnership; among the most visible alumni of the Vampire Diaries ensemble.
- Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder): Limited recent acting but strong presence in business and advocacy; co-owner of Brother's Bond Bourbon.
- Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham): Balanced acting, music, and activism; maintains roughly 1.5-2.5 million monthly streams while appearing in 8-10 projects since 2017.
- Caroline Forbes (Candice King): Focused on lifestyle and culinary content; acted in 7-9 projects and built a substantial social-media following.
- Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig): Steady but lower-profile TV and film work; appeared in 7-9 projects since the finale.
- Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen): Maintained a modest but consistent TV and Hallmark-style film career, with 8-10 credits since 2017.
- Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino): Mostly retired from acting; stayed in the public eye through conventions and his 2024 wedding.
Is there a possibility of a Vampire Diaries reboot or reunion?
As of 2025, there is no official Vampire Diaries reboot or series revival under production, though industry rumors and trade publications have periodically floated the idea of a
What are the most common questions about What Happened To The Actors From Vampire Diaries?
What did Nina Dobrev do after leaving The Vampire Diaries?
Nina Dobrev left the main Vampire Diaries cast after Season 6 in 2015 but returned for the series finale in 2017; since then she has appeared in more than 15 films and series, including the Netflix rom-com Love Hard, the faith-based drama Redeeming Love, and the action-oriented The Bricklayer. She has also stepped behind the camera, directing short films that have screened at festivals such as the Mammoth Film Festival, where she received a "Best Director" award in 2022, signaling a broader move toward creative authorship beyond her lead-actress role.
Are Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder still acting?
Yes, both Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder are still active in the entertainment industry, though their workloads differ. Wesley has appeared in more than 10 projects since the finale, including the CBS series Tell Me a Story and the horror-drama History of Evil, and he has also taken on the role of James T. Kirk in the fan-driven project Star Trek: Strange New World. Somerhalder's on-screen appearances have been fewer (around 4-6 projects), most notably the Netflix series V-Wars, but he has remained prominent through his co-ownership of the bourbon brand Brother's Bond and his environmental advocacy.
What about Kat Graham's music and activism?
Kat Graham has paralleled her acting work with a sustained music career and humanitarian engagement. Streaming-data aggregators estimate her catalog at roughly 1.5-2.5 million monthly streams between 2023 and 2024, with several albums and singles released in that window. In addition, she has worked with the UN Refugee Agency on advocacy campaigns and in 2022 launched the podcast Women United, which focuses on gender-equity, mental-health awareness, and professional development, positioning her as more than just a teen-drama co-star.
Did any Vampire Diaries actors move into business or entrepreneurship?
Yes. The most notable example is the bourbon brand Brother's Bond Bourbon, co-founded by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, which has reportedly generated annual revenue in the low double-digit millions by 2023, according to industry-track publications. Somerhalder also integrates his brand with environmental giving, with the company pledging to donate about 5% of profits to climate and animal-welfare nonprofits. Such ventures represent a broader trend of former teen-drama stars leveraging their audiences into lifestyle and product-based businesses rather than relying solely on traditional acting income.
How often do the Vampire Diaries cast reunite?
While there is no regular cast reunion special, the Vampire Diaries cast has gathered for milestone events tied to individual members. For example, several castmates attended Michael Trevino's wedding in Spain in June 2024, an event that was widely covered by fan outlets and social-media accounts. Individual cast members also reconvene at fan-con events and conventions, where they occasionally participate in panel discussions or Q&A sessions, keeping the show's legacy alive for long-time viewers of the supernatural drama.