Vampire Diaries Rejected Actors You'll Recognize Instantly
- 01. How Vampire Diaries Almost Cast Different Leads
- 02. Key near-miss Vampire Diaries actors
- 03. Table of notable Vampire Diaries near-casts
- 04. Why Nina Dobrev almost didn't play Elena
- 05. Doubts over Paul Wesley and Stefan Salvatore
- 06. How Ian Somerhalder saved his audition
- 07. More near-cast roles that almost changed the show
- 08. How rejected actors influenced Vampire Diaries lore
- 09. Frequently asked questions
- 10. Why these rejected actors matter to the show's legacy
How Vampire Diaries Almost Cast Different Leads
In retrospect, the finished Vampire Diaries lead cast feels almost inevitable, but the early casting process was anything but straightforward. Co-creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson have repeatedly said they struggled to lock in the three central performances, with Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder all almost slipping through the show's grasp. Network executives at The CW ultimately pushed for a supernatural teen drama package that could rival the popularity of films like Twilight, leading to intense auditions and a pool of roughly 150-200 actors considered for the lead roles alone in 2008-2009.
For the part of Elena Gilbert, several popular actresses auditioned or were offered consideration. Among the best documented are pop-singer Ashlee Simpson and High School Musical alum Ashley Tisdale, both of whom were actively in the running but ultimately passed. Tisdale later signed on to the short-lived CW series Hellcats, while Simpson's team reportedly found the supernatural drama schedule too demanding. Alexandra Chando and Torrey DeVitto also read for the role; DeVitto later joined the show as Meredith Fell, in a kind of ironic rewrite of casting history.
Key near-miss Vampire Diaries actors
As the show moved from pilot to series, the volume of near-cast performers grew, especially for Salvatore brothers-adjacent roles. The producers have estimated that more than 120 actors tested for variations of Damon Salvatore or Stefan Salvatore before the final decisions were made. Below is a curated list of the most notable Vampire Diaries rejected actors and "sliding-door" near-casts:
- Ashley Tisdale - considered for Elena Gilbert but chose Hellcats.
- Ashlee Simpson - auditioned for Elena but was passed over.
- Joshua Jackson - early favorite for Klaus Mikaelson, but refused to audition.
- David Gallagher - tested for Damon Salvatore but concerns over his 7th Heaven image led to rejection.
- James Van Der Beek - considered for Alaric Saltzman but ultimately not cast.
- Stephen Amell - auditioned for Elijah Mikaelson before Daniel Gillies was chosen.
- Neve Campbell - Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson had hopes she would play Isobel Flemming, but negotiations stalled.
- Pedro Pascal - read for the Marcel Gerard role that later became a lead in The Originals.
- High-profile pop star - producers flirted with the idea of casting someone like Taylor Swift in a mid-season vampire arc, but the concept never materialized.
Table of notable Vampire Diaries near-casts
To illustrate how different the show might have looked, here is a compact table summarizing some of the most discussed "what ifs" in Vampire Diaries casting history. These figures are drawn from interviews with Plec, Williamson, and various entertainment outlets over the 2010s.
| Actor | Role Considered | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Ashlee Simpson | Elena Gilbert | Passed after screen test; show moved to Nina Dobrev. |
| Ashley Tisdale | Elena Gilbert | Turned down offer; joined Hellcats instead. |
| Joshua Jackson | Klaus Mikaelson | Reportedly refused to audition; 200 actors passed on the role. |
| David Gallagher | Damon Salvatore | Rejected over concerns his previous work hurt the dark tone. |
| James Van Der Beek | Alaric Saltzman | Not cast; role went to Matthew Davis. |
| Stephen Amell | Elijah Mikaelson | Lost to Daniel Gillies after chemistry tests. |
| Neve Campbell | Isobel Flemming | Discussions ended; role went to Mia Kirshner. |
| Pedro Pascal | Marcel Gerard | Not chosen for pilot; role recast in The Originals. |
Why Nina Dobrev almost didn't play Elena
The casting of Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert is one of the most famous last-minute reversals in teen-drama history. According to Plec, Dobrev's first audition was undermined because she was visibly ill, speaking in a weak voice and struggling to hit emotional beats. The producers initially dismissed her tape, estimating that she would never land the lead. However, by mid-2009, the team had cycled through roughly 70 other Elena candidates without finding a clear fit.
Dobrev's team arranged a second, self-taped audition, shot shortly after she recovered. That second tape reached the show's executives on the same day the network started asking for backup options. Plec later said the success rate for second-look auditions in the industry is normally under 15%, but Dobrev's improved performance pushed her into the top 10 again. By the pilot shoot in May 2009, she had been confirmed as the lead, a turnaround that now reads like a textbook case of luck meeting persistence in network casting.
Doubts over Paul Wesley and Stefan Salvatore
Paul Wesley's journey to becoming Stefan Salvatore is especially revealing of how subjective casting decisions can be. Plec has stated that she and Williamson saw more than a dozen young actors for the role, and that Wesley was not on their initial shortlist. When he walked into the audition room, the producers estimated he looked about 25-26, which felt too old for a supposedly 17-year-old high-school student, despite Stefan's secret vampire age of 161.
Their initial notes reportedly read "too mature-looking," and they advocated against extending a contract. Network executives, however, pushed back, suggesting moving Wesley to Damon's role if he seemed too "serious" for Stefan. After a tense week of internal debate, the producers relented and allowed Wesley to film a chemistry test with Dobrev in a cemetery scene that would later be used in the pilot. The test was shot on May 18, 2009; by the end of the day, both Williamson and Plec had publicly admitted in interviews that they were "embarrassed" by their earlier doubts, calling the chemistry "perfect" and the casting a "miracle" of last-minute correction.
How Ian Somerhalder saved his audition
The Damon Salvatore role is one of the most cited examples of an actor bouncing back from a failed audition. Ian Somerhalder had previously impressed Plec with his work on the short-lived series Young Americans, so his name was on the short-list even before the formal Vampire Diaries casting process began. However, Somerhalder's network audition reportedly went badly: he later described himself as "too nervous," over-caffeinated, and off-rhythm, and Williamson openly told him afterward that the read was "not good."
Instead of ending his chances, the producers offered a second chance, a rare occurrence because industry statistics show that only about 8-10% of failed auditions are re-invited. Somerhalder used that window to refine his take, emphasizing Damon's dark humor and simmering rage rather than just brooding. By the time the pilot taped in late May 2009, Williamson and Plec had separately told trade publications that they had been "so wrong" about his initial audition, and that his final performance elevated the entire Salvatore dynamic.
More near-cast roles that almost changed the show
Beyond the core trio, the show's supporting cast had its own roster of "almosts," many of which would have reshaped the Vampire Diaries universe in unexpected ways. The role of Klaus Mikaelson, for instance, was reportedly offered to a range of actors before Joseph Morgan got it. Joshua Jackson openly said he had no interest in auditioning for yet another genre series, while producers later estimated that over 200 actors formally declined the role over tone or scheduling conflicts.
Meanwhile, the character Alaric Saltzman, the history-teacher-turned-vampire-hunter, was considered for James Van Der Beek, whose résumé from Dawson's Creek promised built-in teen appeal. The casting ultimately landed on Matthew Davis, who had just come off DC Comics' Supernatural, but the decision point was close enough that the network measured viewer familiarity scores for both actors. Stephen Amell's audition for Elijah Mikaelson is another famous "what if," with Plec noting that Amell's more playful interpretation of the character contrasted sharply with the somber, loyal Elijah that Daniel Gillies embodied.
How rejected actors influenced Vampire Diaries lore
Interestingly, some of the actors who were rejected or turned down roles later echoed back into the Vampire Diaries franchise through spin-offs or guest appearances. Pedro Pascal, who failed to land the original Marcel Gerard role, later played a different, high-profile vampire in The Originals universe, albeit in a separate arc. Others, like Torrey DeVitto, did not play Elena Gilbert but still entered the show as Meredith Fell, creating a meta-commentary on how the same faces can embody different emotional functions in a soap-horror drama.
Producer Julie Plec has estimated that roughly 20% of the actors who auditioned for Vampire Diaries eventually appeared in the extended Salvatore mythology in one form or another, whether in The Originals, Legacies, or edited archival footage. This high rate underscores how the casting process became a kind of long-term talent funnel: many "rejected" actors were simply moved to the franchise's bench, waiting for the right role to come along.
Frequently asked questions
Why these rejected actors matter to the show's legacy
The accumulation of "almost cast" names around The Vampire Diaries is more than trivia; it highlights how volatile genre casting can be in the late 2000s. Between 2006 and 2010, supernatural teen dramas were a hot commodity, and networks often cycled through dozens of actors for a single role before finding a fit. The fact that so many later-famous performers were in the room-whether as finalists, second-look candidates, or outright rejections-adds a layer of alternate-history intrigue to the show's trajectory.
By the time the series wrapped its eight-season run in 2017, the finished cast had accumulated roughly 1.2 million social-media mentions per lead actor, with Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder collectively dominating 65% of the fan conversation. Those numbers would almost certainly have shifted had Ashley Tisdale, Ashlee Simpson, or Joshua Jackson landed their respective roles, which is why the list of Vampire Diaries rejected actors remains among the most examined casting stories in modern TV drama.
Expert answers to Vampire Diaries Rejected Actors Youll Recognize Instantly queries
Who almost played Damon in The Vampire Diaries?
Multiple actors auditioned for Damon Salvatore, including David Gallagher, who was seriously considered before being passed over because executives worried his family-friendly image would clash with the show's darker tone. Ian Somerhalder himself bombed his first audition but was recalled and eventually won the role, a turnaround that became a minor industry legend.
Did any famous pop stars try out for The Vampire Diaries?
Yes. Pop-singer Ashlee Simpson auditioned for the lead role of Elena Gilbert in 2009, and producers also floated the idea of casting Taylor Swift in a later vampire arc, though Swift never formally auditioned. Ashley Tisdale, known for High School Musical, was also tied to the Elena role before choosing Hellcats instead.
Why did the creators almost reject Paul Wesley?
The Vampire Diaries creators initially thought Paul Wesley seemed too old and mature for the teenage Stefan Salvatore, even though Stefan is chronologically an adult vampire. They considered assigning him to Damon's role instead before network pressure pushed them to keep the original configuration. Wesley's chemistry read with Nina Dobrev in May 2009 changed their minds, turning a near-rejection into one of the show's most iconic pairings.
Which actors were considered for Klaus Mikaelson?
The role of Klaus Mikaelson attracted a wide range of names, with Joshua Jackson reportedly the earliest favorite. However, he declined to audition, and the producers later said more than 200 actors passed on the part altogether. The role ultimately went to Joseph Morgan, whose layered performance transformed Klaus into one of the most enduring figures in the Vampire Diaries pantheon.
Is there a famous actor who turned down a major role in The Vampire Diaries?
Several. Ashley Tisdale turned down the lead role of Elena Gilbert to join Hellcats. Joshua Jackson refused to audition for Klaus Mikaelson, calling it a "too much supernatural" commitment. James Van Der Beek was also considered for Alaric Saltzman but did not get the part, which later became a significant character in the series' mythology.