The Vampire Diaries is one of CW’s most iconic teen dramas ever created. As the name suggests, this series follows the life of a young girl whose life is turned upside down when two vampire brothers come back into their hometown, bringing a slew of supernatural creatures with them. This CW show became highly successful, spawning two sequel series, The Originals and Legacies, and giving its talented cast international recognition.
Stars Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, and Kat Graham are more famous for their roles in this series than any of their other work in media, even though The Vampire Diaries ended in 2017 and lasted only eight seasons. Most of the cast was featured in the show’s last episode, and they have all since gone on to star in blockbuster movies and had successful relationships. Here is what the Vampire Diaries cast has been up to after leaving Mystic Falls.
Nina Dobrev
Dobrev, the star of The Vampire Diaries, is a Canadian actress who plays Elena Gilbert, the young girl whose world is turned upside down when she meets the Salvator brothers in Mystic Falls. She also played the role of the evil Katherine Pierce. While she left after a few seasons, she is remembered for being a massive part of the Vampire series. Dobrev would later appear in Dog Days, Run This Town, and the series Fam. After dating co-star Somerhalder for three years, the couple split in 2013. She is dating famous snowboarder Shaun White and spends time with Wesley, even going on skiing trips together. Her business ventures include creating her line of low-calorie wines, Fresh Vine Wine, with Julianne Hough in 2021.
Ian Somerhalder
Before playing the iconic role of the evil brother turned good, Damon Salvatore, Somerhalder was a fashion model and appeared in series like Smallville and Lost before landing a leading role in The Vampire Diaries. After this role, Somerhalder took on the role of a vampire researcher in V-wars, which he also produced. Other roles he took on include Time Framed and Good Mythical Morning. After his relationship with Dobrev, Somerhalder dated Nikki Reed from Twilight, and the couple share two children, a boy and a girl. Somerhalder has a scotch company with Wesley known as Brothers Bourbon, and they travel to different locations to meet their fans and promote their brand.
Paul Wesley
Paul Wesley plays the nice brother, Stefan Salvatore, who will do anything to keep Elena safe and alive. His character was given an exciting storyline with a tragic past that he was adamant not to repeat. After Vampire Diaries, Wesley took on a voice acting role in the short film Aliens and appeared in Tell Me a Story in 2018. He has since worked more frequently behind the scenes as a producer in projects like Ashmina and Anna, directing episodes in Legacies and Batwoman. His first significant role back on screen was in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Captain Kirk. Wesley was in short-lived marriages with actress Torrey Devitto and Ines de Ramon. While these failed, Wesley hasn’t given up on love, having moved on with Natalie Kuckenburg in 2022.
Candice King
In The Vampire Diaries, Candice King (née Accola) plays Elena’s childhood friend, Caroline. She is headstrong and confident and a vampire who was blessed with raising twin daughters after a tragic incident that took their mother. She reprised her role in the TVD spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies. The American actress would appear in After We Collided and Splitting the Bill movies later. Still, she spends most of her time interacting with her fans on social media and hosting the podcast Directionally Challenged with fellow co-star from The Vampire Diaries, Kayla Ewell. She married The Fray’s Joey King, and they have two children. Unfortunately, the pair divorced in 2022, and over a year later, she revealed she was dating Steven Krueger.
Kat Graham
Graham was born in Switzerland and played in music videos like Just a Dream by Nelly and movies like Honey 2, Addicted, and Dance Fu before landing a recurring role in The Vampire Diaries as Bonnie, a witch and Elena’s best friend. Bonnie was a powerful Bennet witch, and despite always getting the shorter end of the stick, she was one of the best characters on the show. After the end of Vampire Diaries in 2017, Graham went on to appear in Love in the Villa, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heatwave, Cut Throat City, All Eyes on Me, and The Holiday Calendar.
She has no plans of slowing down any time soon, so fans should expect to see more of her in future films and TV shows. Williams has dated Cottrell Guidry, director, and producer Darren Genet, and is now married to Bryant Wood. The couple seems to be madly in Love, and they share their adventures on their Instagram page, which fans can’t get enough of. Williams focuses more on her musical career in her professional life, releasing two singles in 2017, Love Music Funk Magic, and 2021’s Swim. Aside from making music, she is involved in several charitable causes and is the goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. She has also developed into a style icon, gracing red carpets in designer dresses.
Zach Roerig
Zach Roerig plays Matt Donovan, the only human in Mystic Falls who surprisingly remained alive throughout these seasons of supernatural massacres and events in their small town. His character dated Elena, Caroline, Rebecca, and others throughout the show. Still, it ended up being the town’s sheriff because he was the most knowledgeable about its history and what was necessary to protect it. Roerig is from Ohio, and after the end of the series, he appeared in the spinoff Legacies, the TV series Dare Me, and Step Up High Water. His most recent project was Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance in 2023. In his personal life, Roerig sought full custody of his daughter with ex-Alanna Turner, which the courts granted. Here are questions that still remain after the Vampire Diaries Series finale.