The Vampire Diaries is a supernatural television show loosely based on the book series by L.J. Smith. The show aired for eight season and included 171 episodes. At the time of the premiere, The Vampire Diaries attracted the largest audience for The CW of any series premiere since the network began in 2006, and it remained strong throughout the entire show.
The Vampire Diaries brought us characters that many of us recognize, such as Elena Gilbert, Stefan Salvatore and Damon Salvatore. Nina Dobrev, who played Elena Gilbert, stunned the audience with her amazing acting skills when she played two additional characters throughout the show, Katherine Pierce and Amara.
The show can seem so real while watching that it’s weird to think of the actors outside of their character. Here are 20 behind the scenes photos that ruin Vampire Diaries.
20 What's My Line Again?
While you’re fixed on an episode of The Vampire Diaries, sucked into the world of vampires, werewolves and witches, you don’t think about that fact that everything they’re saying was memorized for the scene in question. But each cast member has their own set of lines that they live by while filming and even read between shooting scenes.
19 Two Heads Are Better Than One
If you don’t recognize the person next to Nina Dobrev, that’s because she sits on the other side of the cameras. Julie Plec is the co-creator of both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, and we wouldn’t have these amazing storylines without her. Can you imagine her kicking around ideas with Nina or Ian?
18 Brotherly Love
If you’ve never watched an episode of The Vampire Diaries, you probably see nothing wrong with this picture. Those who live or die by the Salvatore brothers know that these two are never seen having fun like this when the cameras are on. The love-hate relationship between Stephan and Damon is one of the relationships fans like best!
17 For Better Or For Worse
Alaric and Jo’s wedding was anything but happy. So seeing this behind the scenes photo of Alaric, Jo, and Damon with smiles on their faces kind of ruins the episode. Without giving away too much detail, this episode was bloody and altered the entire trajectory of the show moving forward. It’s definitely not one to miss!
16 Welcome To My Casket
Seeing pictures of the gang goofing off are always fun, even though it’s so different from the normal demeanor of the cast while filming. The reason for Elena Gilbert being in this casket is rather sad, so I can imagine a bit of comedic relief when cameras are off is necessary to keep morale high.
15 The Incredible Vampire
The reason for the presents and superhero decor is because it was the last day of filming for Steven R. McQueen, who plays Elena’s little brother, Jeremy. Jeremy also became a vampire hunter as the show progressed. It’s great that they were able to take time to celebrate him accomplishments!
14 The Actor Becomes The Director
In addition to playing the role of Stefan Salvatore, Paul Wesley also directed five episodes of The Vampire Diaries. He’s gone on to do more directing on other shows as well. It’s weird to think that the man we know in front of the camera as loving vampire Stefan, is also doing work behind the camera.
13 No Goofing Around
Malachi “Kai” Parker, who is played by Chris Wood, is actually an antagonist for most of the show. So to see Kai and Damon messing around is a bit of a shock for most fans. Also, if you look at the clapper, you’ll notice that Ian Somerhalder was actually the director for this episode!
12 On Your Mark
It’s easy to forget that the actors are doing much more than just reciting their memorized lines. Everything is detailed out, down to where you place or feet or how you sit, as you can see by the tape on the ground. Can you imagine reciting lines and moving to a specified area all while acting natural?
11 The Making Of Vampire Eyes
The special effects on The Vampire Diaries are awesome. And they would need to be since they are portraying so many fictional people. When a vampire wants blood, their eyes have veins running from them and it’s actually super creepy. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to create this effect as you can see from this photo.
10 A Little To The Left
They make it look so easy and fluid, but no scene is without intense preparation. Elena cannot just walk over to Damon and talk to him. Her hair needs to be in the right position and his shirt can’t be out of place. While it’s hard work, the finished product sure is amazing!
9 Best Friends Forever
As a fan of The Vampire Diaries who has watched the show more than once, I find this picture a little wrong. Damon Salvatore, Katherine Pierce, and Pearl Zhu did not have a friendly relationship for most of the show. Also, the older attire with new jackets is kind of throwing me off!
8 Slumber Party
Does anyone recognize this room? This is Damon Salvatore’s bedroom, and there were many scenes filmed here and in the rest of the Salvatore house. The reason for this impromptu slumber party is that this was the day they shot the very last scene in Damon’s bedroom! Goodbye, Salvatore house!
7 I Woke Up Like This
Even when you watch an episode of someone just waking up or dirty from working out, their hair and makeup was expertly applied to make them look a certain way. Nina Dobrev and Matt Davis give us a little look behind the process in this picture and just how much it takes to make them look flawless.
6 Family Reunion
Does anyone else tear up when they look at this picture? This photo was taken while filming the very last episode of The Vampire Diaries. Elena’s parents died before the show began, and was actually a big part of Elena meeting Stefan. The last episode was amazing and truly took the show full circle.
5 Trick Or Treat
In this episode, the gang is attending a Halloween party when things get a little crazy. In this picture we have Kayla Ewell who plays Vicki Donovan, along with Steven R. McQueen and Nina Dobrev who play Elena and Jeremy Gilbert. Vicki tries to attack Jeremy and Elena in this episode, so seeing them happy together is a little weird.
4 And Action!
It seems as though Nina enjoys goofing off when the cameras shut down which is fun to see. We have also seen that the cast members seem to have some say behind the cameras as we've seen from directing an episode or brainstorming with Julie. The cast members really can do it all!
3 Is That My House?
The spooky and intimidating Salvatore house is not actually spooky! In this picture we have Michael Travino who plays Tyler Lockwood, and Kevin Williamson who is one of the creators of The Vampire Diaries. Even though you might not be able to tell, they are actually standing outside the Salvatore house.
2 If There's A Witch, There's A Way
In the last few season of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie is forced to step up in Elena’s absence. Here we see a behind the scenes shot of Kat Graham while filming. As you can see, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. There are some tough and emotional scenes in this show and it takes great actors to pull it off.
1 It's A Wrap
And just like that, The Vampire Diaries is over! I’m sure it was a bittersweet moment, but as we saw from these behind the scenes photos, there were a lot of happy times behind the cameras. And this cake is such a cool way to send off the cast and crew!