Honestly, if you weren't there in 2009 when The Vampire Diaries first dropped, it’s hard to explain the absolute chokehold Nina Dobrev had on pop culture. She wasn't just a CW star. She was the girl who somehow made us believe she was two (well, actually four) completely different people while standing in the same room. We all know the basics—Elena Gilbert was the grieving "girl next door," and Katherine Pierce was the 500-year-old Bulgarian baddie in four-inch stilettos. But looking back at it now, especially with the perspective we have in 2026, there is so much about that performance and those characters that fans still get twisted.
People love to hate on Elena. They call her whiny or say she’s a "crybaby." But let’s be real: the girl lost her parents, her aunt, her guardian, her brother (temporarily), and her own humanity before she even hit legal drinking age. When you actually sit down and rewatch Nina’s performance, you realize she wasn't just playing a "damsel." She was playing a teenager suffering from severe, compounding PTSD who was still willing to jump into a tomb full of vampires to save the people she loved.
The "Bad" Audition That Almost Cost Her Everything
Here’s a bit of trivia that kind of blows my mind: Nina Dobrev almost didn’t get the part. Can you imagine anyone else playing Elena? It’s basically impossible. Apparently, her first audition was via a tape she sent in while she was sick. The producers, including Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, weren't impressed at first. They actually looked at a ton of other actresses—even considering Ashlee Simpson (yeah, for real) and Alexandra Chando.
Nina didn't let it slide, though. She knew she could do better, so she sent in a second tape from Toronto while filming the movie Chloe. That second tape was the game-changer. It showed the depth and the "damaged" quality she eventually brought to Elena. It’s wild to think that the entire legacy of the show hinged on a re-do.
Why Elena Gilbert Still Matters (Even When She’s Annoying)
Kinda controversial, but Elena’s "annoying" traits are actually what made her a better character than most YA protagonists. She was a hypocrite. She was selfish sometimes. She made terrible choices—like that time she helped Jeremy commit literal vampire genocide just to get the cure for herself. But that’s the point.
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- She was a teenager. Most of us were absolute disasters at seventeen. Adding "ancient vampire boyfriends" to the mix doesn't help.
- The Doppelgänger weight. Being a Petrova doppelgänger basically meant her life was never her own. She was a pawn for Klaus, a prize for the Salvatores, and a target for Katherine.
- The transition. When Nina shifted Elena into a vampire in Season 4, the performance changed. It wasn't just the fangs; her body language became more rigid, her voice higher-pitched with anxiety. It was subtle, but it was there.
The Katherine vs. Elena Dynamic: A Masterclass in Acting
We have to talk about the physical toll this took on Nina. She’s been pretty vocal lately about how grueling those Season 2 and 3 schedules were. Because she was playing both Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce, she was often on set for 16 hours a day, doing "double" the work.
The differences weren't just the curly hair or the leather jackets. It was the eyes. When Nina was Katherine, she had this predatory, "I’m the smartest person in the room" smirk. When she was Elena, she looked like she was carrying the weight of the world. Even in 2025, when she did that "twin telepathy challenge" on social media, fans went feral because she stepped back into those two personas so effortlessly. She’s still got it.
What Really Happened With Nina Leaving the Show
The internet still hasn't fully recovered from her exit in Season 6. At the time, there were all these rumors about her and Ian Somerhalder’s breakup making things awkward on set. And sure, "Nian" fans were intense, but that wasn't the whole story.
Nina wanted to grow up. She’d been playing a teenager since her Degrassi days. In interviews, she’s mentioned she wanted to prove she could do more than just the "teen drama" thing. Plus, there was a whole issue with pay parity. She was doing twice the work of the "boys" (Paul and Ian) but wasn't being paid double. When she came back for the series finale in Season 8, she allegedly stood her ground on being paid as an equal to her male co-stars for that appearance. Honestly? Good for her.
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The Legacy of "Stelena" vs. "Delena"
The debate that will never die. Even in 2026, if you go on X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok, people are still fighting over who Elena should have ended up with.
- Stefan (Paul Wesley): He was the "epic" love. He respected her choices. But the show writers originally planned for them to be endgame. If Nina hadn't left, Julie Plec has hinted that they might have found their way back to each other.
- Damon (Ian Somerhalder): The "consuming" love. This is the one that won out because Nina’s departure forced the writers to wrap things up while the "Delena" heat was still at its peak.
It’s interesting because, in the books, things go a totally different way. Book Elena was a blonde "mean girl" who was way more like Katherine than the TV version. Nina’s version was softer, which made her relationship with the "reformed" Damon feel more earned to a lot of fans, even if the sire bond storyline in Season 4 was... questionable.
Why You Should Rewatch TVD Right Now
If it’s been a few years, go back and watch the first few seasons. Specifically, watch Nina's performance in "The Departed" or "Lost Girls."
Her ability to play off herself as Katherine and Elena is still some of the best acting ever seen on The CW. It’s easy to dismiss teen soaps as "fluff," but the emotional heavy lifting she did—especially during the scenes where Elena loses her humanity—is genuinely haunting.
Actionable Insight for Fans:
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore, check out the "I Was Feeling Epic" oral history book by Samantha Highfill. It clears up a lot of the myths about the behind-the-scenes drama and gives Nina the credit she deserves for basically carrying that show on her back for six years. Also, if you’re a stylist or just into fashion, Elena’s "girl next door" 2010s aesthetic is unironically coming back. Think henleys, bootcut jeans, and Converse—simpler times, right?
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The show might be over, but the "Elena Gilbert" impact isn't going anywhere. Nina Dobrev didn't just play a character; she defined an entire era of television.