Honestly, if you spent any time on The CW during the 2010s, you know Zach Roerig. He was the "only human left" in a town full of vampires, witches, and hybrid-werewolf-ghost things. But looking at Zach Roerig movies and tv shows over the last two decades reveals a career that’s much weirder and more diverse than just surviving Mystic Falls.
He didn't start with fangs. He started with soap operas.
Back in 2005, Roerig landed the role of Casey Hughes on As the World Turns. It was your classic daytime drama initiation. He did two years there before jumping to One Life to Live as Hunter Atwood. If you’ve ever wondered why he has such a grounded, dependable screen presence, it’s probably because those soaps are essentially acting boot camp. You learn your lines, you hit your marks, and you do it fast.
The Friday Night Lights Connection
Before he was Matt Donovan, he was Cash. Most fans forget that Roerig had a six-episode stint on Friday Night Lights during its third season. He played a rodeo cowboy—a role that actually fit his real-life Ohio upbringing.
He grew up in Montpelier, Ohio, working for his father’s gravestone business. Yeah, literally making monuments for the dead. It’s a bit on the nose considering where his career went, but that blue-collar background gave his Friday Night Lights character a layer of authenticity that’s hard to fake. He was the "bad influence" for Tyra Collette, and while the role was short-lived, it was the perfect bridge between his daytime soap era and the primetime stardom that was about to hit.
The Matt Donovan Era and Why It Matters
When The Vampire Diaries premiered in 2009, nobody expected Matt Donovan to last. He was the ex-boyfriend. The guy without powers. In a show where people died and came back to life every Tuesday, Matt stayed human.
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For eight seasons, he was the moral compass. Or at least, the guy holding the shotgun. Roerig’s performance as Matt is actually more nuanced than people give it credit for. He had to play grief, resentment, and a strange kind of loneliness as all his friends became monsters. He even popped up in the spin-offs The Originals and Legacies, making him one of the few actors to bridge the entire "TVDU" (Television Duo Universe).
Recent Shifts: Beyond Mystic Falls
Since the vampires moved out, Roerig has been busy. He didn't just fade away into the convention circuit. He took a hard turn into darker, more adult territory.
Take Dare Me (2019-2020), for example. He played Sergeant Will Mosley, a recruiter caught in a messy, noir-soaked world of high school cheerleading and murder. It was miles away from the "nice guy" image of Matt Donovan. It showed a grittier, more complicated side of his acting that we hadn't seen much of.
Then there’s his film work. People often miss these, but they’re worth a watch:
- Rings (2017): He played Carter in this installment of the horror franchise. It wasn't a huge role, but he holds his own in the "doomed teen" genre.
- The Last Full Measure (2019): This was a big one. He played the younger version of Ray Mott (the older version was played by the legend Ed Harris). It’s a serious Vietnam War drama, and it proved Roerig could handle heavy, prestige-style material.
- Love in the Great Smoky Mountains (2023): A total pivot. This Hallmark movie saw him reuniting with Arielle Kebbel (who played Lexi in TVD). If you want to see him being charming without the threat of a neck-snap, this is your best bet.
What’s Happening in 2025 and 2026?
If you've been keeping up with the industry trades lately, you know Roerig is currently in a bit of a "renaissance" phase.
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He just joined the cast of the Netflix series Boots, where he plays Sergeant Knox. It’s a drama about the Marine Corps, and early reports from late 2025 suggest he’s leaning heavily into that military discipline he first explored in Dare Me.
There’s also the big reunion news. He’s set to appear in The Waterfront, a new project from Kevin Williamson (the creator of The Vampire Diaries). It feels like a homecoming of sorts, but the show—set in North Carolina and dealing with a family-run fishery—is expected to be much more of a gritty family drama than a supernatural romp.
The Complete Project List
To keep things simple, here’s a look at the major milestones in his filmography without all the fluff.
For Television, his pillars are As the World Turns (2005-2007), The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017), and Dare Me (2019). He’s also done the rounds on guest spots like Law & Order, The Gifted, and Step Up: High Water.
In the world of Movies, look for Field of Lost Shoes (2014) if you like historical war films. If you want something more recent, Day of Reckoning (2025) features him as Sheriff John Dorsey, a role that feels like a natural evolution for a guy who spent years playing a deputy in a small town.
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A Note on Professional Growth
What’s interesting about Zach Roerig is that he hasn't tried to be a "movie star" in the traditional, blockbuster sense. He seems much more comfortable in the ensemble of a high-quality TV drama. He’s an actor who values longevity over a flash in the pan.
You can see it in his choices. Moving from a teen idol to a character actor in war dramas and Netflix procedurals isn't an easy transition, but he's doing it by picking roles that require a certain level of world-weariness.
If you're looking to dive back into his work, don't just stop at the vampire stuff. Check out The Last Full Measure. It’s probably his most "grown-up" performance to date. Or, if you’re in the mood for something light, that Hallmark reunion with Arielle Kebbel is surprisingly sweet.
The next step for any fan is to keep an eye on the release of The Waterfront in 2026. Given the Williamson connection, it's likely to be the project that reminds everyone why Roerig was the heart of the CW for a decade.