TV Guide Magazine has an interview up done by Ileane Rudolph with Nina talking about Vampire Diaries so check it out!

Talk about teen angst! It’s hard enough to be dating a fangster like The Vampire Diaries’ Elena Gilbert does. But to stand by her undead man after catching him chowing down on another girl, now that marks a woman who doesn’t give up until she gets what she wants.

Minus the blood and biting, Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena, shares that same drive. It’s how she got the role. “Nina was one of the first girls to come in,” recalls executive producer Julie Plec. “She was sick, and we didn’t really look at her twice. So she went home to Toronto, put herself on tape and sent it in. It was so perfect our jaws fell on the floor.” Says Dobrev, “I loved the role so much that I had to keep fighting for it until I won it.”

The 21-year-old Bulgarian-born, Canadian-raised actress is no newcomer at reaching for the gold ring. As a former gymnast, she competed around the world. When she switched to acting at age 16, she landed the first three roles she auditioned for, including teen mom Mia Jones on the popular teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. After three seasons on the show, she hit the Hollywood pilot circuit and soon won the role of Elena on The Vampire Diaries.

Dobrev felt an immediate connection to the character. “She’s not a one-dimensional high-school girl who’s just about boys, popularity and clothes,” she says. “Elena’s strong and courageous and looks out for her loved ones.”

It’s not much of a stretch for the actress. “Nina is the happiest one on the set,” says Plec. “She’s the one who will throw her arms around you, take a picture, put it in a frame and send it to you as a gift. She’s that sweet, nice girl who encourages people to hang out and have fun. Continue Reading