The Vampire Diarieswas the bloody bite felt around the world when it debuted on the CW back in 2009. At the height of the network's reign, teen dramas were all the rage, withGossip Girldominating the charts, andOne Tree Hillhaving just had its curtain call. Young audiences desperately needed a new series to root for with love triangles to drive them mad, andThe Vampire Diarieswas the answer.Ushering in a new kind of teen show, it was a hybrid of romance, fantasy, and horror, with blood and guts, accompanied by corsages for prom. It launched the careers ofNina Dobrev,Paul Wesley, andIan Somerhalderas Elena Gilbert, Stefan, and Damon Salvatore, and the greatest teen vampire series of the 2010s was born.
It's hard to believe the impact the series had on audiences across America, and just how big its three stars became. The trio had a steamy chemistry that pushed the envelope even for the CW's standards, and they weren't the least bit scared of showing a little skin. Butthe casting process forThe VampireDiarieswas notoriously difficult, and for one role in particular: Stefan Salvatore. In the highly anticipated new book coming September 9,I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries, written bySamantha Highfill, it reveals an inside look into the casting process, and how many future stars were almost cast in the series. One of them was Marvel starSebastian Stan, a blossoming heartthrob at the time who was no stranger to the CW network or playing supernatural teens. Now an Academy-Award nominated actor, he could have taken the series, and Stefan, in a completely different direction with his sultry persona, bites and all.
Sebastian Stan Was in the Running For the Part of Stefan Salvatore on 'The Vampire Diaries'
Stan is best known for his role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel franchise,The Avengers, and it made him a global superstar after various TV guest star appearances and independent features. There was a time when he was one of the most exciting young actors working in Hollywood, and showrunnerJulie Plec, along with the rest ofThe Vampire Diariesteam, wanted to get their hands on him for a role in the teen vampire series.As they were struggling to find a man to play Stefan, it proved difficult to cast a capable actor to portray the moody vampire due to his constant switch between being a tenderhearted boyfriend and a bloodsucking monster with a thirst for human blood. And of course, he had to be sexy, which is made crystal clear by all the creators and producers in the upcoming book,I Was Feeling Epic.
The show was very interested in Sebastian Stan, who had no problem going dark. He also had a boy-next-door quality that was perfect for Stefan,and was a strong enough actor to delve into the many layers of the character. But most importantly? He could do it all while being an alluring heartthrob, which is what producers were focused on.Stan previously starred in the 2006 teen supernatural film,The Covenant, which was a goldmine of future teen heartthrobs, includingTaylor Kitsch,Chace Crawford, andSteven Strait. Plec took note of Stan and had a meeting with him for the role of Stefan,which she details in an interview with EW.
In the end, the television series,Kings, got in the way of Stan getting cast inThe Vampire Diaries,a one-season wonder that he co-starred in withIan McShane. But Stan was not the only one in the running for Stefan, and Plec, along with co-creator and writerKevin Williamson, were also interested in Steven Strait for the role. Casting DirectorLesli Gelles-Raymondremarked in the upcoming book that there was even a period of time when they wanted Steven Strait for Stefan, and Stan for Damon.Stan had mastered the brooding teen aura at the start of his career, as seen in his villainous turn onGossip Girl, and it all very well could have worked. When Strait passed on the role of Stefan, Plec and Williamson became desperate to find their Stefan.
Paul Wesley Breaks His Silence on That Divisive 'The Vampire Diaries' Couple
Some couples were never meant to see the light of day.
Paul Wesley Was the Last Actor To Be Cast for 'The Vampire Diaries'
Stefan had to be hot, sweet, and dangerous all at once. These were three things the producers and creators ofThe Vampire Diarieswere unwilling to compromise on.Believe it or not,they did not think Wesley was capable of being a heartthrob, and wouldn't be able to bring the heat when the time called for it in his passionate scenes with co-star, Nina Dobrev. This was a show about soulmates, after all, and Elena and Stefan's carnal desires for one another with Damon getting in the way had to be piping hot. They auditioned Wesley many times and did not believe him to be right for the role, and were grasping at straws. But Gelles-Raymondwas relentless in telling a skeptical Plec and Williamson that Wesley was their man. Having previously guest-starred in teen series likeThe O.C., Wesley had never been the romantic lead before, and Plec had little confidence in him being able to carry the series and become a worldwide crush for teens.
Things got so dire,Plec revealed in the upcoming book that they had to push production back because they still had not cast Stefan, which resulted in them being pressured to cast Wesley at the last minute. Part of the reason they took so long to cast Stefan was because they wanted to make sure they had their Damon first. Convincing the network to cast Somerhalder is another story full of mishaps, nerves, and what-ifs, but once Somerhalder bagged the role, the rest is history. Wesley was cast, the pilot was shot, and it became themost-watched series premiere for the network at the time of its release. Team Stefan or Team Damonbecame TV's best love triangle, and even rivaledTwilight's love triangle forthe most buzzed-about vampire romance.
Wesley proved everyone in that casting room wrong, and it's hard to picture anyone else in the role. With his sensitivity, pain, and unabashed passion for Elena, his performance as Stefan was a versatile, unpredictable ride that sometimes had you teary-eyed, or scared to death. Thank god the casting directors gave Wesley one last chance to prove himself after countless auditions, because his sad green eyes were worth every penny. No one, absolutely no one, can brood like Paul Wesley while drinking a glass of whiskey, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
The Vampire Diaries is available to stream on MAX in the U.S.
- Release Date
- 2009 - 2017-00-00
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Julie Plec
- Directors
- John Dahl
- Writers
- Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson, L.J. Smith
Cast
Stefan Salvatore
Damon Salvatore
The lives, loves, dangers and disasters in the town, Mystic Falls, Virginia. Creatures of unspeakable horror lurk beneath this town as a teenage girl is suddenly torn between two vampire brothers.
