The Vampire Diaries Main Stars Became BFFs Thanks to Their Characters' On-Screen Drama
Not the best brothers, although close enough friends.
The Vampire Diaries premiered in 2009 and immediately created a huge fandom around it. Well, we're sure there's no need to explain why. Vampires, gorgeous men, love triangles... everything you need to become obsessed with the show is there.
Well, the gorgeous men were mentioned for a reason, because the dynamic that the show's main duo, Damon and Stefan, created on screen was just uncanny. Two brothers who are each other's most important people and worst enemies at the same time is not a very common trope, so seeing that kind of relationship develop on screen was actually something completely new.
The show lasted for 8 seasons, and during that time we saw their relationship go through many ups and downs. Although it was stated that they were close when they were young, the show started off with them being sworn enemies. The reason for this is simple: in the 1800s they both fell in love with the same woman and it didn't end well.
However, history repeated itself with Elena, though this time the brothers would eventually find a way to reestablish their deep bond. But as it turned out, their on-screen complex relationship helped the actors, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, become really close in real life.
In the Inside of You podcast, Wesley actually opened up to Michael Rosenbaum about how their time on the show as brothers made them real friends off-screen. The actor referred to their personalities as completely different both on the show and in real life.
And while the show presented that as a thing that complicated everything, the real-life bond they formed because of those contrasts was actually a blessing.
“We really just kind of understood, immediately, that we would work well together, and that we would create a really good, dramatic television series with our different personalities. And I think that lends itself to our relationship off-screen which we sort of are very similar. Now we have a business together,” he said in the podcast.
Indeed, their brotherhood is one of the strongest elements of the show, even though Nina Dobrev's Elena was the third most important character, helping fans learn more about Damon and Stefan's relationship.
If you feel it’s time to rewatch the series, you can stream it on Netflix.