The Vampire Diaries: 10 Things To Know About Nina Dobrev & Paul Wesley's Friendship

Summary Chemistry was key! Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev initially had a rocky start but eventually became close friends.

Off-screen rivalry led to on-screen love. Their animosity turned into a strong friendship over time.

From enemies to BFFs! Despite a rough beginning, Paul and Nina's friendship has only grown stronger post-show.

Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev played one of the most popular couples on TV, Stefan Salvatore, and Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries. Fans famously dubbed the couple "Stelena," and the duo had some serious support from viewers. Some fans still love the relationship even though Elena ended up with Stefan's brother Damon and Stefan himself died in the series finale to ensure that his brother and former love could have their happy-ever-after ending.

The actors behind the characters, though, had a completely different relationship than their characters. Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev spent about six years working with each other and spending a lot of time together. Due to this, their relationship with each other went through many twists and turns. In the start, it might be hard to believe that the couple that won fans over couldn't even stand each other in real life. It took a while for them to warm up to each other, but eventually, they became close friends by the time The Vampire Diaries ended.

Related The Vampire Diaries: 5 Characters Who Grew A Lot (& 5 Who Didn’t) The Vampire Diaries is one of the longest running shows on the CW. These are 5 character that grew throughout the series, and 5 that didn't.

10 Their First Meeting Came At The Audition

Wesley Was One Of 15 Guys Reading For The Role Of Stefan

Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev met each other for the first time during a chemistry read for The Vampire Diaries. Out of the main protagonists of the show, Paul was the last one to be cast, and the showrunners searched through the entire world for the perfect person to play Stefan Salvatore. Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev were already cast as Damon and Elena, respectively.

Dobrev had to do a chemistry read with about 15 guys, including Wesley, meaning that it was sort of a test for him. Wesley was a young actor still living in Los Angeles, and he had done six or seven pilots for various networks, but he hadn't gotten a regular TV role yet. The actor told Entertainment Weekly in 2019, "I showed up to the test, and I'm not exaggerating, there were 15 guys from everywhere from Australia to England to New York City."

9 Everyone Flirted With Nina Except Paul

Wesley Wouldn't Even Look At Dobrev Until The Actual Audition

Nina Dobrev told EW that Paul was the only one who didn't talk to her during the chemistry read. While all the other guys were trying to flirt with her, Wesley kept his distance until they were on camera. She said, "I was trying to get a vibe: who did I have the most sexual tension with? And Paul didn't speak to me, we had the least sexual tension."

Recalling this, Wesley explained that because they were going to read the scene where Stefan and Elena met for the first time, he thought it would be best if he didn't talk to Nina to make it natural during the audition. "I didn't even look at her. I saw her looking at me trying to say hello and I refused to even make eye contact with her," he said. "I wanted her to meet me for the first time in the room during the audition so that it was real."

8 Nina Knew Paul Was Perfect For Stefan

Nina Dobrev Said Paul Wesley Was The Only Right Choice

As soon as they were paired up, the chemistry between Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley ignited the room. Kevin Williamson, the co-creator of the show, has said that the creators weren't interested in Paul until they saw him with Nina playing Stefan and Elena. He told EW that he liked Paul, but didn't love him until they were together reading a scene, and he went, "Oh he's really good, who is that? It's the guy we passed on 15 times."

Dobrev said that they had the best chemistry out of all the other guys there, and she believed that he was perfect for the role of Stefan. "It's the kind of thing where you can see it on screen and you get an energy from the room that I maybe didn't have a barometer on," Dobrev said. "But he was absolutely the right choice and the best person for the role."

7 They Feuded In The Beginning

Nina Dobrev Said Their Chemistry Was Love/Hate

In June 2019, Nina revealed on a podcast, Directionally Challenged, hosted by co-stars Candice King and Kayla Ewell, that she and Paul weren't friends when they first started working on TVD. She said that, though she respected him, she didn't like him. Dobrev continued to say that their off-screen hatred was seen as on-screen love, maybe because there's a fine line between love and hate.

Paul has also said similar things when he told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in 2019 about his relationship with Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries. According to Us Weekly, Wesley said, "I think the point that Nina was making, and I'll totally back her up on this, is that we totally clashed [the] first couple years in terms of just getting on each other's nerves, and then developed this wonderful friendship."

Related The Vampire Diaries: The Worst Ship In Each Season Romance was an important part of the show, but there is one pairing that stands out as the worst couple in each season of The Vampire Diaries.

6 Everyone Assumed They Were Dating

Nina Dobrev Said Even Crew Members Thought They Were A Couple

Even when Paul and Nina continued somewhat disliking each other for the first few years, their on-screen chemistry was so palpable that everyone assumed they were a real-life couple. Nina said in the podcast that she used to be annoyed when everyone on the set used to ask her if they were dating in reality. Many fans also thought that they were dating, thanks to their amazing acting and Stelena's chemistry on-screen.

“I remember everyone would walk up to me after the show aired and they’d be like, ‘Are you and Paul dating in real life?’” Dobrev said on the podcast appearance. "Because everyone thought that we had such good chemistry. And we despised each other so much, that it read as love. We really just didn’t get along the first maybe five months of shooting."

5 The Reason For Their Animosity

Wesley Said They Spent Too Much Time Working Together

It is a bit surprising that for a pair to have such sizzling chemistry on-screen, they hated each other in real life. Paul Wesley explained that one of the biggest reasons behind their animosity was that they were continuously working together for years. This became too much for both of them, and they always clashed because of this. Paul said that creatively they weren't in sync.

"I think sometimes when people work together nonstop, do press nonstop for years and years on end, you’re just — you don’t appreciate the person that’s in front of you," Wesley remembers. "You’re like, ‘Oh, you know, I’m exhausted and tired.’ And I think now, it’s such a nice sort of story because we’re such good friends now." Wesley went on to say that it was a great lesson to learn because people who you don't get along with can become great friends later in life.

4 Paul Knew They Would Be Great Friends In The Future

Wesley Said They Would Eventually Miss The Times Together

On the podcast appearance, Nina Dobrev said that once there was a moment when she and Paul kind of connected. Nina said that Paul said to her, "You're gonna miss these times, and you're gonna look back, and this is gonna be the good old days. We'll appreciate each other in 10 years." True enough, Paul and Nina ended up having one of the strongest friendships among the whole TVD cast.

Dobrev went on to say that Wesley was more than right about his prediction about their relationship down the line. She says that she sees him more than any other actor from the TV series, and they remain close to this day. "It’s so funny how time changes everything because I never thought he would be one of my best friends," Nina said. While she actually dated Ian Somerhalder, it was Wesley who proved to be her lasting friend.

Related 10 Best The Vampire Diaries Flashback Episodes, Ranked By IMDb Fans could always rely on The Vampire Diaries for a stellar flashback episode. According to IMDb, these are the best of the best.

3 They Went From Enemies To Life-Long Friends

Nina and Paul Are Closer Than Any Other Cast Members From TVD

The duo has now become extremely close friends. Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev can be seen on social media hanging out with each other, eating out, and watching movies together. They have come a long way since their feud. As Nina pointed out in the podcast, it was strange how time changed everything between them. She said she loves his family and they are closer than they ever were when they were starring on the show.

Dobrev also said that among all of her The Vampire Diaries co-stars, Paul Wesley is her closest friend. She said, "Of everyone, I think I probably see him the most and hang out with him the most." Wesley also had similar things to say in his interview with ET, "I think my best friendships always come from this evolution. And so now, I just adore her, she adores me and I talk to her more than most of the other cast members."

2 Making Fun Of The Feud Rumors

Nina Dobrev & Paul Wesley Play Into Their Reputation

Both Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley keep on showing their friendship moments on Instagram despite the show ending years ago, proving that their friendship is only growing stronger. After Nina revealed their past issues with each other, there were a lot of headlines regarding their feud. So, they teamed up to poke a little fun at their feud rumors and Nina posted a video in which they are hanging near a pool.

In the video, Dobrev is telling Paul that the media is taking her words out of context, and it's all so stupid because he knows how much she loves him. Paul is agreeing with her but when Nina goes in for a hug, Paul pushes her into the pool and walks away, showing that they know how to have fun with the situation and enjoy playing it up for their fans.

1 They're Friends With Each Other's Partners

Nina Says She Loves Paul's Wife

It goes to show how good they are as friends because they not only hang out with each other but with each other's partners as well. Nina met up with Paul and his wife, Ines de Ramon, for a "puppy playdate" in 2020. A few months later, in 2021, they even went on a ski trip together along with their partners. Both Paul and Nina posted a lot of pictures and videos from the trip. Despite starting on the wrong foot, Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley proved that they could end up as best friends in the end.

"We hang out a lot. We’re really good friends. I love his wife," Nina said in her podcast appearance. "When you work with anyone or spending a lot of time with anyone, little things are going to annoy you about them. It’s like a relationship. We were basically married. We were together every day, we were kissing and doing all this stuff but we didn’t have sex, so yeah, just like a marriage." In the end, The Vampire Diaries stars got what their characters never could.