Paul Wesley Reveals He Doesn't Miss The Vampire Diaries and Wouldn't Return for Reboot
Paul Dailly
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If a new project in The Vampire Diaries universe ever comes to pass, we can count Paul Wesley out.
Wesley played Stefan Salvatore for eight seasons on the hit CW drama but said he'd "hard pass" any potential comeback.
"I would never do another vampire anything, period, let alone Vampire Diaries," the actor explained to InStyle earlier this month.
"I don't really miss anything about playing him, and I don't mean that in a [negative way]," he added.
"Eight years is a long time, and I'm so glad to put that to rest. Eight seasons."
If you watch The Vampire Diaries online, you know that Wesley's arc as Stefan Salvatore culminated with the character perishing to save the town.
The series' final scene showed Stefan reuniting with his brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder), in the afterlife.
Wesley was fond of his time on the show, but after eight seasons, he isn't interested in a comeback.
"I loved how dynamic he was," he shared.
"Because the show ran for such a long time, in order for it to not become monotonous, every season, he sort of had a different arc."
"At one point he was pure evil, and he started out as the good guy and then he ended as the good guy. But I liked the challenge of trying to keep the character fresh."
Wesley recognizes that he'll probably never escape being known for the show.
"When I get recognized, it's because of Stefan," Wesley dished.
"It's the biggest thing I've ever done, as far as popularity. I've done a bunch of roles since The Vampire Diaries, but nothing has been nearly as popular, so I think you have to get that next thing that puts you into a conversation that involves you and not the character that you're known for playing."
The Vampire Diaries spawned spinoffs The Originals and Legacies, but the franchise concluded in 2022 as The CW purged most of its content under the ownership of Nexstar.
There have been hints from Julie Plec that the franchise could come back down the line.
Wesley will be reuniting with Plec for an upcoming project, but as far as vampires go, the actor is moving on.
He currently stars on the Paramount+ drama Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, airing Thursdays on the streaming service.
What are your thoughts on Wesley moving on from the world of vampires?
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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
