Nina Dobrev Finally Reveals an Outrageous Reason She Left 'The Vampire Diaries': "Hurtful"
And also reveals why Elena's appearance in the final season of The Vampire Diaries was so brief.
In a book I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries by Samantha Highfill, Nina Dobrev opened up about her time on The Vampire Diaries. Dobrev played the lead female role of Elena Gilbert for six seasons before leaving the show.
It turned out that Dobrev's salary was lower than those of her male co-stars, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder.
Despite Playing Multiple Characters, Nina Dobrev Was Paid Less Than Her Male Co-Stars
Dobrev not only played the main character but also her doubles, significantly increasing her workload while earning less. She revealed that she and her fellow actresses Candice King (Caroline) and Kat Graham (Bonnie) had the lowest salaries in the first two seasons:
“My contract only said to play Elena, but I was playing multiple characters, which doubled my workload. I had to be on set for double the amount of time, I had to memorize double the amount of lines. I wanted to play Katherine, but I wanted to be compensated fairly for that, and I wanted to be an equal to the boys.”
The Studio's Reluctance to Pay Dobrev More Led to Katherine Being Killed Off
During negotiations for the third season, Dobrev demanded equal pay to that of the male cast members. The studio agreed to a raise but not to the same level as her co-stars'. What's more, they pulled a trick.
They agreed to pay extra for episodes featuring Katherine, but allegedly ordered the show's creators to reduce her screen time, ultimately leading to the character being killed off. Nina shared:
“They just said out of principle they wouldn't bump me up to being equal to the boys, and so that was probably the most hurtful because it felt like I was really working hard and we shot eighteen-hour days sometimes, and nights, and I was putting my absolute heart and soul, blood, sweat, and tears into it.”
Elena's Appearance in the Final Season Was So Brief Because of the Payment Disagreement
The same thing happened when Dobrev, who left the series at the end of the sixth season, wanted to return for the eighth and final season.
The show wanted her to return for a few episodes, but the studio offered her a fifth of her previous salary and refused to pay her the same as Somerhalder and Wesley, who had received raises during her absence.
For Dobrev, it wasn't about the money – it was about equal pay for equal work and recognition of her contributions to the series' success. After she rejected the disrespectful offer, series creator Julie Plec stepped in and negotiated.
The studio and network eventually agreed to equal pay, but only for one episode. This is what led to Elena's only brief appearance in the finale of The Vampire Diaries.
