Paul Wesley won’t be heading back to Mystic Falls anytime soon — or ever. In fact, the idea of a “Vampire Diaries” reboot is a “hard pass,” the actor said in an interview with InStyle.
What’s more, his brooding blood-sucker days are behind him entirely. “I would never do another vampire anything, period, let alone ‘Vampire Diaries,’” he said.
Currently leading “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” as a young James Tiberius Kirk, the character originated and made legendary TV icon by William Shatner, Wesley starred as Stefan Salvatore on “The Vampire Diaries” for eight seasons between 2009 to 2017. And he’s absolutely ready to lay the character to rest.
“I don’t really miss anything about playing him, and I don’t mean that in a [negative way],” Wesley explained. “Eight years is a long time, and I’m so glad to put that to rest. Eight seasons.”
The oft-conflicted and always in conflict brother to Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), locked in a multi-generation love triangle with Elena (Nina Dobrev) and her doppelgängers, the character of Stefan gave Wesley plenty to work with over the years, a fact he’s still celebrating, even if he’s not inclined to revive the character.
“I loved how dynamic he was,” Wesley continued, “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.”
If you want to relive that arc and the saga of the Salvatores, “The Vampire Diaries” is currently streaming on Peacock and Max after more than a decade on Netflix.
