Nina Dobrev: From Degrassi To Vampire Diaries & Beyond!

Ever wondered about the real person behind the iconic Elena Gilbert? Nina Dobrev, the actress who breathed life into the character on the hit series The Vampire Diaries, is a force to be reckoned with. But beyond the fictional world of Mystic Falls, there's a captivating story of a Bulgarian-born, Canadian-raised star who carved her own path to Hollywood fame.

While Elena Gilbert's fictional origins trace back to August 6th, 1974, in Fell's Church, Virginia, the woman who portrayed her has a vastly different and equally compelling background. Born Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva on January 9, 1989, in Sofia, Bulgaria, Nina Dobrev's journey began far from the glittering lights of the entertainment industry. Her father, a computer scientist, and her mother, an artist, instilled in her a love for both logic and creativity. When she was just two years old, her family made the life-altering decision to move to Canada, setting the stage for a unique blend of cultural influences that would shape her into the star she is today.