4 Huge Vampire Diaries Secrets Revealed In The New Oral History

The Vampire Diaries is known for its wild, melodramatic storylines — but things were just as intense behind the scenes. Ever since the vampire drama premiered in 2009, superfans have lost themselves in the gossip surrounding what was really happening on set, from cast hookups to major shakeups. Now, a treasure trove of new information about the hit show has finally been revealed.

In Samantha Highfill’s new book I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries, the show’s cast, creator, and crew unveiled never-before-revealed details about that tumultuous period from 2009 to 2017. The collection of interviews sheds a whole new light on how the actors really felt about major changes to their characters, pay disparity among the stars, and even the romantic relationships that formed while making the show.

Read on for some of the juiciest details from the book that will have Vampire Diaries fans salivating.

Nina Dobrev Quit The Show Over Not Being Paid Equally

Dobrev finally opened up about why she really decided to leave the series after six seasons, saying that she didn’t renew her contract over issues with how she was being compensated. Learning that she had a lower salary than her male counterparts Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley was especially difficult for her when she began playing multiple roles on the show, specifically Elena’s significantly featured doppelgänger Katherine.

“It felt like they were saying that all the hard work I was putting into it didn’t matter to them and that I wasn’t an equal to my male counterparts, and so that was upsetting to me,” Dobrev said.

After quitting, Dobrev agreed to return for the series finale. But she admitted she almost turned that cameo down, since she was offered five times less than what she used to make on the series.

“I needed to be paid parity to the boys,” Dobrev said. “I had to put my foot down and say if it didn’t happen I wouldn’t be able to come back. And it wasn’t about the money — I didn’t give a sh*t about the money at all — it was all principal.”

Ian Somerhalder Tried To Quit When Damon Started To Date Elena

In a shocking confession, Somerhalder revealed that he asked creator Julie Plec to let him quit the series in Season 3 because he was so concerned that Damon was being made "into a sappy character."

"I was so upset about the trajectory of Damon, so much so that at one point I was sitting across from Julie in her office in Atlanta almost in tears — actually, my eyes were quite misty — and asked out of the show," the actor said. "I was so angry about it. I wanted off. Because I saw the writing on the wall. Damon was heading toward the love-interest role."

Although Somerhalder wanted to leave to find “something that’s really cool and dark and edgy” elsewhere, Plec convinced him his character would still have complexities even if he was going to start a serious relationship with Elena in the next season.

“She said, ‘Dude, I get it, Damon cannot be a one-trick pony,’” Somerhalder continued. “‘This is a one-hundred-episode arc of a man, there are ups and there are downs, and there are times when he’s the villain, there are times when he’s the hero.' I had to trust in that process."

Nina Dobrev Dated 2 Different Damon Salvatore Actors IRL

Dobrev recalled how when she was auditioning for Elena, she kept her relationship with actor Rob Mayes quiet... because he was auditioning to play Damon. “We were trying to keep it really secret because we were afraid that if they found out, they wouldn’t cast one or both of us,” Dobrev said.

Some time after Dobrev got cast and Mayes didn’t, they broke up. “Then, I ended up eventually, years later, dating the actual Damon,” Dobrev said, referencing her relationship with Somerhalder that lasted from 2010 to 2013.

After the breakup, the exes still had to play love interests on the show. But Plec recalled the situation never getting awkward. “It wasn’t very dramatic at the time because they were both working very hard to be respectful with each other and considerate with each other, and I think there was a lot of love there,” the showrunner said.

Pedro Pascal, Sebastian Stan, & More Stars Almost Got Main Roles

The book reveals several almost castings that may shock fans. Before Somerhalder got the part of Damon, Sebastian Stan and Matt Czuchry were in strong contention to play the edgy vampire. However, the both got roles on other shows during the casting process.

Another major character that nearly looked very different was vampire hunter Alaric Saltzman, which the book reveals was very close to going to Jason Momoa. A few more notable casting decisions: Matt Lauria was heavily considered to play Tyler, Tessa Thompson was in the final considerations for Bonnie, and Taylor Kitsch was on the short list to play antagonist Klaus.

If there’s one actor Plec most regrets being unable to cast, it’s probably Pedro Pascal. “I wanted Pedro Pascal on the show. I loved him so much,” she said. Pascal tried out for Marcel in the spinoff The Originals, but caught a fever on the day of his final audition.