While star-crossed lovers Stefan Salvatore and Elena Gilbert appeared to be falling in love during the first season of The Vampire Diaries, that was definitely not the case after the cameras stopped rolling.
Nina Dobrev – who portrays Elena in the CW series – opens up about her onscreen love and co-star Paul Wesley on the latest episode of Candice King and Kayla Ewell’s Directionally Challenge podcast.
“Paul and I didn’t get along at the beginning of the show. I respected Paul Wesley, I didn’t like Paul Wesley,” she admits. Nina reveals that their real-life tension led many people to believe they were dating when in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I remember everyone would walk up to me after the show aired and they’d be like, ‘Are you and Paul dating in real life?’ Everyone thought that we had such good chemistry. I realise now that there’s a fine line between love and hate and we despised each other so much that it read as love but … We really just didn’t get along the first five months of shooting.”
Dobrev starred on The Vampire Diaries until exiting at the end of season 6; Elena later returned for the series’ final episodes in season 8. Fans will know the 30-year-old actress was actually dating Ian Somerhalder – who portrays Damon Salvatore – the couple were together from 2011 until 2013. After the split, the co-stars remained good friends.
“Most of the time, love interests in film and TV don’t get along and that reads as really intense chemistry,” Dobrev explained, then remembered something Wesley, now 36, said to her while shooting the pilot.
“Maybe we had a moment where we actually connected, and he looked at me and he was like, ‘Ten years from now, when we’re not on this show, you’re gonna really miss me. You’re gonna miss these times; you’re look back, and this is gonna be the good old days. Well appreciate each other in 10 years,’” she revealed. “He was so f–king right. We ended up getting to a good place and it was fine. Of everyone, I think I probably see him the most and hang out with him the most. We’re probably the closest. We hang out a lot. We’re really good friends. I love his wife. It’s so funny how time changes everything because I never thought he would be one of my best friends.”
This article originally appeared on InStyle.
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