Formative Performances: Nina Dobrev in “The Vampire Diaries”

On Day 5 of Women’s History Month, I would like to honor an actress who had the unique opportunity to play the protagonist and antagonist of an exciting, addictive show: Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries.

As Elena Gilbert, Nina Dobrev plays a young, compassionate woman who has recently lost both of her parents and find herself immersed in a world filled with vampires, witches, and supernatural creatures. She falls in love with one vampire named Stefan while also developing complicated feelings for his brother Damon. Here is Dobrev as Elena:

Dobrev also plays Katherine Pierce (born Katerina Petrova), a 500-year-old vampire who’s opportunistic, manipulative, and only out to save herself. Here is Dobrev as Katherine:

I love the scene with Elena because it proves that she is everything Bella Swan is not. She’s in love with a vampire and still values her humanity and her normal life. She loves Stefan now, but acknowledges that she might not feel that way years from now, that she’s only seventeen and too young to commit to forever. She breaks down when she admits that she doesn’t want to be a vampire, and she has one of the best cry-faces I’ve ever seen.

And I love the scene with Katherine because of that face she makes after witnessing Bonnie’s magic abilities. THAT FACE. It’s hilarious.

Fans of The Vampire Diaries often cite the second season as their favorite because it’s the most Katherine-heavy season of the series. They’ve said, “I wish Katherine would come back, but the actress must have other commitments…wait a minute…” Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Elena and Katherine are played by the same actress, even in scenes where Katherine is impersonating Elena (though we’ve never had the delight of seeing Elena impersonating Katherine). Whether she’s showing us Elena’s compassion and Katherine’s dangerous quality, or the rarely seen moments of Elena’s dark side and Katherine’s vulnerability, she dazzles everyone in Mystic Falls (and everyone in the audience). Some viewers don’t care for the way the show fawns over Elena, but I’ll be honest: if I were in Nina Dobrev’s physical presence, I’d fawn over her, too.