The Vampire Diaries: Nina Dobrev

By Hua Ambros

Posted on November 17, 2011

Nina Dobrev was born on January 9, 1989; she was named by her parents as Nina Konstantinova Dobreva. She is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She is currently starring in The CW’s drama The Vampire Diaries, playing the dual role of Katherine Pierce, a vampire that the same brothers each loved while they were still human during the American Civil War, and Elena Gilbert, Katherine’s doppelgänger, a human who is caught between the same two vampire brothers, Damon Salvatore and Stefan Salvatore.

Nina was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and moved to Canada at the age of two, where she was raised in Toronto, Ontario. She speaks fluent French, English, and Bulgarian. Her mother is an Artist, and her father is a Computer Scientist. Nina has one older brother.

Nina from a very young age she showed great enthusiasm and talent for the arts: Dance, Gymnastics, Theatre, Music, Visual arts, and Acting. Modeling jobs led to commercials, which then turned into film auditions. Shortly afterward, she booked roles in feature films.

Nina loves to travel and has often visited Europe both for pleasure, as well as competing internationally representing Canada in Aesthetic Gymnastics. To name a few sports she enjoys playing volleyball, soccer, swimming, rock climbing, wake boarding, snowboarding, and horseback riding.

Nina studied in Armstrong Acting Studio. She is best friends with Matt Lanter and Sara Paxton. Nina began dating her The Vampire Diaries co-star Ian Somerhalder. Nina also designed a T-Shirt with “Me to We Style”, an eco-friendly social enterprise which donates 50% of its profits to Free the Children.