The Rise and Journey of Nina Dobrev: ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ ‘Degrassi,’ & Netflix Originals

Video Version of this Article

Photo: Nina Dobrev/Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock

Nina Dobrev is an award-winning actress known for her various popular roles in award-winning television shows such as ‘The Vampire Diaries’ or ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation.’ As the years have passed since she first made her debut on the big screen, she has continued to find herself in new roles, such as her recent feature in the romantic comedy, ‘Love Hard.’ Her work on television and film has continued to prove to be rewarding as she has received several award wins and nominations for the variety of roles she has taken on.

Things to do:

Nina Dobrev

Nina Dobrev was born in Bulgaria on January 9, 1989, to her mother, Michaela Dobreva, and father, Kamen Dobreva. At the age of two, her family immigrated to Canada, where she would live until 2009. While in her early school years, Nina proved to have an interest in the arts as she took dancing and gymnastics classes. Nina found herself interested in acting at an early age. She took acting classes at Armstrong Acting Studios and attended the arts program at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. She attended college at Ryerson University pursuing a degree in sociology, but she did not graduate in hopes of pursuing an acting career.

All of her interest and time spent studying the arts and acting ultimately worked out as she now has become a household name over the years. She began her acting career in the early 2000s but truly began to become a household name when she made her debut as Mia Jones on ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation.’ Nina Dobrev is known for her hilarious personality which can be seen through interviews, her social media, and more. Her time on ‘The Vampire Diaries’ also proved to provide her with much success as the show stayed on television from 2009-2017. If you are a ‘The Vampire Diaries’ fan like me, then you probably became a huge fan of Nina Dobrev as soon as you watched the first episode. Overall, Nina Dobrev is an extraordinarily talented and witty actress that will continue to have a place in the acting world. In fact, she has a variety of upcoming projects that are sure to keep fans and viewers interested in all things Nina Dobrev. Her early beginnings in the acting world to now are extremely impressive, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Acting Career and Activist Work

Nina Dobrev’s first appearance on the big screen was ‘Playing House,’ a television movie where she played the role of Young Frannie. Following her first appearance, she continued to star in more films and television movies such as ‘Away From Her,’ ‘Hearts of War,’ ‘Too Young to Marry,’ ‘Fugitive Pieces,’ ‘The American Mall,’ and more. In 2006 we would see her hit a career milestone when she joined the cast of ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation.’ Fans of the show quickly fell in love with her character and, of course, Nina Dobrev herself. In 2009 she would leave her role on ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ to join one of her most famous roles to date, starring Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce in the hit television show ‘The Vampire Diaries.’

As mentioned before, ‘The Vampire Diaries’ would help to bring Nina Dobrev to household-name status, and she would star in the show until 2017. While starring in ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ she would also star in films such as ‘Chloe,’ ‘The Roommate,’ ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ ‘Let’s Be Cops,’ ‘The Final Girls,’ and more. Following her exit from ‘The Vampire Diaries’ in 2017, she would continue to pursue acting as she starred in films such as ‘Flatliners,’ ‘Crash Pad,’ ‘Dog Days,’ ‘Then Came You,’ ‘Run This Town,’ and more. Overall, her acting career has been rewarding as she has received nominations and wins for her role in ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and more for her acting in general as well.

Nina Dobrev is also known for her various roles and efforts toward a variety of causes and charities. She has supported and lent her time to charities and movements such as Puma’s Project Pink, Hunger Bites, the WE Movement, Me to We, ‘We Day,’ Elton John AIDS Foundation, and more. Overall, her dedication and time to various causes are inspiring and a fantastic way to take advantage of her platform as a famous actress and celebrity. Her continued time spent lending her name to various organizations has proven the giant heart she has and that all of her fans love her for.

Upcoming Projects

As mentioned before, Nina Dobrev has a variety of upcoming projects that fans are excited to see. She recently starred in the Netflix Original ‘Love Hard,’ which has proved to be yet another hit for Netflix fans. ‘Love Hard’ is the modern romantic comedy that we didn’t know we needed, and honestly, you must watch it as it is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Nina Dobrev will next be seen in ‘Redeeming Love’ with Tom Lewis, Abigail Cowen, and Famke Janssen, directed by D.J. Caruso. She will also next be seen in ‘Sick Girl’ with Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ray McKinnon, directed by Jennifer Cram. Nina will also next be seen in ‘The Out-Law’ with Pierce Brosnan and Michael Rooker, directed by Tyler Spindel. She will also next be seen in ‘Reunion’ with Billy Magnussen and Jamie Chung, directed by Chris Nelson. Nina will also next be seen in ‘Woman 99’ with more details to come soon. Overall, Nina Dobrev has and continues to make an impression in the acting world, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

By Chelsea Black

Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.

I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”

More Interesting Stories From The Hollywood Insider

– Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY

– A Tribute to Martin Scorsese: A Complete Analysis of the Life and Career of the Man Who Lives and Breathes Cinema

– Do you know the hidden messages in ‘Call Me By Your Name’? Find out behind the scenes facts in the full commentary and In-depth analysis of the cinematic masterpiece

– A Tribute To The Academy Awards: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | From Rami Malek, Leonardo DiCaprio To Denzel Washington, Halle Berry & Beyond | From Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep To Bette Davis & Beyond

– In the 32nd Year Of His Career, Keanu Reeves’ Face Continues To Reign After Launching Movies Earning Over $4.3 Billion In Total – “John Wick”, “Toy Story 4”, “Matrix”, And Many More

nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev, nina dobrev

Chelsea Black is a writer and digital media content creator with a background in public relations and diversity studies. She strives to create and showcase content that emphasizes representation for all communities and overall diversity and inclusion. Her values and beliefs align with The Hollywood Insider as she believes that the power the media holds should be used in meaningful and uplifting ways. She believes in the capabilities of storytelling and that it can promote positive change in many aspects. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys reading and reflective writing.

View all posts

Chelsea Black is a writer and digital media content creator with a background in public relations and diversity studies. She strives to create and showcase content that emphasizes representation for all communities and overall diversity and inclusion. Her values and beliefs align with The Hollywood Insider as she believes that the power the media holds should be used in meaningful and uplifting ways. She believes in the capabilities of storytelling and that it can promote positive change in many aspects. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys reading and reflective writing.