Paul Wesley Doesn’t Miss Playing Stefan on The Vampire Diaries

Paul Wesley Doesn't Miss Playing Stefan on The Vampire Diaries

Paul Wesley, who played Stefan Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, says he doesn’t miss the role and wouldn’t do another vampire project.

Wesley starred on the CW series from 2009 to 2017. He told InStyle that he doesn’t miss anything about playing Stefan and is glad to have put the role to rest.

“Eight years is a long time,” he said. “I’m so glad to put that to rest. Eight seasons.”

Wesley said he appreciates how dynamic his character was throughout the show.

“Because the show ran for such a long time, in order for it to not become monotonous, every season, he sort of had a different arc,” he said. “At one point he was pure evil, and he started out as the good guy and then he ended as the good guy. But I liked the challenge of trying to keep the character fresh.”

Wesley still gets recognized the most for his role in The Vampire Diaries universe, but he’s ready to move on. He’s starred in several other projects since the show ended, including Tell Me a Story and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done, as far as popularity,” he said. “I’ve done a bunch of roles since The Vampire Diaries, but nothing has been nearly as popular, so I think you have to get that next thing that puts you into a conversation that involves you and not the character that you’re known for playing.”

As for what’s next for him as an actor, Wesley says he doesn’t like to “just sit back and wait for roles to come to me.”

“Sometimes they do and they’re awesome, like Star Trek, but other times I like to just create my own path,” he added. “It’s very rewarding.”

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