Nina Dobrev
Encyclopedia
Nina Dobrev is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mia Jones, the single teenage mother, on Degrassi: The Next Generation
, from the show's sixth to ninth season. She currently stars as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The CW television teen drama, The Vampire Diaries
.
, 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. She has one older brother. From a very young age, she showed great enthusiasm and talent for the arts: dance, gymnastics, theatre, music, visual arts and acting.
Dobrev attended J. B. Tyrrell Sr. Public School and Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in Scarborough, Ontario
. She attended Ryerson University
in Toronto, majoring in sociology
. She left in 2008 to pursue her acting career.
Dobrev began dating her The Vampire Diaries
co-star Ian Somerhalder
in 2010.
, Away from Her
, Never Cry Werewolf
, and the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation
. She starred in a number of Lifetime original movies. She also was in an MTV
movie called The American Mall
on CTV
. 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 Katherine's doppelgänger
Elena Gilbert, a human who is caught between the same two vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore.
She also had a minor role in the erotic thriller Chloe
, theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics
on March 26, 2010. The film had enjoyed commercial success and became director Atom Egoyan
's biggest moneymaker ever.
In April 2011, she was cast as Candace in the film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, alongside Logan Lerman
, Emma Watson
and Paul Rudd
. Shooting began in May of that year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
and she completed her scenes on June 27.
alongside Joe Jonas
. The two led the electric crowd of 18,000 student leaders through a day of inspiring speeches and performances from an epic line-up of Nobel Peace Laureates, world-renowned social activists, Golden Globe
, Grammy
and Juno Award
winners.
Dobrev 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.
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
, from the show's sixth to ninth season. She currently stars as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The CW television teen drama, The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
.
Personal life
Nina Dobrev was born in SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, 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. She has one older brother. From a very young age, she showed great enthusiasm and talent for the arts: dance, gymnastics, theatre, music, visual arts and acting.
Dobrev attended J. B. Tyrrell Sr. Public School and Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
. She attended Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
in Toronto, majoring in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. She left in 2008 to pursue her acting career.
Dobrev began dating her The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
co-star Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder
Ian Joseph Somerhalder is an American model, actor and producer, best known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost and Damon Salvatore in the TV drama The Vampire Diaries.-Early life:...
in 2010.
Career
Modeling jobs led to commercials, which then turned into film auditions. Shortly thereafter, she booked roles in feature films, including Fugitive PiecesFugitive Pieces (film)
Fugitive Pieces is a 2007 drama film directed by Jeremy Podeswa, who also adapted the film from the award-winning novel of the same name written by Anne Michaels. The film tells the story of Jakob Beer, who is orphaned in Poland during World War II and is saved by a Greek archeologist...
, Away from Her
Away From Her
Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian film which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and also played in the Premier category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival...
, Never Cry Werewolf
Never Cry Werewolf
- Plot :When 16-year-old Loren and her family greet a new neighbor, Jared , a good-looking single guy and his dog, she senses something mysterious and dangerous about him. Her suspicions become further aroused when some of the locals begin disappearing one by one...
, and the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
. She starred in a number of Lifetime original movies. She also was in an MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
movie called The American Mall
The American Mall
The American Mall is an 2008 MTV musical film that debuted on August 11, 2008. The movie was received with very low ratings, averaging 436,000 viewers.-Overview:...
on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
. She is currently starring in The CW's
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
drama The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries (TV series)
The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW Television Network on September 10, 2009, and is currently in its third season that...
, 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
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and Katherine's doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
Elena Gilbert, a human who is caught between the same two vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore.
She also had a minor role in the erotic thriller Chloe
Chloe (film)
Chloe is a 2009 erotic thriller directed by Atom Egoyan, a remake of the 2004 French film Nathalie.... This version stars Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried in the title role...
, theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
on March 26, 2010. The film had enjoyed commercial success and became director Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
's biggest moneymaker ever.
In April 2011, she was cast as Candace in the film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an upcoming American adaptation of the epistolary novel of the same name. Directed by the novel's author, Stephen Chbosky, filming started around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 9 and ended on June 29, 2011.-Plot:...
, alongside Logan Lerman
Logan Lerman
Logan Wade Lerman is an American actor, known for playing the title role in the 2010 fantasy-adventure Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. He appeared in commercials in the mid 1990s, before starring in the series Jack & Bobby , and the movies The Butterfly Effect and Hoot...
, Emma Watson
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
and Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
. Shooting began in May of that year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and she completed her scenes on June 27.
Philanthropy
In September 2011, Dobrev co-hosted We DayWe Day
We Day is an annual event organized by the Canadian charity Free The Children that, according to founder Craig Kielburger, is designed to “motivate young people to help fight injustice by convincing them that fighting injustice can be hip”-Background:...
alongside Joe Jonas
Joe Jonas
Joseph Adam "Joe" Jonas is a Pop American singer, musician, actor, and dancer. He is a member of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band made up of him and his two brothers, Nick and Kevin...
. The two led the electric crowd of 18,000 student leaders through a day of inspiring speeches and performances from an epic line-up of Nobel Peace Laureates, world-renowned social activists, Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
, Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
winners.
Dobrev 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.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Repo! The Genetic Opera Repo! The Genetic Opera Repo! The Genetic Opera is a 2008 horror-rock opera musical film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. The film is based on a play written and composed by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich.... |
Teenage Zydrate Addict | |
2006 | Away from Her Away From Her Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian film which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and also played in the Premier category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival... |
Monica | |
2006 | Playing House | Shania | |
2006–2009 | Degrassi: The Next Generation Degrassi: The Next Generation Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and... |
Mia Jones | TV, 46 episodes |
2007 | How She Move How She Move How She Move is a 2007 drama film directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid and starring Rutina Wesley, Clé Bennett and Romina D'Ugo. The film showcases the street culture of step dancing... |
Tall Girl in the Bathroom | |
2007 | The Poet The Poet (film) The Poet is a 2007 Canadian drama film starring Colm Feore, Roy Scheider, Kim Coates and Daryl Hannah. It was written by Jack Crystal and directed by Damian Lee, with an estimated budget of CAD $11 million.... |
Rachel | |
2007 | Fugitive Pieces Fugitive Pieces (film) Fugitive Pieces is a 2007 drama film directed by Jeremy Podeswa, who also adapted the film from the award-winning novel of the same name written by Anne Michaels. The film tells the story of Jakob Beer, who is orphaned in Poland during World War II and is saved by a Greek archeologist... |
Bella | |
2007 | My Daughter's Secret | Justine | |
2007 | Too Young to Marry Too Young to Marry Too Young To Marry is a 2007 television film about romance, drama and comedy. It involves two 17-year old teenagers named Max Doyle and Jessica Carpenter . When the two think that they are in love they decide to get married despite their parents disapproval. Shortly after the two begin to realize... |
Jessica | |
2008 | Mookie's Law Mookie's Law Mookie's Law is a 2008 Canadian short film written and directed by Al Mukadam and produced jointly by Mukadam, Mazin Elsadig and Jonathan Malen. It premiered at Bloor Cinema in Toronto in August 2008 and stars Mukadam, Garen Boyajian, Nina Dobrev and Aubrey "Drake" Graham.-Synopsis:Mookie, a... |
Rosebella | Short film |
2008 | The American Mall The American Mall The American Mall is an 2008 MTV musical film that debuted on August 11, 2008. The movie was received with very low ratings, averaging 436,000 viewers.-Overview:... |
Ally Shepherd | First time singing, She never sang after this movie |
2008 | Never Cry Werewolf Never Cry Werewolf - Plot :When 16-year-old Loren and her family greet a new neighbor, Jared , a good-looking single guy and his dog, she senses something mysterious and dangerous about him. Her suspicions become further aroused when some of the locals begin disappearing one by one... |
Loren Hansett | |
2008 | The Border The Border (TV series) The Border is a Canadian drama airing on CBC Television and 20 other TV networks worldwide. It was created by Peter Raymont, Lindalee Tracey, Janet MacLean and Jeremy Hole of White Pine Pictures. The Executive in Charge of Production is Janice Dawe. Episodes in the first season were directed by... |
Maia | TV, 2 episodes: "Articles of Faith" and "Blowback" |
2009 | Chloe Chloe (film) Chloe is a 2009 erotic thriller directed by Atom Egoyan, a remake of the 2004 French film Nathalie.... This version stars Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried in the title role... |
Anna | |
2009 | Degrassi Goes Hollywood Degrassi Goes Hollywood Paradise City: Degrassi Goes Hollywood is a 2009 Canadian film adaptation of the popular, long-running teenage drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. The movie premiered in the United States on The N on 14 August 2009, and in Canada on CTV on 30 August 2009. It was directed by veteran Degrassi... |
Mia Jones | |
2009 | Eleventh Hour Eleventh Hour (U.S. TV series) Eleventh Hour is an American science-based drama television series, which is based on the 2006 British series of the same name. The series originally ran on CBS from October 9, 2008 to April 2, 2009 and aired on Thursdays at 10 pm . The series was a joint venture between Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Grace Dahl | TV, 1 episode: "Eternal" |
2009 | Merry Madagascar Merry Madagascar Merry Madagascar is a Christmas special first broadcast on the NBC network on November 17, 2009, which starred the characters from the Madagascar film series. The story appears to take place sometime between the first and second film... |
Cupid the Reindeer | Voice |
2009–present | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce | Main role TV |
2011 | The Super Hero Squad Show The Super Hero Squad Show The Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style... |
Ellen | Voice TV, 1 episode: "This Man-Thing, This Monster!" |
2011 | The Roommate The Roommate The Roommate is a 2011 thriller film directed by Christian E. Christiansen and starring Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet, Danneel Harris, Matt Lanter, and Aly Michalka. It was theatrically released on February 4, 2011. The film is a unofficial remake of the 1992 film Single White... |
Maria | Cameo |
2011 | Arena | Lori | Post-production |
2012 | The Perks of Being a Wallflower The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film) The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an upcoming American adaptation of the epistolary novel of the same name. Directed by the novel's author, Stephen Chbosky, filming started around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 9 and ended on June 29, 2011.-Plot:... |
Candace | Post-production |
Accolades
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Teen Choice Awards 2010 Teen Choice Awards 2010 Teen Choice Awards were held on August 8, introducing a lot of new categories now separated into "Movie", "TV", "Music", "Summer", "Fashion" and "Other". The show aired on August 9, 2010 on Fox, co-hosted by Katy Perry, who also performed, and Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, and... |
Choice TV Breakout Star – Female | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
|
2010 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Fantasy/Sci-Fi | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
|
2010 | J-14 Teen Icon Awards | Iconic TV Actress | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
|
2011 | Teen Choice Awards 2011 Teen Choice Awards The 2011 Teen Choice Awards hosted by Kaley Cuoco aired live on August 7, 2011 at 8/7c on Fox. This was the first time that the ceremonies were aired live since the 2007 show... |
Choice TV Actress – Fantasy/Sci-Fi | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
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2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Hottie – Female | ||
2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Vampire | ||
2012 38th People's Choice Awards The 38th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2011, will be held on January 11, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET.On November 8, the nominees were announced... |
People's Choice Awards People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett... |
Favorite TV Drama Actress | The Vampire Diaries |