Why Sebastian Stan Turned Down Paul Wesley's The Vampire Diaries Role

Paul Wesley was the perfect actor to bring the morally conflicted vampire Stefan Salvatore to life, but the role, which Wesley played across every season of "The Vampire Diaries," wasn't always his. Future Marvel star Sebastian Stan was offered the part to begin with, but he passed on it. "They offered me Paul Wesley's role," Stan told the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. "And I had just come off 'Kings' and I sort of felt really burnt out from that not working out and just sort of the idea of thinking, 'Oh, I'm just going to sign up again for something that probably is not going to get to the second season."

Stan was wrong, however. As he noted, "The Vampire Diaries" went on to become highly successful, airing eight seasons between 2009 and 2017. Although the cast went through a few notable shakeups along the way — most notably the departure of Nina Dobrev, who played central character Elena Gilbert — over the years, Wesley remained a stalwart cast member throughout. This means, of course, that Stan would have likely enjoyed a similar run. That said, Stefan dies in the "TVD" series finale, so Stan at least saved himself from having to film that heartbreaking scene.

"The Vampire Diaries" was a cultural phenomenon; it made the name of many of its cast members and continues to entertain new fans thanks to various streaming services. Still, Sebastian Stan doesn't regret passing up on the project. "Now looking back, I feel grateful in a way 'cause I don't know if I was really ready for that kind of exposure when I was younger, to be honest," Stan told "Happy Sad Confused." "Emotionally and mentally, I know what I went through in those years and my focus was all over the place."

Stan also noted that he wouldn't change a thing about how his own career has played out. Given the success he's found so far — most notably playing Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — it's not difficult to understand his perspective. Beyond Marvel, Stan appeared in several more notable roles during and after "The Vampire Diaries," including "Once Upon a Time," "I, Tonya," "Pam & Tommy," "Sharper," "The Apprentice," and "A Different Man," for which he won a Golden Globe in 2025.