Nina Dobrev has opened up about the unfairness in salaries on The Vampire Diaries between her, Ian Somerhalder, and Paul Wesley. According to her, the studio refused to pay her as much as her male co-stars despite having her work eighteen-hour shifts. Not to mention that she singlehandedly played four main characters – Elena, Katherine, Amara, and Tatia – each to perfection.
In Samantha Highfill’s recently released book, I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries, Dobrev got candid about the pay disparity between her and her co-stars. She also revealed that she, Candice King, and Kat Graham, “were the three lowest-paid series regulars in the first two seasons.”
Despite having her play multiple characters throughout the seasons, Dobrev’s contract only had her listed as Elena. Thus, the double workload was not taken into consideration when it came to her paychecks.
She said, “It was a bit of a tricky situation because my contract only said to play Elena, but I was playing multiple characters, which doubled my workload. I had to be on set for double the amount of time, I had to memorize double the amount of lines. I wanted to play Katherine, but I wanted to be compensated fairly for that” (via Variety).
All she wanted was to “be an equal to the boys,” which shouldn’t be a big ask. While many TVD fans find Elena Gilbert annoying, everyone agrees that the show wouldn’t have worked without her.
Nina Dobrev Felt Undervalued on The Vampire Diaries
Cast negotiations took place in Season 3; however, even though Dobrev got a raise, Wesley and Somerhalder still made more than her. Adding to the entire mess, the studio agreed to pay Dobrev for her portrayal of Katherine Pierce, but quietly asked Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson not to use the villain anymore.
Plec admitted that they were able to squeeze in a few episodes with Katherine before the character had to be killed off the show.
Dobrev added in the same Variety conversation that “out of principle” they refused to bump her up “to being equal to the boys
In her words,
I remember feeling like the studio didn’t appreciate what I was bringing to the show, and it felt like they were saying that all the hard work I was putting into it didn’t matter to them and that I wasn’t an equal to my male counterparts, and so that was upsetting to me.
Dobrev left the show in Season 6, but came back for one more episode at the end. If it weren’t for the pay disparity, the actress would’ve done more than one episode. She stated that she had two conditions for her return: a storyline that made sense and proper compensation for her efforts.
Despite that, the “opening offer” she received was “five times less than what I made when I left in Season 06,” even though Wesley and Somerhalder had apparently received multiple raises after Dobrev’s exit.
For her, it wasn’t about the money, but rather the principle of it all. She said, “I didn’t give a shit about the money at all. It was the principle. It was my second time trying to make this point. It wasn’t about the actual dollar amount; it was about being an equal.”
The studio refused to budge until Plec stepped in and put her foot down. Still, they were only able to match Dobrev’s demand for one episode.
Let’s take a look at the reported salaries of Dobrev, Somerhalder, Wesley, and more, on The Vampire Diaries, courtesy of The Richest:
1. Ian Somerhalder
As the fan-favorite Salvatore brother, Somerhalder remains one of the best morally grey characters we have seen on television. According to reports, the actor made $40,000 per episode for TVD. The charming vampire who made you question your morals was a big reason why many started watching the supernatural drama.
Today, the actor holds a net worth of $12 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. He began his career as a model at ten years old. Prior to starring in TVD, Somerhalder played the role of Boone Carlyle in Lost.
He has been in other projects like The Anomaly, V Wars, and more. He was also in Smallville. Currently, Somerhalder spends his days on his farm with his family, and a return to Hollywood might never happen.
2. Paul Wesley
Wesley’s character arc was a complete rollercoaster since episode one. From the righteous Salvatore brother to the Ripper, Stefan was clearly a major plus point for The Vampire Diaries. Reportedly, he also made $40,000 per episode.
Celebrity Net Worth claims that Wesley also has a net worth of $12 million, just like Somerhalder. His work includes Before I Disappear, The Baytown Outlaws, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and more. Together, Somerhalder and Wesley co-founded a Bourbon company called Brothers Bond.
Hot take: Stefan Salvatore over Damon any day!
3. Nina Dobrev
Now, according to The Richest and other reports available on the Internet, Dobrev is said to have made $40,000 per episode, just like her male co-leads. But this obviously flies right into the face of what we just learned through Samantha Highfill’s book, where the actress asserts over and over again that she was paid much less than Wesley and Somerhalder.
CNW reports Dobrev’s net worth as $11 million. She has a highly successful career in the entertainment industry with projects like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, and more.
4. Kat Graham
Ah, the selfless Bennett witch who constantly put her life on the line for everyone but herself. Bonnie lost a lot through the show, and it rarely felt like the character received the love she gave. Even when she finally found Enzo, Stefan stepped in and…well, let’s not go there.
For her role, Kat Graham was reportedly paid $35,000 per episode, and her net worth is $3 million, via CNW.
5. Kayla Ewell
Now, this is a surprising one on the list. Kayla Ewell played the role of Matt’s older sister, Vicki Donovan. Though she wasn’t in the show as much as the others, she is reported to have made $30,000 per episode, only $10,000 less than the main leads.
As per CNW, her net worth is $2 million. Ewell has been in a ton of projects, including Batwoman, The Rookie, Me and My Grandma, The Creatures, etc.
6. Michael Trevino
Michael Trevino played a highly divisive character on TVD – Tyler Lockwood. While some absolutely love the mysterious werewolf, others simply couldn’t stand the Lockwood heir. His reported salary for the show is somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000.
The hot-headed jock eventually becomes a central figure in the show, especially when Klaus Mikaelson turns him into a hybrid. Born in 1985, the actor has been in projects like The Mentalist, Cane, 90210, Roswell, New Mexico, and more. CNW states his net worth as $4 million.
7. Steven R. McQueen
As a member of The Five, Jeremy Gilbert had an important role in the earlier seasons of TVD, especially when the squad was on the hunt for the cure. As Elena’s younger brother, Steven R. McQueen is reported to have made $15,000 per episode.
With projects like Chicago Fire, Legacies, The Warrant, and more, McQueen is said to have a net worth of $3 million, as per CNW.
To sum it up:
| Actor | Reported Salary per Episode | Reported Net Worth |
| Ian Somerhalder | $40,000 | $12 million |
| Paul Wesley | $40,000 | $12 million |
| Nina Dobrev | $40,000 | $11 million |
| Kat Graham | $35,000 | $3 million |
| Kayla Ewell | $30,000 | $2 million |
| Michael Trevino | $15,000-20,000 | $4 million |
| Steven R. McQueen | $15,000 | $3 million |
Salaries for the remaining main cast members of The Vampire Diaries are not known. However, Candice King, Zach Roerig, and Matthew Davis have net worths of $4 million, $4 million, $2 million, respectively.
What do you think about the difference in salaries on TVD and Dobrev’s explosive confessions? Let us know in the comments section below.
Stream The Vampire Diaries on HBO Max or Peacock Premium.
