Paul Wesley - 'Stefan'
Tell us about your character, Stefan.
I play a guy who is a couple of hundred years old. He’s a vampire who has decided not to feed on humans, and to make a long story short he’s desperately in love with a mortal girl. The conflict arises when his brother – who is also a vampire and evil-ish – arrives. Damon, my brother, is played by Ian Somerhalder and he comes in and is a reminder of my past life. He won’t let me go and pretend that I’m just this kid who’s in love. He is reminding me that I am this vicious monster. Then we have this love triangle and battle over Elena.
How does it feel to be the good vampire?
As opposed to the bad vampire? Well, it’s good, because actually I’ve been acting for ten years and, for some reason, always gravitate towards the bad guy. I always play the bad guy. So playing the guy who is more inherently good is kind of a nice change.
We’ve seen some of the things you have done before, like Wolf Lake, then you played Lex Luthor’s brother, and I know that fans are probably going to be surprised to see you playing the good character. Is the bad boy going to sneak back out?
Yeah, it’s the same. He’s a good guy if you want to compare him to Ian Somerhalder’s character, but I think that he’s still a vampire. He’s no, you know, churchgoer. He’s like this guy that wants to suck on human blood. He’s constantly tempted. I think that that bad boy that we’re talking about is inherent and it’s a necessary component. I think that’s why I got the part, because that same sense of danger needs to be there. He’s not a goody two shoes.
So if Stefan and Elena were to have sex does she have to worry about you biting her?
Absolutely. I think that is something that is constantly at the forefront of Stefan’s mind. He always wants to suck on her blood. I think I’ve just turned red a little! But I think that is what makes it so intriguing. He loves her, he’s in love with her, but he also can’t help but have this need to feed on her. So it’s this weird paradox.
It looks like Damon can really kick Stefan’s ass. Who’d win in a fight in real life between you and Ian?
I feel like I can kick Ian’s ass. I’m sure he’d beg to differ!
In the show is it just that Damon is stronger because he still feeds on humans?
Yes and it poses the question of, in order to protect Elena, will I start feeding on others? But until then I can’t really take on Damon. He’d embarrass me.
Do you like vampire stories?
Do I like them? Yeah I love them. I’m not going to lie and say that I was some crazy rabid vampire fan but I was certainly a huge fan of Interview With The Vampire and some of Anne Rice’s stuff, and I love Let The Right One In, that’s a new film that just came out. It’s a fascinating mythology, I was always fascinated by it. So this was nice to get a role like this. It interested me.
How did you get the role?
I auditioned like any other and I got the part but it was a very grueling process because this was a relatively coveted role as it’s a really interesting part and there’s not a lot of interesting parts going round. There are a lot of parts, but not a lot of interesting ones. So it took a lot to get this role.
Do you know how a vampire can be killed?
How a vampire can be killed? I know the traditional ways. Actually it’s so funny, because we were joking around with Kevin Williamson, people were saying, ‘Don’t piss off Kevin or he’ll kill you’ on the show, and I was like, ‘He can’t kill me, I’m a vampire!’ And he was like, ‘What are you talking about? You fall on a wooden stake, you’re done.’ You know what I mean? And so, there you go, a wooden stake. That could kill me. You can’t piss off the writers.
Where do you shoot?
We shot the pilot in Vancouver then when we got picked up we moved it to Atlanta Georgia, which is actually more suitable because the story takes place in a post-civil war town and there is that kind of civil war-esque colonial architecture there. And it’s really hot as well. I don’t think that has anything to do with the show, that’s just an added thing.
Do you have any favourite scenes so far? I know that you guys have only just flown in, Nina said that you have come straight from a night shoot…
Yeah, I haven’t slept in 48 hours. It’s crazy. I don’t even know what I’m saying right now. I could just be digging a hole for myself. I’ve done like nine on-camera interviews and I am totally self-conscious about what I said because I don’t really recall anything.
We can edit you to sound coherent.
There you go.
Are there any favourite scenes that you have done so far? You’re only filming the first episode right now right?
Yeah, we’re on just the next episode. What was your question?
Was there anything you liked in the things that you’ve done so far?
We have, Elena and I – I don’t want to give anything away – but our relationship… we get closer and closer. I am really looking forward to the reveal. I am going to actually say that I don’t have a favourite scene yet but I know that when I finally tell her, when she finds out the reveal that I’m a vampire, when she finally figures that out, that’s going to be my favourite. It’s going to be an amazing moment. I can’t wait to shoot that.
So you’re the more romantic vampire.
Yeah, for sure.
In what way?
Well, I don’t want to be a vampire. I have no interest in doing this. I hate being a vampire. I was turned into a vampire against my will, we both were – Ian’s character and my character – and I hate it, I feed on animals, I don’t want to kill people. Of course I’m tempted – but I am still a human. I have a human empathy. And then when I meet Elena, it’s like escapism. I want to be… I just want to pretend like I’m this guy who’s 18 years old, like he’s in love with this girl, and I’m just a high school kid. It’s like I’m living a fake life, and then Damon shows up and goes, ‘Woah, wait a minute. What are you doing?’ You know what I mean? And he wreaks havoc. So I’m a romantic in that I just want to be a normal guy. I just want to be in love with this girl.
And be happy?
Yeah.
Are you like him in any way?
Am I like him? <laughs> I also don’t want to be a vampire. I think I am like him in that he’s a… I don’t know. It’s hard to look at yourself objectively... but I guess I’m an introvert in many ways, and he is too. So I think I can relate to him in that sense.
Vampires are so big right now with Twilight etc how do you separate yourselves from this whole genre?
Well we don’t necessarily want to separate ourselves too much because not only is it something that’s a huge deal in pop culture but it is a very interesting genre. It’s funny I do a lot of these interviews where they ask me, ‘What is it about vampires people are so fascinated with?’ and I never quite know what to say because there are so many reasons: it’s erotic, it’s dangerous. But I think first and foremast we’re a romance, the show’s a romance and that’s on the forefront and the vampirism comes second.
How do you feel about being compared to Robert Pattinson?
It makes me so uncomfortable! Nine out of 10 girls would throw me under a bus to get to Edward Cullen.
Do you think Twilight fans will feel like they are cheating on Edward if they watch?
I hope not! Cheating… no I hope not. I definitely don’t want to start a rivalry because I don’t think we’d win!
You know how there has been Team Edward and Team Jacob? Team Stefan?
I don’t know, I think I’d be on the bottom of the list there. It’s a very similar premise I suppose so hopefully the fans will embrace the show and see it as something they can turn to in between. I’ve got to be honest I’m not very familiar with Twilight. Well I am because it’s all over the place, but I specifically went out of my way to not watch Twilight prior to shooting this because I knew there was a similarity and even subconsciously I didn’t want to have that in my head. After we shot the pilot at that point I was really curious and I watched it and actually it was pretty good. I was intrigued and I was surprised. So I hope the fans embrace this too.
Twilight only comes out once a year and Vampire Diaries will be once a week so it fills the void.
That’s right! When they are lacking Edward they can turn to VUZU.
Are you ready for the whole crazy fan attention?
Listen, if that happens, that means the show’s doing well, so sure! Do you know what I mean? If the show’s doing well, and people are enjoying it, then that’s going to come with it, and I wouldn’t want it the other way around where nobody gives a crap. You know? So, sure. Ready. We hope for it, right?