Home > Appearances & Events > Public Appearances in 2012 > 11.01.2012 – People’s Choice Awards 2012

When we talked to Paul Wesley about this Thursday’s episode of The Vampire Diaries – the one in which Stefan mentions turning Elena (Nina Dobrev) into a vampire, bites his wrist, and may force her to drink his blood in a speeding vehicle – he hadn’t seen it. He had, however, received a call from TVD exec producer Julie Plec to tell him the intense moments between Stefan and Elena were some of her favorite scenes. “He’s essentially kidnapping her,” Wesley says. “There’s layers of humanity, regret, and sadness in his eyes, but it’s all sort of masked by this sociopathic, raging maniac who’s scaring her to death. His relationship [with Elena] is sort of the antithesis of what it was, which was this really romantic, soft, protective relationship. Elena is the key to everything [in his battle with Klaus], and Stefan will go to any extreme to get what he needs, which makes him much more terrifying.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It’s an interesting turn in Stefan’s arc that it’s after his humanity begins to creep back in and he saves Damon that he becomes more of a villain than he ever was when the switch was fully in the ‘off’ position.
PAUL WESLEY: He reveals that if he lets any emotions or feelings in, all he feels is deep pain and regret, so he doesn’t want to go there. He’d prefer to just sort of rationalize it by being… incredibly hostile. [Laughs]

Are we going to cry watching this episode?
Who’s we? [Laughs] It depends on how susceptible you are to the Stefan-Elena love story/tragedy.

Well, I talked to Plec about scenes on the show that have made her cry, and you got us both with that call Stefan made to Elena on her 18th birthday — and you didn’t even speak.
Ah, that’s cool. I think any time anybody sees the bad guy show emotion and you’re not hitting the audience over the head, there’s always a tinge of empathy for that individual. So if we did it correctly, and Stefan shows his humanity in the most subtle ways, and we don’t hit the audience over the head with ‘Oh, feel bad for me, I’m a tortured soul,’ then I think it will be effective. But again, I haven’t seen it. But supposedly it’s great. [Laughs]

I was surprised that Stefan agreed to let Damon join forces with him so quickly in last week’s episode. What’s your theory there: Did he realize he needs minions like Klaus has, or was it simply better to give Damon something to do so Damon doesn’t do something on his own that jeopardizes Stefan’s plan?
It is interesting: In that scene, all the sudden he’s like, “You want in? Okay, I’ll let you in on this.” Maybe it’s because he wants to be closer to Elena. Maybe it’s because [this is the one time] you keep your friends closer than your enemies. It’s his brother. They’re buddies. You can justify it so many different ways. I really have no idea.

Early in season 2, you sat down with Plec and said that while you love Stefan’s heroic side, as an actor, you’d love to dirty him up a bit. She told you she and Kevin Williamson already had that in the works. Has this arc turned out to be everything you hoped for?
Yeah, I don’t want the arc to end. I don’t want to go back to being the good guy. Look, Julie said we’re gonna milk it as long as we can. I also understand that things get old. Hopefully this is still new and fresh. You know, he was the good guy for two years. Maybe I can do another two years as the bad guy to balance it out. [Laughs] I think everybody likes playing the bad boy.

And everybody likes watching the bad boy.
I was talking to Torrey [DeVitto, his wife, who's now recurring on the show as Dr. Fell], and she’s like, “You know, I watch Vampire Diaries all the time. I’ve always enjoyed watching Stefan. But now that you’re playing him as the bad guy, it’s, like, infinitely more entertaining and pleasurable to watch.” [Laughs] I’m thinkin’ to myself, it’s so funny, you’d think the girls would enjoy the good guy, the hero, the protagonist. But it’s like, no, that’s why nice guys finish last. [Laughs] It’s really true. And as an actor, it’s just so much more enjoyable.

With Stefan, it’s really the best of both worlds: He’s a bad boy, but we don’t have to feel guilty for enjoying him because we refuse to believe Good Stefan isn’t under there somewhere.
I refuse to believe that he’s not under there either.

Wesley is having a blast with the changes in Stefan. This isn’t the only supernatural character he’s portrayed – back in 2006 and 2007, Wesley was half-angel Aaron Corbett in ABC Family’s FALLEN, based on Thomas Sniegowski’s novels. He’s also been a werewolf and a Luthor. He talks about violent Stefan, quasi-angelic Aaron and his other paranormal gigs here.

ASSIGNMENT X: Were you looking forward to playing Stefan as an absolute badass this season?

PAUL WESLEY: Yeah, more than anything else. I want to play a variety of different characters in my life, and I didn’t want to be stereotyped, so it’s a great opportunity for me to do something different.

Paul Wesley at the TEEN CHOICE 2011 Awards | ©2011 Sue Schneider

AX: Were you just hoping that character development was going to come along, did you know that was coming, or was that a big surprise?

WESLEY: No. I told [series producers] Julie [Plec] and Kevin [Williamson], “Look, I’d really love to do something,” and they said, “Great,” and they agreed. We don’t want anything to be redundant – we want to keep it fresh for the viewers.

AX: You’ve played some other horror/sci-fi/fantasy characters prior to Stefan …

WESLEY: I played Lucas Luthor on SMALLVILLE. I did a [werewolf] show called WOLF LAKE [on CBS]. And then I did a pilot for the WB that didn’t get picked up.

AX: Stefan is a big change from your last series regular, Aaron on FALLEN. When you did the telefilm version of that, did you think it was going to go to series?

WESLEY: When I shot the pilot, I knew it was a two-hour movie regardless. I knew that it was going to air. I knew that the production quality was really phenomenal. I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to afford it [as a series], because there [were] so many special effects and so many action sequences. But I wasn’t incredibly surprised. It was my fifth pilot, and it was one of the better ones I’ve done.

AX: Were you familiar at all with the Tom Sniegowski novels that FALLEN was based on?

WESLEY: I was not, admittedly, familiar with his books at all. But I obviously ran to the store and grabbed all of them and read them, most of them, and he’s an amazing writer. They’re beautiful books. He’s an amazing writer.

AX: How would you describe Aaron?

WESLEY: Sort of a recluse, a little dark, sort of uncomfortable in his own skin, not sure who he is. He’s not sure of himself. He’s a good soul, he’s a good person, he’s young. He still wants to grow and he’s got adult responsibilities, so I think he’s got a lot on his shoulders, but overall, I think he’s strong.

Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “Smells Like Teen Spirit” | ©2011 The CW/Bob Mahoney

AX: Do you do anything differently when you’re working in the genre than when you’re doing straight drama?

WESLEY: I think it’s really more about the human condition and you’re basing it in reality. Regardless of what the circumstances are, you need to base that in reality. You need to be a human being on Earth experiencing this. If you look at it as, ‘Oh, this is just a fantasy,’ then you’re not bringing true emotion to it. You can’t look at it in a biased way, you have to sort of objectify the whole thing.

AX: When you’re acting these things, do you come up with analogies in your mind, like, “Well, I don’t really bite people, but if I was hitting someone …” or “I don’t really fly, but if I was riding a motorcycle …” or do you think, “Okay, I’m someone who flies or bites people, and this is how I feel about it”?

WESLEY: It’s interesting. I don’t know if I actually even analyze it to that extent. I think a lot of it is instinctual. I truly try to imagine what it would be like, not for [the character] but for Paul, to be experiencing these things. So I guess I use analogies. I think my methods change, is really what it comes down to.

AX: Physically, what’s the hardest thing you’ve done as an actor? Wire work, where your character is flying or leaping superhuman heights?

WESLEY: [Wire work] sucks. I hate it. I’m not going to lie. It literally hurts. You have a scene where you have to act, you have to be in character, and then you have this incredible pain in your groin area, because your entire weight is essentially on this wire on your groin. It’s awful. Anybody that says it’s fun is completely lying. But, am I going to suck it up and then when I see the final product am I going to be happy that I did it? Yes. But if you’re going to ask me [laughs], it’s not fun.

AX: Are you pleased/surprised/gratified by the ardent fan following that VAMPIRE DIARIES has acquired?

WESLEY: Oh, my goodness. It’s a dream come true. Nobody wants to be on a show for seven years that has a low following. That’s what you want to do – you want to excite people of all ages, and I feel like VAMPIRE DIARIES does that. It’s not just young kids or young girls – it’s a lot of them, but it’s also a lot of people my age and it’s nice.

AX: And what would you most like people to get out of VAMPIRE DIARIES at this point?

WESLEY: I just never want anybody to know what to expect, to know what’s coming next, from the actors or from the writing.

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> The Cast > Paul Wesley > Appearances & Events > Public Appearances in 2011 > Trevor Project’s 2011 with TorreyDeVitto

Paul Wesley > Appearances & Events > Public Appearances in 2011 > 2011 Scream Awards

Magazine Scans > TV Guide (Ocotober)

When “Vampire Diaries” star Paul Wesley and his wife, “Pretty Little Liars” star Torrey DeVitto visited Italy this summer, it’s unlikely that they were expecting to return with a new philanthropic passion — but that’s what they got. While traveling, they met Rick Montgomery, the founder of Global Roots, a grassroots organization devoted to supporting children in need.

Currently, Global Roots distributes funds to orphanages and hunger-fighting initiatives around the world, including a solar cooking project in Kenya, a school in Cambodia, and an orphanage supply center in Afghanistan.

Paul and Torrey have teamed up with Global Roots to generate donations while connecting with fans. Global Roots is planning a benefit in Los Angeles this December, and are offering fans a chance to give back — while entering to win a seat next to the couple at the dinner. (We can attest — they’re a blast to hang out with. You’ll be too busy laughing to eat.)

For a donation of just $10 to Paul & Torrey’s Corner at Global Roots, you’ll be entered to win that coveted seat. If you donate $100 or more, you’ll join the corner, get updates from Paul and Torrey, and have your name listed on their website — and, of course, you’ll also have a chance to win a seat at dinner. By the way, that dinner also comes with travel to Los Angeles and a hotel room, so your donation could go a very long way!

In a statement for Global Roots, Paul writes, “Every day, I have to remind myself that I was born into a seemingly arbitrary circumstance which has allowed me to live a happy, healthy, and abundant life. But I’d be completely and utterly ignorant if I were unaware of how lucky I am. And how very different it all could have been. Every single second of every day, an innocent child is born into a given circumstance that does not grant them the same opportunities many of us have been luckily afforded.

“To those children, a life of famine and poverty is nothing but the norm. It is our duty to always remember this. And most importantly, to do everything we possibly can to help those who are in need. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to become more charitable in a focused and organized effort, and I organically and fortuitously stumbled upon Global Roots. I am very proud to be a part of this program and my sincere hope is that more people will too.”

Torrey, who also devotes countless volunteer hours to hospice care when she’s not working, adds, “There is so much that we take for granted in life. We get so caught up in petty stuff that we get blinded, unable to see what is going on around us. Unaware of all the suffering going on in the world. There are millions of children who don’t even have the means to be fed every day. Working with Global Roots allows me and enables me to lend my hand to help be a part of ending that reality for as many children as possible. Being a part of something so pure is truly an honor.”

Find out more about donation opportunities and how you can kickstart your own fundraiser at Paul & Torrey’s Corner on the Global Roots site.

Season 3 > Episode Stills > 3.04 Disturbing Behavior

Paul Wesley says that Stefan has a whole new swagger in the 1920s. “Absolutely! Completely. 1860s Stefan and 1920s Stefan are completely different, because 1860s Stefan is much younger. 1920s Stefan is 60 years older, so, you know, it’s going to be interesting because he has 60 years of choices that he could’ve made. He chooses to go to the ripper side. He’s a much more sophisticated ripper; much more debonair.”

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“Ripper Stefan. Huh? What was the question? Yeah. Look, when it’s raining for a really long time, I want sunshine — actually, I always want sunshine. Let me give you a different analogy. When it’s really hot, sometimes I would like some snow. But if I’m in a blizzard, I would like some sun. Right now I’m really enjoying Ripper Stefan.”

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Hey, “Vampire Diaries” writers… Paul Wesley thinks it’s Stefan’s turn for a bromance.

Sure, he’s got Elena, but what’s a guy do do without some dudes in his life, too? “I want a bromance with Matt,” Wesley joked when we caught up with him on set. “We can go to the movies. We can go see all kinds of flicks together, vampire flicks. Good times.”

Stefan might be a little too busy for guy time at the movie theater in upcoming weeks. When the show returns on April 7, we’ll see the fall-out from Isobel’s arrival in Mystic Falls. She and John aren’t happy with Stefan’s relationship with their biological daughter, Elena, and they’re going to do whatever it takes to get him and Damon out of her life.

“I’m pretty sure that Stefan could take Isobel pretty easily,” Wesley laughs. “I give Stefan more credit than that. It’s an interesting thing for Isobel to come back because for so long Elena’s been in Mystic Falls and she’s been the daughter of these two people that passed away in the car accident, and it’s kind of like when [Isobel] comes back she stirs the pot.”

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