26 Times ♥

26 Times We Fell in Love With Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries

 

 

It’s Nina Dobrev’s 26th birthday! And in honor of the Vampire Diaries actress, we’ve compiled a list of 26 times we fell in love with this actress on the CW series. This show would not have been the same without Nina’s amazing portrayals of Elena Gilbert or Katherine Pierce and this list is proof.

Those times she rocked 19th-century fashions. Nina looks good in pretty much everything, but she can really pull off those bustle-y, ruffle-y 19th century dresses. Isn’t is time for another 1864 flashback?

That time she broke out her mad Bulgarian skills. Nina speaks Bulgarian fluently in real life, so when asked to speak Bulgarian for flashbacks into Katherine’s early years, Nina was totally game. As if we needed another reason to love her!

That time Elena told Stefan not to hide. The moment we really fell for Stelena (and Nina) came with this scene, which saw Elena refusing to let Stefan hide his vampire nature — and demonstrating that she loved him even though he was a bloodsucker.

That time Elena convinced Stefan to live. Nina knows how to deliver a heartfelt speech, and one of our favorites was this one when she told a suicidal Stefan that, he could do what he wanted, but begs him to “keep fighting.”

That time Elena went to a sock hop. Don’t tell us Nina doesn’t know how to rock a beehive.

That first time Katherine convinced us she was Elena. The moment when Katherine chopped John Gilbert’s fingers off has got to be one of the best TVD moments of all time, and was also the first time we realized Nina Dobrev had tricked us into thinking she was Elena when she was really Katherine. Brilliant!

That time Elena and Katherine save Damon from a werewolf bite. In Season 2, Damon is bitten by a werewolf and almost dies. Elena cries as Damon tells her he’s sorry and that he loves her and that he wouldn’t have it any other way. Then, she gives him a kiss. Before Damon can succomb to the bite, Katherine arrives with the cure. This is a classic Nina Dobrev moment: two characters, both being awesome in totally different ways.

That time she stood up on a motorcycle. How much fun does Nina seem to be having in this scene? We assume Nina didn’t actually stand atop a speeding motorcycle to film this, but that doesn’t make her expression of pure delight any less awesome.

That time Katherine danced. Who doesn’t want to be Nina’s friend after watching her have a solo dance party as Katherine, then play it cool as soon as Alaric comes in the room? Answer: no one.

That time Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline danced. Basically, More dances scenes, please
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That time Elena told Damon she wasn’t sorry she loved him. Elena’s not sorry she loves Damon, OK?! And we’re not sorry we love Nina Dobrev.

That time Elena burned her childhood house to the ground. This was one of the more heartbreaking moments in TVD history, and Nina totally rocked it. This girl can act, people, and — after this moment — we just wanted to give her a big hug.

Those times Elena didn’t care. Much like we appreciate every Katherine Pierce moment ever, we appreciate every moment in the Elena-turned-her-emotions-off storyline because Evil Elena is a Sassy Elena, and Sassy Nina Dobrev is our favorite. Extra points for the red streak in her hair.

That time she fought herself. Yeah, we’re still not over the epicness of the Katherine v. Elena fight scene, nor of the amount of work Nina obviously put into filming it.

That time Katherine went as Elena to Whitmore house. We still giggle whenever we think about Katherine showing up as Elena at the Augustine Society function, stuffing her face, losing a tooth, and questioning Aaron Whitmore totally conspicuously. “What? Are you the sandwich police?” remains one of the best TVD lines of all time.

That time there were three Nina Dobrevs. Much like the Katherine v. Elena fight scene, it was hard not to appreciate Nina’s awesome acting chops (and work ethic) in the three-doppelganger moment that saw her playing Elena, Katherine, and Amara all in one scene.

That time Katherine realized she’s the MacGuffin. No one delivers a line like Nina as Katherine, and “I’m the freaking moonstone” is one of the best, demonstrating that Katherine is not only the most meta character on this show, but Nina is the best at pulling off these meta moments.

That time Katherine tried to seduce Stefan. Nina working it as Katherine pretending to be Elena seducing Stefan.

That time Katherine exited Stefan’s bed. Nina doesn’t get much opportunity to do physical comedy on TVD, but the scene in which Katherine tries to escape Stefan’s bed when she realizes her hair is falling out shows just how great she is at it.

That time Katherine was “the cute one.” The delivery of this line will never not be the best thing ever.

That time Katherine watched her daughter die. Katherine shouldn’t have been an easy character to love, but she was — and much of that was Nina’s performance. Katherine Pierce was finally brought down because she chose to turn herself in so she could be with her daughter while she died, and Nina’s performance in this scene broke our hearts.

That time Katherine told everyone what she thought of them. OK, so Katherine was always telling everyone what she thought of them, but in the moments before her death, she explained to the entire cast why they were better for having known her. Nina manages to convey so much in this moment — Katherine’s pride, honesty, arrogance, anger, and vulnerability.

That time Elena jumped out the window to avoid Damon. After a few seasons of playing lovestruck vampire, Nina got her awkward vampire on to play Amnesiac Elena who doesn’t remember she loved Damon — and she did it so well. Jury’s still out on this storyline, but we know we love Nina’s performance in it.

That time Elena did a flip off of a rope swing. We’re not sure if Nina was the one who actually performed this double flip off of a rope swing and into the swimming hole, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was given her history as a gymnast. Either way, we loved Nina’s smarminess in this scene!

That time she kissed Damon in the rain. Nina hasn’t had much opportunity as of late to play happy, carefree, in-love Elena, but she got to in this flashback scene of Damon and Elena kissing in the rain — and it made us fall in love with Nina all over again. It’s not easy to deliver the line “Promise me this is forever” without making it sound over-the-top or unnatural, but Nina completely sells it — and Elena’s happiness.

That time she became Elena Gilbert. Nina and The Vampire Diaries has come a long way since its very first episode, but — despite its Twilight qualities — we’ll always have a place in our hearts for the TVD pilot and Nina’s performance in it. Because, let’s face it, we’ve loved Nina Dobrev since the beginning!