Lead Star, Lower Pay: Nina Dobrev Opens Up About ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Salary Gap

Nina Dobrev has revealed that she was paid less than her male co-stars on The Vampire Diaries, even though she was the lead of the show.

The details come from Samantha Highfill’s book, I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries, released on Tuesday.

Dobrev, who also played Katherine Pierce in addition to her main role as Elena Gilbert, said she faced a heavy workload without fair pay. “Candice [King], Kat [Graham], and I were the three lowest-paid series regulars in the first two seasons,” 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, and I wanted to be an equal to the boys.”

In Season 3, Dobrev received a raise, but it was still not equal to what Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley were earning. She explained that the studio initially agreed to pay her for portraying Katherine but then allegedly instructed creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson not to use the character.

“They just said out of principle they wouldn’t bump me up to being equal to the boys, and so that was probably the most hurtful because it felt like I was really working hard and we shot eighteen-hour days sometimes, and nights, and I was putting my absolute heart and soul, blood, sweat, and tears into it,” Dobrev recalled.

“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 that was upsetting to me.”

Eventually, the studio allowed a limited number of episodes with Katherine, and the character had to be written off. Dobrev left the show at the end of Season 6 but was open to returning for the final season.

However, pay disparities prevented her from returning for multiple episodes. “I was always open to coming back for the finale, and storyline-wise it made sense. I felt like it was important and it needed to happen for the show, it needed to happen for the fans,” she said.

“It was just really important to me that at the end of the show, as a woman, I wanted to make sure that I was compensated and that I was an equal to my male counterparts on the show, and so it came down to that.”

The initial offer for her return was reportedly much lower than what Somerhalder and Wesley were making. Dobrev explained, “That’s the only reason why at one point I almost didn’t come back. I needed to be paid parity to the boys. I had to put my foot down and say if it didn’t happen I wouldn’t be able to come back.”

“It wasn’t about the money — 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. They really didn’t want to give it to me, and I politely declined the offer. That’s when Julie stepped in and put her foot down and spoke to everyone.”

After negotiations, the network and studio agreed to pay Dobrev, but only for one episode. “The reason we couldn’t have her for more than the one episode is because they just wouldn’t pay,” Plec said. “It took a lot of work before they finally relented, but it came back that it was one episode only that they’d say yes for.”

This story highlights ongoing issues with gender pay gaps in Hollywood, even for lead actors. It’s clear that Dobrev had to fight hard for fair treatment, and her persistence helped her secure at least some recognition for her work. What do you think about this pay disparity? Share your thoughts in the comments.