‘The Vampire Diaries’ Star Kat Graham Turns 37, Fans Can’t Believe How Stunning She Looks
Kat Graham first broke through as a teenager, appearing on Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire” before landing recurring television work on shows like “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” That early start set the stage for a career that has since spanned television, film, music, and humanitarian work in ways few of her peers from that era have matched.
Graham, who turned 37 this month, is still best known for her breakout role as Bonnie Bennett on The CW’s “The Vampire Diaries,” which ran for eight seasons starting in 2009 and became a defining supernatural drama of its era. That performance opened the door to a string of film roles throughout the 2010s, including “17 Again,” “The Roommate,” and “Honey 2,” while she simultaneously built a parallel career as a recording artist, collaborating early on with heavyweights like will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, and Missy Elliott.
In more recent years, Graham has continued expanding well beyond her Vampire Diaries fame. She made history playing the first African-American April O’Neil in “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie,” and has kept a steady film presence with projects including Netflix’s “Love in the Villa,” the Tyler Perry-directed “Duplicity” for Amazon Studios, and the Lifetime feature “If I Run,” which she also executive produced.
Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham at 37 years❤️ pic.twitter.com/vBOGe5dv2k
— 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘦 🇰🇷 (@paige__gm) September 23, 2026
Music has remained just as central to her output. In 2022, Graham became the first entertainer in history to release an album exclusively as an NFT with “Toro Gato,” and she followed that in 2026 with her seventh studio album, “K’Pelle: One World, One Song,” released on World Refugee Day. The 14-track project draws on her Liberian heritage and spans musical traditions from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, reflecting themes of unity and shared humanity that tie closely into her longtime humanitarian work.
That humanitarian side of her career runs deep as well. Graham has served as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 2013 and is also involved with GLAAD and Rotary International, weaving activism directly into projects like K’Pelle, which brings together voices from activists, Indigenous leaders, and humanitarians around the world.
She headlined the FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta on the same day the album dropped and has since taken her music internationally with a 2026 tour spanning live performances, cultural events, and speaking engagements across Europe.
With acting, music, writing, and advocacy all still very much active parts of her career, Graham’s trajectory over the past several years shows little sign of slowing down as she moves further past her Vampire Diaries breakout.
Which chapter of Kat Graham’s career is your favorite?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments.
