Nina Dobrev is easily one of the most beautiful women in television, and certainly one of the most talented. If you're like 99% of the population, you watch her act out her lead role as Elena Gilbert on the CW's hit show The Vampire Diaries every Thursday at 8PM. In this exclusive interview, Nina talks to me about her beauty regimen, her favorite clothing brands, what's on her iPod, and of course, The Vampire Diaries!
Congratulations on the show’s success!
Nina: Thank you! Thanks so much. I’m really excited that it’s been doing so well. We all kind of hoped and expected, well we didn’t expect, but we hoped that it would be. We were pleasantly surprised and it’s what everyone wants: to be on a show that people look forward to watching, and I think it’s one of those shows.
Going into it, did you think “this is going to be a huge show.,this is going to take off”?
Nina: I mean like I said, we’d really hoped for it, but you never know. I know that Paul Wesley, for example; he told me that he’d done pilot after pilot, he did 6, 7, 8 pilots before he got this one, and this one went to series and became a big show. But before that, you never know. It’s a chance.
Lip Gloss or Lip Balm?
Lip Balm. I use a lot of Rosebud salve from Anthropologie. They have one in a tube and it’s great. It makes your lips soft and amazing.
Flats or Pumps?
Both, depending on what the occasion is. I love shoes. Love love love shoes. I just got these beautiful Stuart Weitzman shoes. I also love Cole Haan heels, and they also have great flats too. Cole Haan is like high fashion Nike, so you feel like you’re wearing Nike shoes, but you’re wearing heels. Every time I’m on a red carpet, I always either wear Cole Haan or Stuart Weitzman. You end up having to walk around all night in these heels and you want to be comfortable and not look like you’re in pain. It definitely shows in pictures.
Mascara or Eyeliner?
Mascara. I have one mascara that I use religiously and I refuse to try anything else, and if they discontinued it I would probably cry. Cover Girl lash blast, in the orange tube.
Extensions: hot or not?
Not
Fake nails: hot or not?
Not
What beauty products do you use on a regular basis?
Nina: My philosophy is that your skin gets used to products a lot. So I switch them out every two weeks, usually. My two favorites that I’ve found that really work well for me are Philosophy’s When Hope Is Not Enough. I use their entire line, from the cream, to the nighttime moisturizer to the SPF, body cream, to the body scrub. I love When Hope Is Not Enough because I have really dry skin, and when you’re on set and you wear makeup a lot, it really helps a lot and works really well, I find. But then also, I have dark circles because I don’t sleep a lot because I’m on a vampire show. (laughs) I’ve tried a lot of different things, and the one that I’ve found that made the biggest difference and really minimized the dark circles is Jan Marini. She just started making all kinds of face washes and she has this one called Factor-A Eyes for Dark Circles, and every night before I go to bed I put it on and in the morning I notice a difference. I also use the Clarisonic brush once a week. I’m religious about washing my face after work and getting the makeup off.
Do you have the same philosophy on your hair about switching up products every once in a while?
Nina: Yes, definitely. Definitely, definitely, definitely. To be honest, in the last little while, I’ve been sticking to this one brand, and haven’t been good about switching around. I love Unite. Unite hair products. They have this amazing conditioner called 7 second conditioner that I use on my hair every single day when I get out of the shower. Unite also has this moisturizing, deep conditioning treatment called Unite Softa Treatment. It’s amazing. I get it from my hair stylist Rihanna in L.A, she’s incredible. She just opened up a new salon in L.A called 901. She introduced me to the line, and it’s usually in salons. It’s white silver.
I know you’re into yoga. Is that what you do for fitness for the most part?
Nina: I change up my fitness routine every so often, but yoga is the one thing that stays consistent. I do yoga 2-3 times a week, and it’s hot yoga. Aside from that, I also have a trainer that I work with whenever I can’t make the yoga classes, and he’s actually my yoga instructor. He used to be a professional basketball player, and then he became a yoga instructor, so he trains me at my gym in my building and so I do running. Not so much weights though, I don’t want to bulk up. I like to keep it all lean. I love yoga because it’s very calming for your body and your spirit. It gives you that meditative state and its 90 minutes where you can get away from the world and just be, and exist in the moment. I need yoga. It’s part of my life and I can’t imagine not doing it. The hot yoga is great because you’re sweating and kind of getting the cardio workout, your heart’s racing, and then you’re also stretching and building lean muscle because you’re holding the positions for so long. It’s great for your skin too. I’ve found that my skin gets so much better, because your pores are open, and they’re breathing. It’s wonderful for your skin.
Do you ever have mornings when you wake up and just feel in a fog, and not beautiful. If so, what do you do to make yourself feel better?
Nina: Usually when I wake up, I want to keep sleeping for days. (laughs) I just wash my face. I am who I am, and I don’t want to change, or do anything except feel fresh and happy. Running, or going to yoga, or just having a cup of coffee and sitting on my balcony looking at the city. Taking a step back and breathing. In the morning if I can’t go to [yoga] class, I’ll go jump on a bed and do Downward Dog, or stretch, or go into Childs Pose and just breathe and relax and get ready for my day. I have a routine that I have to go by. It’s important. You have to keep yourself healthy and like you said, sometimes you wake up and you don’t feel so great but as long as you’re taking all the measures that you can to make yourself look and feel your best, that’s what’s most important.
Have you noticed a difference in yourself since you started yoga?
Nina: Oh yeah, for sure. It really grounds you and gets you in touch with yourself so you can start the day right, and calm and relaxed instead of running up and being stressed out.
I hear you’re going to be creating some styles with Nick Bowes at KRMA. How’s that going?
Nina: I’ve always been interested in fashion, and I keep up to date. He’s a friend of mine and he’s incredible and talented and wonderful. We got in touch because I just saw someone on the street wearing his jacket, and I asked him where it was from. I called him, and we started talking and I got all the jackets on the show. So I decided that I wanted to collaborate, so we’re going to get together and we’re designing hopefully some t-shirts, and some jackets and kind of bouncing around different ideas. Just make an ultimate sexy, sleek jacket.
You’ll be adding your own personal style to it?
Nina: Yeah. I’ve kind of adopted his style or his jackets, and made it my style. So now I want to give back and we’ll collaborate and make something really cool.
What are some of your favorite clothing brands and designers?
Nina: When it comes to, for example, red carpets, I love Alice + Olivia, BCBG, and Armani Exchange makes some really cool, fun daytime and nighttime dresses. I discovered this new brand called Gypsy, they make these awesome, amazing summer dresses. For like everyday, just kind of hanging out, I love flannels. Part of my closet, there’s a whole section of flannels because I love them so much. Slouchy, oversized hats and fedoras. I just got these 2 amazing hats that I really love, blue and gold trim with woven material by D&Y. I love D&Y hats. And Frye boots! I’m obsessed with Frye boots, I have so many pairs, and they’re so comfortable and I love them. When I workout, I love Nike. The yoga line, especially for hot yoga, they have the dry fit, so even if you sweat it absorbs the sweat, so you don’t walk out dripping and smelly. Maybe a little smelly, but not dripping. (laughs)
Does filming in Atlanta make it easier, being without the paparazzi and the hustle bustle?
Nina: Yeah. I think shooting in Atlanta is a blessing in disguise because when we’re there we do our own thing, and we keep it low key. We just lead normal lives, which is amazing and refreshing. Because in the last couple of days, since I’ve been in New York….I love it, but people are aware, and there are photographers around . You kind of have to always watch out and think about what outfits you’re coordinating. (laughs) And make sure you look cute because somebody could be snapping a picture at anytime, and they have been. I’m not used to that. Especially living in Georgia, it’s not something that happens. So when you come here, it’s always a different kind of feeling.
Off camera, you and the boys seem like a goofy tight-knit family. Does that make it easier to develop chemistry with each of them?
Nina: I think so. I think we’ve all gotten to know each other very well and become great friends and a tight-knit family. We spend every waking moment together. With the boys, with the girls, everyone. Like you said, it’s just a chemistry that you develop with your family, when you see them and you get to know every single little thing about them because you see them in the morning, you see them at night, right when you finish work. So yeah. You know the in and out of the person, it definitely translates into the show and onto the camera between the characters.
If you could write an episode from a characters point of view, which character would you want to write for?
Nina: Hmmm. I don’t know, that’s a hard one. I feel like I have so much going on already, and it’s such a challenge with the two characters that I play on the show. (laughs) I really admire and give a lot of credit to Kevin [Williamson] and Julie [], and the whole writing staff. Because it’s not just the two of them, there’s a lot of people sitting in a room is Los Angeles writing and thinking of all these amazing ideas and story lines. It’s difficult, and I can’t imagine doing it, and what it would be like. But I’m sure it would be something that would be fun and interesting and maybe something I’d get into down the line. But right now, I have no idea.
I read an interview with Kevin Williamson, and he said that there’s a possibility of an Elena/Katherine meeting. That should be interesting.
Nina: Wow, I don’t know. We usually don’t get the scripts until a day or two before we start filming them, so we don’t really know what happens ahead of time. Even if we do hear something, like little rumors, Kevin tells me “oh we’re thinking about doing this”, 90% of the time it’ll change within 20 minutes, so we can’t get married to any of the ideas. (laughs)
Are you aware of when Season 2 begins?
Nina: We don’t have a solid date, but I can guess and say September when school starts again. Kind of like last year.
If you could choose, what would your dream role be?
Nina: Wow. Well, there’s not just one dream role, there’s a lot of things. I want to play an array of different characters and lifestyles. Different periods. I’d love to do a period film. I really have fun playing Katherine, and getting dressed up like that and living in that different era. I’d love to explore that and do a feature film in the 1800’s or before that and kind of go into that world again.
You’ve had a previous role that included singing.
Nina: Yeah, I did a musical film called The American Mall a few years back and it’s fun. I started out on stage at a performing arts high school and so it was cool to do it on film.
Would you be looking to do another vocal role?
Nina: Right now, I think I’m going to focus on the acting side of it. You never know down the line, maybe.
What’s playing on your iPod right now?
Nina: My playlists are very all over the place, I listen to all different kinds of music. I like to mix it up. I like musicals so therefore I have Glee on here, and Spring Awakenings. I have Hedley, which is a Canadian band, Kings of Leon, Katy Perry, The Fray, Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, Pink. Just tons. When I workout I listen to the upbeat songs.
Do you have a personal message to the fans, and fans of the show?
Nina: Thank you for supporting and watching. If the fans weren’t watching and supporting and loving what we’re doing then we wouldn’t be here doing it for them, and we wouldn’t be making the show. So thank you. They rock. Their enthusiasm got us renewed, and their enthusiasm keeps us going.
Tune in for the explosive season finale of The Vampire Diaries this Thursday at 8PM/7PM C on the CW!
source:
x
