Nina Dobrev: Everyone's world is going to change, interview › 30/09/2010

Actors are often given the opportunity to present bizarro versions of their character for one or two episodes (Vampire Willow on "Buffy," Red Kryptonite Clark on "Smallville") but rarely does a show give its star the chance to bring two completely separate, full formed characters to life.
Yet that's exactly what "The Vampire Diaries'" done this season as Nina Dobrev has been masterfully playing Elena Gilbert and her as-yet-unexplained ancestor Katherine Pierce. The latter also happens to be the most vicious and vindictive vampire we've seen on the show so far. So, ya know, not an effortless transition.
Tonight's episode -- titled "Memory Lane" -- presents Nina with her toughest challenge to date as she's required to not only play present day versions of both, but slip back into a hoopskirt and shed light on Katherine's 1864 life. I caught up with the never busier Nina (she was eating lunch, while having her makeup done and talking to me) about the toll all this double duty is taking on her, how excited she is about season two and what surprises lie in the past.
PopWrap: Before we get into the show, you Tweeted about getting injured on set. How are you feeling?
Nina: I’m starting to do better now. I was getting run down with all the long hours, stuntwork and stress of the show. I was holding all this tension in my back, overcompensated and pinched all these nerves. My back was spazming and I couldn’t move. I was put on bed rest for a while so now I’m better than ever. Back on set kicking some more butt.
PW: I'll say -- watching you pull double duty this season. Has it been fun playing two characters full time?
Nina: It’s been really intense but in a good way. Every single day is a constant challenge and I'm never bored or just sitting around. I’m always being stimulated and these characters are so much fun. Going through all the different shades of playing sweet Elena while also being so ambiguous, spontaneous and crazy as Katherine – it’s really, really cool.
PW: Everyone seems really amped about tonight's flashback -- are you?
Nina: I’m so excited for everyone to see it – it’s one of my favorite episodes so far. It’s very Elena/Katherine heavy. It’s all the elements of everything I love in one episode. We worked so hard and you’ll see that episode kind of leads up to my injury – there are two scenes I’m not in.
PW: So we can expect some Nina stunts tonight then?
Nina: It’s a lot of harness work. This year they’ve let me be suspended in midair and there’s animal work. I’ve been interacting with wild dangerous animals, which is cool. And it’s funny because they expect me to be squeamish because I’m a girl but I promise you there were crew men cowering and running away while I’m playing with these animals.
PW: What can you tease about tonight's episode?
Nina: It seems like every time we go back to the 1864, we learn more from someone else’s perspective – and now it’s Katherine’s turn to tell the story. What she did, how she did it, why she did it and how it affected everything. It’s interesting to see how things can be misconstrued and twist your whole world. It’s going to change every character’s world once they find out. It’s also interesting to see Katherine toy with everyone. This episode is all about that. She’s working all the angles and blindsiding everyone. She’s got the upper hand.
PW: When you read that Katherine would be turning Caroline, what did you think?
Nina: It was cool because although Katherine always has a grand scheme, she always takes on other people to do her dirty work. And Caroline is the perfect little minion. She knows how powerful Katherine is so Caroline will do anything and everything because she's scared. Turning Caroline and threatening everyone has kind of made Katherine like what Damon was at the start of last season. So unpredictable that nobody wanted to test him because they knew he could snap and kill them all. That’s Katherine. She will show them that she has no remorse, no fear and is relentless.
PW: Will we learn why Elena and Katherine are doppelgangers?
Nina: There is a reason, but you don’t know it yet. I think that when the characters and audience are meant to find out, they'll find out. But at this point, you’re still meant to figure it out.
PW: Do you believe Elena when she tells Damon, "I hate you?"
Nina: Right now, yes. Most definitely. The thing is, he wormed his way into her heart all last season. When no one understood him or attempted to be his friend, she did because she wanted to see the good in him. And he proved that he is not worthy of it. She gave him everything he could possibly ask for and he killed her brother. At this point she wants nothing to do with him. There’s no redeeming quality that she can see ... aside from the fact he’s attractive [laughs].
PW: Are you excited to see that relationship keep changing moving forward?
Nina: It’s going to be interesting to see how he tries to remedy the situation because once he lost Elena, I think he finally realized how valuable she is to him. How much he loves her. It’s that classic tale – with any relationship you have to hit rock bottom to realizes how good you had it in the first place and Damon’s definitely going through that.
PW: Do you like the idea of Elena getting together with Damon one day?
Nina: I’m always entertained by the possibility. I think that Elena with Stefan seems to be a constant struggle. Elena and Damon have fun together. It’s fun to watch them together because they do have a rapport in the way they play. There’s an ease there because Elena doesn’t care what he thinks – Damon on the other hand is on his toes all the time trying to make sure he doesn’t screw it up even more.
PW: How about single Elena -- would you like to see that happen one day?
Nina: I think that Elena is starting to slowly lose her independence. So much is going on and it’s so overwhelming -- these boys are causing huge problems in her life, so it would be interesting to see how she does on her own now. If she wasn’t with them would she still have the same problems or would her life be infinitely better? At the same time, how can you live without loving?
PW: Tonight's episode show's Katherine's point of view of 1864, do you think we might ever see Katherine's perspective on the events of season one?
Nina: Oooh, I don’t know. But I did hear we will go into different time frames this season. We’re going into different eras and I’m really excited about that – but in terms of which time periods, I don’t know. And if I did I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Or I’d get shot [laughs].