Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev Reuniting on New Show, Avoiding Romantic Roles; Wesley Also Recalls Being Brittany Snow's First Kiss

Paul Wesley says he and Nina Dobrev deliberately chose not to play romantic partners in their upcoming TV reunion.

Paul Wesley, 43, has revealed that he and former Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev were explicitly offered romantic roles in an upcoming project — and turned them down. Executive producer Aaron Kaplan reportedly pitched the idea of the two playing love interests, but Wesley said he and Dobrev discussed it and decided against revisiting that territory, wanting to explore a new dynamic instead. The two famously played Stefan and Elena, one of the show's central couples, during their run on The Vampire Diaries. Wesley, speaking on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast on July 22, also addressed his current relationship with Dobrev, describing it as repaired — suggesting the two had gone through a period of distance. He separately praised his bond with co-star Ian Somerhalder, calling it his 'longest relationship,' a characterization that underscores how formative the Vampire Diaries era was for his personal life as well as his career. In the same podcast appearance, Wesley shared a lighter anecdote, revealing that he was actress Brittany Snow's first-ever on-screen kiss, having worked with her on the soap opera Guiding Light early in his career. He described Snow as 'one of my dear friends' and spoke warmly of her. The Vampire Diaries ran from 2009 to 2017 on The CW, with Wesley and Dobrev as series leads. The identity of the new show they are set to appear in together has not been fully detailed in available reporting.

Why it matters

For fans of The Vampire Diaries, a Wesley-Dobrev reunion project is a notable event, and their deliberate choice to sidestep a romantic reprise signals a conscious effort to separate the new work from nostalgia.

What's next

Further details about the upcoming show featuring Wesley and Dobrev have not yet been disclosed publicly.

Key facts

• Paul Wesley is 43 years old and played Stefan Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries alongside Nina Dobrev
• Executive producer Aaron Kaplan offered Wesley and Dobrev romantic roles in the new project
• Wesley and Dobrev discussed and declined the romantic pairing, opting for a new dynamic
• Wesley described his relationship with Ian Somerhalder as his 'longest relationship'
• Wesley characterized his current relationship with Dobrev as repaired
• The Vampire Diaries aired on The CW from 2009 to 2017

Bias & framing notes

Both sources are entertainment outlets known for celebrity coverage; US Magazine provides the more specific quote from Wesley, while Just Jared's reporting is paywalled or truncated, limiting independent verification. The story relies on Wesley's own public statements rather than third-party confirmation, and the details of the new show itself remain vague across both sources.

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