Nina Dobrev

Biography:

Nina Dobrev was born as Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva on January 9, 1989, in Sofia, Bulgaria, to Kamen Dobrev, a computer specialist, and Michaela Dobreva (née Radeva), an artist. She has an older brother. At the age of two, her family moved to Canada, and she grew up in Scarborough, Toronto. When she was ten, she returned to Bulgaria with her mother and lived there for two years.

She studied at Vradenburg Junior Public School and J. B. Tyrrell Sr. Public School, where she began training in ballet and jazz and competed in rhythmic gymnastics. She later pursued acting at Armstrong Acting Studios in Toronto and attended Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts until her graduation. Dobrev enrolled at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), majoring in sociology, but left before completing her degree to focus on acting.

Her breakthrough came in 2006 when she was cast as Mia on the teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation, a role she played for three seasons. Around the same time, she appeared in films such as Fugitive Pieces and Away from Her. She also led several television movies, including Never Cry Werewolf, The American Mall, and two Lifetime productions.

In 2009, Dobrev exited Degrassi to headline The CW’s supernatural hit The Vampire Diaries, portraying Elena Gilbert. She additionally played multiple doppelgänger characters, including the vampire Katherine Pierce, the original immortal Amara, and later Tatia in a crossover appearance on The Originals. She announced her departure from the series in 2015 after six seasons, returning briefly in 2017 for the series finale.

Dobrev expanded her film work with smaller roles in Chloe and The Roommate, before being cast as Candace Kelmeckis in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. She later starred in the comedy Let’s Be Cops and the horror-comedy The Final Girls. Her subsequent projects included Crash Pad, Departures, and the action blockbuster XXX: Return of Xander Cage, which became the highest-grossing film of her career. She also appeared in the remake of Flatliners.

In television, Dobrev led the CBS sitcom Fam, which aired for one season in 2019. She went on to star in films such as Lucky Day and Run This Town, and later signed on to star in and executive-produce a television adaptation of the Woman 99 book series.

Beyond acting, Dobrev is active in philanthropy, supporting initiatives such as Puma’s Project Pink, Hunger Bites, and the WE movement. She has participated in volunteer work in Kenya, hosted WE Day events, and supported causes including the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She also attended the premiere of The Promise, a film centered on the Armenian genocide.

Dobrev holds dual Bulgarian and Canadian citizenship. She speaks fluent English and Bulgarian and has working knowledge of French. During The Vampire Diaries, she lived in Atlanta before relocating to Los Angeles in 2015. She has also invested in beverage ventures and co-owns Fresh Vine Wine with dancer Julianne Hough.

From 2010 to 2013, Dobrev was in a relationship with her Vampire Diaries co-star Ian Somerhalder. She later dated Olympic snowboarder Shaun White; the two became engaged in October 2024 but reportedly ended their engagement in September 2025.

In 2025, on her birthday, Dobrev was forced to evacuate her Los Angeles home due to a wildfire. Although her house was spared, the experience left her dealing with feelings of survivor’s guilt.