Nina Dobrev

January 9, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva, who goes by her stage name Nina Dobrev, was born on January 9, 1989, in Sofia, Bulgaria, and is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. Dobrev made her acting debut in 2006 with “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” She is best known for the characters she played in “The Vampire Diaries,” Katherine Pierce and Elena Gilbert, and two other roles. In addition to her television work, Dobrev has also appeared in numerous feature films, including, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Let’s Be Cops”, “The Final Girls,” “XXX: Return of Xander Cage,” and “Flatliners.” Let’s commemorate the actress’s birthday by looking at some interesting facts.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva

Nickname:

Almot, DoeDoe

Birth date:

January 9, 1989

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Capricorn

Height:

5' 7"

Relationship Status:

In a relationship

Net Worth:

$11 million

Background

Nina Dobrev was born on January 9, 1989, in Sofia, Bulgaria, to computer specialist, Konstantin, and artist, Michaela. Alexander is her older brother and sole sibling. Dobrev moved to Canada when she was two years old and settled in Toronto. She was drawn to and competent in the arts from an early age, including dance, gymnastics, theater, music, and visual arts. She was an enthusiastic traveler and had traveled to Europe both for pleasure and to participate internationally in aesthetic gymnastics, for which she represented Canada.

Dobrev has always been interested in acting and considers it to be a never-ending learning process. She believed that the actor’s journey and the identities developed along the way help one understand oneself. Modeling gigs led to commercials, which then led to movie auditions. She appeared in the films “Fugitive Pieces,” “Away from Her,” and the famous CTV program “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” which led to a six-season role in the book-based series “The Vampire Diaries.” After the show ended, she appeared in the action film sequel “XXX: Return of Xander Cage” and the 2017 remake of “Flatliners.” In addition, she was cast in the comedic sitcom “Fam.” She recently appeared on the web with her Netflix release, “Love Hard.”

Dobrev was in a three-year relationship with American actor Ian Somerhalder and was romantically involved with dancer Derek Hough a few months later. In an interview, Dobrev revealed that she’s a bit of a rebel who enjoys skinny-dipping. She also confesses to carrying a swimsuit with her wherever she goes, in case the urge to swim hits. She is proficient in English, Bulgarian, and a little French.

Career timeline

2006

A New Celebrity in the House

Her acting career begins on the adolescent drama television series “Degrassi: The Next Generation.”

2009

The Famous Vampire Series

She plays the character of Elena Gilbert in the CW's supernatural drama series "The Vampire Diaries," which is based on the book series.

2010

Doppelgänger Number One

In season 2, Dobrev is portrayed as Katherine Pierce, a 500-year-old doppelgänger vampire.

2013

The Petrova Doppelgänger

In season 5, she portrays the Petrova doppelgänger ancestor Amara, also known as the world's first immortal.

2015

Goodbye, Elena

Dobrev reveals on Instagram that she will be quitting “The Vampire Diaries” after six seasons as Elena.

2017

Return For The Final Farewell

Dobrev reprises her roles as Elena and Katherine in the series finale of “The Vampire Diaries.”

2017 — 2021

Big Screen Invitation and a Producer

She stars in films such as "XXX: Return of Xander Cage," "Flatliners," "Run This Town," and "Love Hard," among others.

Why We Love Nina Dobrev

Her kindness is shown in her actions
During her “Degrassi” days, she became engaged with the non-profit group, Free the Children. She even flew to Kenya in 2007 with a few of her fellow actors to assist in the building of schools for the children there.
She fangirls over “Harry Potter”
She adores “Harry Potter” and has read all of the novels as well as watched all of the films.
She adores her fans
Fans adore her, and she has stated that her show "The Vampire Diaries" would not be a success if it weren't for her fans.

5 Surprising Facts

She doesn’t have a showbiz background
Dobrev, unlike many other actors, does not originate from a celebrity background and no family members have been involved in the entertainment industry.
She loves to travel
She tries to visit any place in Europe whenever she has the opportunity since she loves reconnecting with her European heritage.
She loves making jewelry
She revealed in an interview that she enjoys making her own jewelry in her leisure time and hopes to launch her own brand of fashion jewelry in the future.
She’s a college dropout
Debrov went to Ryerson University in Toronto and dropped out of her sociology degree to pursue a career in acting.
She’s a rhythmic gymnast
When she was younger, she was a talented rhythmic gymnast who competed for her country in the 2005 and Senior World Championships.