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| The Vampire Diaries Season 5 |
Elena Gilbert is the main character of the series, and the books are written from her perspective. She's the love interest of the Salvatore brothers and the envy of everyone in town. In the books, Elena Gilbert is referred to as having long hair lighter than the sun, eyes the color of lapis lazuli with flecks of gold (which references the rings the vampires wear to prevent them from burning up in the harsh sunlight). Her skin is said to be like porcelain and so translucent that her veins are in plain sight, which doesn't go unnoticed by the vampire brothers Stefan and Damon and makes their lust for her even stronger.
TV Show: The actress who was cast as Elena is quite the opposite of the books' description. The stunning Nina Dobrev is a bronzed beauty of Bulgarian descent with eyes a dark, mysterious brown and hair to match.
My Choice: Emilie De Ravin would have made the perfect choice for Elena if the series had followed the books more closely.
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| Emilie De Ravin - Book Elena | Nina Dobrev - TV show Elena |
Damon Salvatore
Damon Salvatore is a vampire and love rival for Elena's affections. He can turn from irresistibly charming and playful to a stone-cold killer in a heartbeat.
TV Show: Damon Salvatore's casted actor, Ian Somerhalter, does bear somewhat of a resemblance to how he is described in the books. There are only two minor differences: His eye color was said to be jet black, whereas Somerhalder has stunning blue eyes. I think this works better, because he's often described as hauntingly beautiful, and the piercing eyes fit the character perfectly. The other difference is in their heights. Damon is described as short but well built, around 5'5–5'7.
My Choice: I think Ian Somerhalder is the perfect casting choice for Damon, despite the small differences. I think he enhances the character all that much more, not to mention his acting is just spot-on for the part.
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| Ian Somerhalder - Damon Salvatore |
Stefan Salvatore
Stefan Salvatore is Damon's brother, a 500-year-old vampire and the supposed hero of the series. He is described as looking a lot like Damon, with the same dark hair and square facial features. Instead of having his deep, dark eyes, he has green eyes and is a few inches taller than Damon, standing at about 5'10.
TV Show: The series' casting for the Salvatore brothers was not too far off. Paul Wesley is tall, with square facial features and green eyes. He does have sandy blonde hair, however, and he and Ian Somerhalder look nothing alike!
My Choice: I would have chosen Drew Fuller for the part of Stefan Salvatore; he's tall, dark, and mysterious, not to mention he and Ian Somerhalder look alike.
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| Paul Wesley - TV show Stefan | Drew Fuller - Book Stefan |
Bonnie Bennett is referred to as Bonnie McCullough in the books. She's said to be an unconventional beauty, around 4'7" in height, with big, wide, hazel eyes that give her a child-like appearance. Her heart-shaped face decorated with dimples, making her look almost like a cherub; her skin is likened to the color of snow, a similar hue to Elena's skin with the same visible veins. Her face is framed with long, thick, strawberry-blonde soft curls.
TV Show: Bonnie Bennett (Katerina Graham) is almost unrecognizable on the show by comparison. Katerina Graham is a stunning dark-skinned Swiss-born model and singer. She is a beauty, but she bears absolutely no resemblance to how Bonnie is described in the books.
My Choice: My choice for Bonnie Bennett would be Teen Wolf star Holland Roden.
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| Katerina Graham - TV Show Bonnie | Holland Roden - Book Bonnie |
Caroline Forbes
Caroline Forbes is a supporting character and childhood friend-turned-enemy of Elena Gilbert in the novel. She is model-like in appearance, with bronzed skin (thanks to lots of bronzer); long, thick auburn red hair encasing her delicate features; and bright, green catlike eyes that make her even more striking. She is also a werewolf in the books, compared with the TV series, in which she is a vampire. She is also one of Elena's best friends in the show.
TV Show: Candice Accola plays Caroline in the TV show. She is a tall blonde who definitely could be a model, and she could most certainly pull this character off if she possessed the long, auburn hair.
My Choice: Deborah Ann Woll from the fabulous True Blood series would be the perfect actress for this role. She's tall, model-like, and even has those striking cat-like eyes.
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| Candice Accola - TV Show Caroline | Deborah Ann Woll - Book Caroline |
Jeremy Gilbert
The well-loved character Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen) doesn't actually exist in the books. I believe he was added to bulk up the storyline a bit and make the TV show more engaging. For example, making Jeremy a hunter really improved his character and added a great twist to the show as we watched him go from "average whining teenager" to a fierce hunter who would put his own life at risk to protect his friends. On the other hand, maybe he was just added to make Elena seem a bit less lonely. Her entire family dies, and Jeremy is her only family left, which makes her desire to protect him all the more strong.
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| Stephen R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert |
Matt Donovan
Although many of the actors cast for the show look nothing like they are described in the books, the creators have occasionally gotten it right. The teenage heartthrob Matt Donovan (known as Matt Honeycutt in the books) is described as having bright blue eyes and blonde hair, giving him the typical boy-next-door kind of look. Actor Zach Roerig has just that!
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| Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan |
Tyler Lockwood
Another character they have cast perfectly is Tyler Lockwood (known as Tyler Smallwood in the novels). He is described as being tall, handsome, and well-built, with great bone structure, dark eyes, and dark hair. That pretty much sums up actor Michael Trevino.
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| Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood |
Klaus
My favorite casting choice for the series is Joseph Morgan as the powerful hybrid original Klaus. He's said to be dark, sinister, and sadistic, and Joseph pulls the part off beautifully! Not only is his appearance bang-on, but he has the facial expressions and mannerisms down to a tee! One moment he's making a playful joke and flirting with Caroline, and the next BOOM, he's off on a murdering spree. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more from him in the spin-off series The Originals, which returns to The CW on January 14th.
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| Joseph Morgan as the Powerful Hybrid Klaus |
I'd love to know what you guys think! Who do you think would have played the characters well? Leave your comments below!
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