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Originally appeared on E! Online
Paul Wesley is looking back at his and Nina Dobrev's bad blood through a new lens.
Though The Vampire Diaries stars, who played star-crossed lovers Stefan Salvatore and Elena Gilbert, have previously detailed to having a rocky offscreen dynamic during the CW drama’s first few seasons, Wesley admitted he thinks his on-set intensity helped fuel that tension.
"I will take a lot of responsibility because I was a bit of a curmudgeon, grumpy, pain in the ass," Wesley shared on the July 22 episode of Call Her Daddy. "I was like, 'I'm taking my acting seriously!'"
The 43-year-old noted that he and Dobrev never said they hated each other, but admitted that he was "intense," while others in the cast were "more chill." Looking back, Wesley again reiterated that he's "going to take a lot of responsibility for being a bit of a pain in the ass."
So, when looking back at the experience, Wesley again reiterated that he's "going to take a lot of responsibility for being a bit of a pain in the ass."
The Smallville alum shared how his intensity was prevalent from the first moment he met Dobrev during their audition for The Vampire Diaries.
READ Sink Your Teeth Into Vampire Diaries Costars Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley's Next Project Together
"It was me and nine other guys," Wesley recalled to Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper. "I remember all these guys were kind of kissing her ass. I just was like, 'I'm not going to look at her. I'm not even going to acknowledge her 'cause I want to meet her in the audition. I want to meet her for the first time in the audition.' 'Cause our scene was us meeting for the first time."
Despite that, their connection was undeniable.
"I just remember being in the audition at Warner Brothers in front of all the executives and we looked at each other and it was just this immediate chemistry," he continued. "We were these two characters and it just was magical. So regardless of us not getting along, it somehow clicked."
As Wesley explained, although he and Dobrev "would butt heads on set," they were able to remain "professional."
And, ultimately, the friction dissipated with time.
After all, as the years went by, the cast—which also included Ian Somerhalder, Candice King and Kat Graham—all "grew up" and Wesley "chilled out," before everyone said goodbye to Dobrev in season six. So much so that Wesley recalled telling his departing costar, "You know what, Nina? You're gonna miss me one day," sharing that she replied, "Maybe."
And his words were proven true when the cast reunited with Dobrev for the 2016 series finale.
"I missed having her around," Wesley told Cooper. "And to this day, she's always like, 'I remember you said to me, "You're going to miss me one day." And you know what? You were right.'"
Now, nearly 10 years after The Vampire Diaries finale, Wesley and Dobrev's bond remains stronger than ever—to the point where they're about to share the screen again in the TV adaptation of Aggie Blum Thompson's You Deserve to Know.
"I absolutely adore her," the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actor shared. "We were trying to find something for years and then we would not talk about it for two years, and then another, 'Oh, we should do this,' and then until finally, You Deserve to Know came about, and we're like, 'This is it. Let's do this.'"
To sink your teeth into secrets about The Vampire Diaries, keep reading...
