The Vampire Diaries' Casting Shocker: Ashlee Simpson Was Almost Elena Gilbert

Can you imagine anyone other than Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, and Nina Dobrev walking the streets of Mystic Falls and interacting with the supernatural beings that inhabit this fictional Virginia town?

The stars of The Vampire Diaries have become inseparable parts of the legendary series and the crush of millions of teenagers worldwide.

But back in the 2000s, when The CW series was still in the early stages of production, no one could predict it would become such a big hit. Of course, the producers knew they had great source material in L. J. Smith's book series, and they wanted to cast the perfect leads to bring the characters and their complicated relationships to life. And the biggest search was probably for the show's female protagonist, Elena Gilbert.

Believe it or not, The CW's first choice for Elena was Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Simpson's younger sister. In the 2000s, Ashlee had already made a name for herself, starring in reality TV shows and topping the music charts with her singles. So she was probably a safer choice for Elena than Nina Dobrev, who came from Canadian television and didn't have much acting experience.

Nevertheless, Dobrev's audition tape convinced the producers that she was the one, and Simpson had to look elsewhere. She ended up playing Violet Foster on another The CW show, Melrose Place, the revival of the 1990s Fox series of the same name, which wasn't nearly as successful as The Vampire Diaries.

Today, it may seem strange that the writers would audition Ashlee Simpson for the role of Elena, since she looks so different from Nina Dobrev. But in fact, in terms of her physical appearance, Ashlee is a much better fit for L. J. Smith's character. The book Elena is blonde with blue eyes. This appearance comes from her supernatural origin, as she is half angel.

Apparently, the creators initially wanted to honor the author's vision of the character. Besides Simpson, the role was offered to another popular blonde, Disney star Ashley Tisdale, who turned it down to focus on her work on another The CW show, Hellcats, which ended up being a flop.

Fortunately, since the show eliminated angels from its roster of supernatural beings and Elena became human, the creators were free to choose the actress based on the way she captured Elena's character rather than on her resemblance to the book's protagonist. And Nina Dobrev was the best casting choice they could make.