Nina Dobrev’s flawless beauty and impeccable acting charms most certainly seem to have helped in making her one of the most iconic talents in Hollywood’s entertainment industry. And yet, it can’t be denied that it was her performance as the lead female protagonist Elena Gilbert in the all-time fan-favorite The Vampire Diaries that had fans absolutely smitten with her.
Even after she went on to star in multiple other star-studded projects, TVD continues to be the show that the 35-year-old actress is best known for. But while the staggering fame she received from the series isn’t surprising, what’s astonishing about it all is that Dobrev just may have never joined the cast of this drama had the other show she auditioned for, not had a “nudity clause”!
Nina Dobrev’s Reason for Joining The Vampire Diaries is Baffling
In The Vampire Diaries, Dobrev didn’t take long to cement her position as Elena aka Ian Somerhalder‘s Damon Salvatore’s love interest after making her debut in the series. Soon enough, she had become a permanent resident in fans’ hearts through her indelible performance. And yet, her decision to star in the series surprisingly wasn’t a ‘yes’ right from the beginning.
Back in the day, when she was originally pitched her fan-beloved role in the supernatural series, Nina Dobrev was met with a difficult decision. This is because, during that same time, she was also offered a role in the smash hit HBO period crime drama Boardwalk Empire, which would have been another commendable addition to her resume had she signed on.
However, there was a problem with the latter: It required her to sign a “nudity clause” – something she wasn’t entirely comfortable with. Thus, seeing this as a pro factor for TVD during her decision-making process, Dobrev settled on choosing Elena, eventually making one of the best decisions of her life that fans will, perhaps, be forever grateful to her for.
During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark (via The Sun), she reminisced about the same, confessing:
“I wasn’t allowed to test for both Vampire Diaries and Boardwalk Empire. And I didn’t know, like, how do you make a decision?… I think the thing that ended up being the deciding factor was that, I was 19 or 20, and Boardwalk Empire required me to sign a nudity clause. But it wasn’t in the script. It was like, at some point, there might be nudity and you’ll have to do it.”
To be brutally truthful, had The Bricklayer actress not signed onto this fan-favorite series that went on to spawn the equally fan-favorite spin-off The Originals, perhaps the entire entertainment industry would have been devoid of the perfect Elena Gilbert. But while Dobrev admits her love for Julie Plec’s drama series, she also regrets not choosing Boardwalk Empire now.
Nina Dobrev Regrets Saying ‘No’ to Boardwalk Empire Now
For those who may be unversed, the crime drama Boardwalk Empire encompassed the story of Enoch Thompson, the treasurer of Atlantic City, who has some really special friends: Gangsters and politicians alike. That said, his interest in the eyes of the federal government automatically increases to a great extent, leading to unpredictably convulsive storylines.
But, as Dobrev mentioned, it would have required her to strip at any given moment, which was something she felt uneasy even agreeing to at that age. While that’s understandable, what’s astonishing is that, looking back, the Let’s Be Cops actress now claims she should have taken on that gig when it was offered to her back then after all.
At the same time, there are chances she might never do it again. Talking to Kelly and Mark on their live show, she shared her feelings about the same, saying: “Obviously, now in retrospect, I look back on it and I’m like, ‘Well, should have done it then.’ […] I was never younger and perkier than when I was 19. So if I was going to do it, I should have done it then.”
Well, we’re sure Boardwalk Empire must have suffered a loss without her, too. But then again, looking at Dobrev’s Elena in TVD makes up for it all.
Currently, The Vampire Diaries is available to be streamed on HBO Max while Boardwalk Empire can be streamed on Hulu.
