By: Kelly Thompson
A recent post on the TheTVAddict about the brilliance of Tatiana Maslany (which is every bit deserving) brought up some thoughts I had while watching Orphan Black. I recently started watching Orphan Black as well and found myself just as mesmerized as Victoria Nell. I too had to pause and remind myself that I was watching one actor play all these different characters (There’s no way Maslany is playing Cosima… she can’t be, right? I’ve convinced myself they don’t even look alike) but I also found myself thinking about another actress that has to play multiple characters. Nina Dobrev.
I’m not taking anything away from Maslany because as I said, she is fantastic and there are many reviewers/bloggers/journalists that rave about how difficult it is to play multiple characters. Yet, they don’t give any recognition to Dobrev which she without a doubt deserves. Well, fellow Addicts, that stops now!
Dobrev acts her ass off over on the little show that could, The Vampire Diaries. In fact, most of the actors on this show do but its Dobrev that rises above them all. Among the many, and I mean many, changes the character of Elena has had throughout the last 5 seasons, Dobrev also has to portray Katherine, her doppelganger. Dobrev has to have chemistry with both Stefan and Damon from two characters’ perspectives. Katherine and Elena are both interested in these guys but for different reasons and at different levels yet because of Dobrev I never confuse how Katherine feels about Stefan compared to how Elena feels.
Dobrev changes everything about how she acts from Elena to Katherine. She could be wearing the same clothes/have the same hairstyle (which happens more often than not) and be standing right next to each other and I would know immediately who was who. And that is all based on how well Dobrev distinguishes the two from the way she carries herself to the way she speaks to her facial expressions.
Dobrev not only is great at acting multiple characters but she also is just plain good in the show. I dare you to watch her goodbye to Damon in season 5 or her realization that Jeremy might be dead for real (Spoiler alert/shocker of the century, he wasn’t) in season 4 and not sit back and feel like you just got gutted emotionally. Dobrev kills everything the amazing writers of this show give her, drama/comedy/you name it.
On that note, while I’m spouting off about how great Nina Dobrev is, I should add that The Vampire Diaries as a whole is one of the best written and focused shows out there. I never feel let down by a season and I always know Julie Plec and company are headed in a direction that I may not see at first but will love in the end as it happens every season.
End of rant. 
PS: It’s summer so there’s no excuse to not catch up on The Vampire Diaries.
Kelly Thompson has been addicted to television for as far back as she can remember and the addiction has only grown as she’s getting older and television is becoming more readily available. Two of the most important things in her life are Netflix and her DVR. When she isn’t watching television, she is normally ranting about it to anyone that will listen and now that includes TheTVAddict readers. You can also read her rants on twitter @TVwithKelly.