Creation Entertainment's The Vampire Diaries Con: Panel recap part 1

The Vampire Diaries convention by Creation Entertainment hit Boston last weekend for three days of autographs, photo ops, performances and panels with some of the biggest stars of the show and its spin-off The Originals.

Throughout the 12 panels some bizarre, unique things happened but there was still plenty of time given to the traditional Q&A panel format, so fans got to ask the stars about their experience on the show, life outside of it and more.

Common themes fans seemed interested in emerged during the weekend (at least Saturday and Sunday — I was unable to attend Friday), as the same questions were posed to a few different stars. These included questions about what brought them to the show, thoughts on the show, getting to know you questions — like who inspires them — and what are their favorite things: favorite season, cast member, other character to play.

Some things that fans learned through those answers: A few of the actors were broke before the show, even actors can be shy in front of cameras, Michael Trevino loves Rebekah and everyone loves Caroline and/or Candice Accola.

Read on to find out what else was revealed through the fan-favorite questions.

Why did you audition for The Vampire Diaries?

Daniel Gillies: I needed money. I was just broke. I'd made my own movie at 34, took time off of acting and it killed me. I thought it'd take a year and a half, it took three. I was in debt. So I auditioned.

Michael Malarkey: You don't pick auditions. You get a bunch of them a week and you rattle off four or whatever.... I had actually auditioned for several Vampire Diaries characters before I got this... I finally got to be a vampire. I was not going to audition for this show and not be a vampire.

But, yeah, it was that Enzo was a vampire.

He then spoke of a scene where Stefan shows up and gets him to have a blood feast and a scene that was cut where he was trapped with Katherine and it was set up that she might become a love interest for Enzo.

Matt Davis: I needed a job. I had auditioned and prayed, got down on my knees. I find the more specific you are in a prayer the more sincere, and being on your knees is an effective tool. The next day I got a call from my agent. I wanted a different job, I'd auditioned for TVD a month before, but I was close to getting another show.

Then they sent the pilot for TVD, I watched it and I genuinely loved it. The actors were exquisite. Paul, Kat, Ian  - I'd never seen Nina before, but she was stunning. The depth of talent, and new, young talent, I was really on board even before I knew the plan for Alaric. I was actually only supposed to do four episodes, but the dear Lord answered my prayers and they made me a series regular.

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

Michael Trevino: Zach, didn't you have one with two girls in a bed?

Zach Roerig: Yeah, I did, it was such an intense scene with two women... (jokingly): and neither one is on the show anymore — talk to my lawyer. But no, that was tough, it was the first scene of the season and Claire Holt is on top of me, one of the hottest Australians I've ever met, I was not trying to spring some fun (he said, implying something risqué).

Daniel Gillies: I can only go from recent memory because I'm old, but all the scenes with Oliver [Ackland, who plays Tristan in the upcoming season]. There's a torture scene we shot yesterday, I won't say who was tortured. It was hardcore. I'm loving working with him, though. He's such a talent... there's a horrible maniacal energy to the scene. I loved it.

What's your favorite season?

Matt Davis: 1, 3, 6. But the new season may be my personal favorite. Creatively season 1 was great because the show was fresh, it was new and exciting, successful. There was this fresh world to explore. It was the most balanced, exciting part of the show's journey so it will always have a special place in my heart. In season 3, I took Alaric to dark places. Season 6 was great because they brought me back and I'm so grateful for that.

Season 7 is great because we've had so much life experience. We've all been through life, death, marriage, divorce in our personal lives. It's been a remarkable experience. Any show that's on this long is remarkable. We've made it though TV history. After all this time, to be able to keep it fresh. This season represents a new maturity we've brought to our lives and to the show.

I don't know about our maturity at conventions, but definitely on the show.

Ian Somerhalder: Episode 6 of the first season is my favorite, when Damon danced with Vicki in his underwear. A bunch of us watched that together, Paul and I sat there and looked at each other... when we watched that we knew we were on a good show, we were doing something different.

By the way we know you guys don't like live television because it's shitty and there's commercials, but please watch live next week...

He explained that part of the reason it doesn't look as good live is because station managers make the show less dark in color than it really is.

Station managers can turn up the color on the show, everyone wants it to look like 90210 when it's more like a David Fincher movie. Season 1 and 2 were darker because they didn't crank up the color.

Who is your favorite person to work with on The Vampire Diaries/The Originals?

Michael Trevino: This guy (pointing to Zach).

Zach Roerig: I've never done a Q&A by myself without Michael there. It goes back to the pilot episode in 2009, I mean, now we're both 30, we've gone through some sh** together, we're bros for life.

David Alpay: I have a couple. I love Ian. We had a couple scenes together and he was always on point, he was like a mentor to me. He was always in control, he had a real aura... everyone was always watching him do his job.

There was a scene at the Gilbert cottage, it was 2:30, 3 a.m. and I was feeling it, it was after we'd been on all day. I was starting to fade, pounding coffees, but it wasn't working. I look over and see Ian just totally unfazed. I was like, that's why he's a star.

I loved working with Kat. [He then talked about her pursuits in both acting and music.] She's probably one of the hardest working people I've met in my life.

Daniel Gillies: I get along with all of them. There's no one I don't like and I haven't had that on a show before. I've done movies and stuff where the whole cast I don't like... but really, there's no one on this I don't like.

Phoebe Tonkin: Probably Daniel. We have a lot of fun, we work together a lot. He's a good buddy... Sometimes the show can feel very serious, the subject matter is dark, so it helps to have a person off set to remind you it's just magic, it's fake; it helps you come back to life.

Ian Somerhalder: Now you're putting me in a weird position.

Paul Wesley: I like monologues.

IS: I like acting by myself the best. I know I can get it done anytime, on time, the way I want it. No, I love everyone.

PW: I have favorites.

IS: Kat Graham... Paul, because even when he doesn't know what he's doing, he knows what he's doing. I mean we've done 109 episodes together, we're dialed in, it's always fun [to work with him].

To Paul: Yours is Steve McQueen.

PW: Yeah, and I'd say because I make her laugh, Candice. When we're together we can't keep a straight face. We're abundantly platonic, there's no romance between us at all, but I adore her. We do the romantic scenes, but we're just friends, so we're pretending to be partners and it's so funny because I always take it a step too far because I like making her uncomfortable. I love it so much. She turns red.

And with Ian, I hit him in the nuts a lot. Looking at Ian: I abuse you so much.

What other character on the show would you want to portray?

Michael Trevino: Rebekah. He asked the questioner who she'd choose. She said Caroline, to Zach's surprise.

Then Trevino said: Candice comes and kicks a** this season.

Daniel Gillies: Caroline is awesome.

There's a new character coming in, Oliver Ackland, he plays Tristan. He's the first vampire Elijah ever turned. He's in Elijah's sire line, I think you're gonna fall in love with him. I don't know if I want to be him, but I want you all to watch him.

Team Stelena or Delena?

Michael Trevino: Team Rebekah.

Zach Roerig: Team season 7. (Later when the question is asked again, he said "do I hear Melena?")

Matt Davis: I could get hurt if I answer this wrong... I'm partial to Delena. I felt Stefan and Elena seemed kind of forced. And I like Stefan and Caroline.

Phoebe Tonkin: I'm team Stamon (Stefan and Damon).

What's your idea of a good ending for the show?

Michael Trevino: Everyone dies except Elena and Matt. The brothers die, or maybe they're just gone. But the brothers gotta go, Tyler has to go. There's just so much history, love hate and turmoil with them. So Elena and Matt together at the end — maybe not necessarily together as a couple, but they go off and try to live a normal life.

Zach Roerig: What if it's all a dream like Lost [crowd boos this notion].

Paul Wesley: Stefan and Damon take their daylight rings off together and walk into the sun, Elena comes and collects their ashes, wears them around her neck.

Who inspires you?

Daniel Gillies: My mother-in-law. She's a great inspiration. I love being around her, watching her, listening to her. She makes art for art's sake. Everything she pursues she pursues wholeheartedly... she's an incredible complete artist.

If you're uncompromising in who you are and you're outstanding in your field, those are two things that [make someone inspiring] — i.e. Einstein, David Lynch and Marina Abramović (an artist).

Paul Wesley: My grandpa.

Ian Somerhalder: He's a rad dude... You people do, every day... and my wife. She teaches people to empower other people, to build them up... that woman should love and take care of each other, not shoot each other down.

And (looking at Paul) your grandpa is an amazing guy. He was in World War II and he's still alive and kickin'.

What's your least favorite and most favorite thing about being an actor?

Michael Trevino: I have some insecurity... at press events, red carpet interviews I feel very awkward. Usually they know who we are but sometimes they don't, it can get very awkward —especially if we're with Nina — I remember I'd be next to her they'd be like "Nina, Nina Nina! You (pointing to himself) get out of the way."

Other than that I love everything about being an actor, playing make believe.

Zach Roerig: My entire life I was destined to run a monument/gravestone business, which is great, it's lucrative. People are always dying, but it can be depressing, really sad if you do it all the time... there's an irony in my being on a vampire show, where we're shooting in cemeteries a lot, there's a symmetry in that.

Here, I feel like I know you well enough, I'm not bashful, but yeah red carpet interviews I shut down.

Still, whatever we don't like is small in relation to where we are in the world.

Michael Malarkey: Exploring life and the human condition. Acting is psychology. It also gives you empathy for people because you're figuring out why people do certain things and finding ways to justify it. It's investigating the human condition.

The worst is that it's like you're doing a job interview every day. And you can go months at a time without work, that hurts. I like to be working, I'm not good when I'm not working.