 The Vampire Diaries: Casting Elena Gilbert and the Changes from the Books

The Original Elena Gilbert: Blonde and Blue-Eyed"

In the book series, Elena is described as having blonde hair and blue eyes, different from the TV adaptation

Ashlee Simpson: The CW's First Choice

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Nina Dobrev's Second Chance Audition

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Making Elena More Relatable

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The Shift to Brown Hair and Brown Eyes

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Early Backlash from Fans and Differences

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Elena's Doppelgänger: Katherine's Change

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Winning Over Fans and the Author

[{"selector":"#anim-600a0302-31dd-4cd0-9a44-73f3dcec3300","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-da2155c4-e5d7-4e43-9beb-18407ce42103","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Nina Dobrev's portrayal of Elena eventually won over author L.J. Smith and fans, earning praise for her acting skills.