The Vampire Diaries

We always know we’re in for something exciting when we interview the dynamic stars of The Vampire Diaries. But even Wetpaint Entertainment was surprised when we got on the phone with Zach Roerig (Matt Donovan) on September 27, and he informed us that he was driving to the Braves/Phillies game with Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes) riding shotgun! Don’t worry: He was using his hands-free device. In our exclusive pre-game interview, Zach dishes about how the ghost of Vicki (Kayla Ewell) will effect Matt’s relationships, shares his vision of a revamped town council, and speculates on a future for Matt and Elena (Nina Dobrev). And Candice chimes in, too!

Wetpaint Entertainment: Matt and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) have a little bromance going on this season. Will the whole ghost thing put their friendship in jeopardy?
Zach Roerig: Oh no, no. Not at all. It’s just the opposite. I think it will bring their relationship closer.

Should we trust Vicki?     
Well, I’m not sure how the audience feels about Vicki, but regardless of how the audience reacts, Matt, I think, is very excited about it. He never got to be really close with his sister. He was essentially all alone in this town so being able to bond with his sister will make him feel like he’s a little more in the loop, so to speak.

We’ve seen other interviews where you seem pretty happy about the Caroline/Tyler (Michael Trevino) relationship. Do you think Matt's over Caroline?

Matt and Caroline were a great couple, but I think that now that Tyler is a werewolf and Caroline’s a vampire, they have a bond that Matt’s never going to be able to fully understand. I think Matt will kind of step back from the situation and realize that the two of them are kind of right for each other.

Nina Dobrev has said that she thinks Elena’s main motivation is to be normal and have a family. For this reason, do you think Matt should ultimately end up with Elena?
I think one of the main reasons that Matt Donovan plays such a strong role in Mystic Falls is his relationship with Elena. And whether we see a lot of that now or not, it’s always implied in the past. Ultimately with Matt and Elena, they could, should, possibly end up being together. I just feel like there will eventually come a time in their lives when they realize that they can’t keep living this way.

You told us last year that you wanted Matt to be more involved with the town council. Is there still any hope for that?
No, not that I’m aware of, but I still think it would be very nice to have Matt be part of the council, but now that the Sheriff’s daughter is a vampire and Carol Lockwood’s [Susan Walters] son is a werewolf it’s almost like there needs to be a reestablished council. You know, one that keeps working with the vampires and one that keeps working with the werewolves. And Matt could go back to each group — working with the vampires half the time and working with the werewolves half the time. I think Matt would fit in very well there, establishing order.

Any hints about who the Big Bad is going to be this season, other than Klaus? Is it going to be Caroline's father?

I don’t think it will be Caroline’s father, because ultimately every parent on our show tries to do right thing in their minds, the right thing being the way they were raised. I feel like they’re moved by their love of their children, so I don’t think he would be that guy at all.

Lighting round! Tell us the first word that comes to mind for these TVD characters:

Damon: Witty

Elena: Headstrong

Stefan: Compassionate

Matt: [Laughs] All American

Caroline: Spunky

Tyler: Insane

Alaric: Drunk

Bonnie: Crafty

Vicki: [Candice Accola shouting from the passenger seat] Hot!

Klaus: [Candice and Zach confer] The bees knees

Zach and Candice also want to make sure all their fans in Atlanta join them, along with Michael Trevino and TVD crew members, for the Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run on Sunday, October 16!