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Vampire Fan Weekend Sinks Its Teeth Into Boston

Vampire Fan Weekend Sinks Its Teeth Into Boston

Fans of the hit television series The Vampire Diaries flocked to Boston for a weekend full of their favorite actors and memories from the show. The event, hosted by Creation Entertainment, featured beloved on-screen vampires posing for photo opportunities, signing autographs, and leading panels about their behind-the-scenes experiences. Topics ranged from on-set pranks to who they think their characters should end up with. One thing was clear: nothing was off limits! The all-star lineup included Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Matthew Davis, Daniel Gillies, Candice King, Allison Scagliotti, and more.

Saturday, July 19

Early birds were lucky enough to have their first pick at a slew of merchandise that ranged from mini blood bag keychains to Brother's Bond chocolate bars. The most popular items were Damon's signature prison world vampire pancakes, which could be found in various forms, including keychains, pillows, patches, and more.

Allison Scagliotti, known for playing Georgina "Georgie" Dowling in The Vampire Diaries, shared her passion for music and all things creative with the crowd. She had the best outfit of the weekend, which included a crocheted pink flower bracelet. She revealed her favorite artists included Kate Bush and St.Vincent (whose set Following Boston happened to cover at Fenway Park the night before). Scagliotti moved to Los Angeles when she was 11 and had always dreamed of acting, giving her valuable experience with the trials and tribulations of the industry. She urged everyone hoping to work in the industry to identify their "creative 'why.'" One of her mentors gave her advice that stuck with her: "The business is never going to make you feel like an artist." The passion and drive have to come from within.

Fans also remembered her as the sharp Mindy Crenshaw from Drake and Josh. She spoke about how special that role was as a woman to be able to play an unapologetic, sharp, intelligent, and not always likable character. Scagliotti treated her panel like an interactive set, pacing around the stage and approaching each question with care. She is also a health coach interested in wellness, contextualizing her genuine interest in every fan.

Daniel Gillies, the suave antagonist-turned-anti-hero Elijah Mikaelson, grinned from ear to ear the entire panel, starting with the disclaimer, "I say a lot of dumb shit." He recounted his final death scene, sharing he would have written it more humorously by having Klaus bring a cheap Swiss Army knife or fork.

"I like it when Joseph sees me and he says, 'Elijah, what an entirely unwelcome surprise,' and then I say, 'What an entirely unsurprising welcome.' I wrote that, so it's awesome." - Daniel Gillies

In between cracking jokes, there was an honest humility when it came to his on-screen talents. He revealed that, unlike Elijah, he cannot play piano at all. But he did recently buy his daughter a baby grand piano on Facebook Marketplace and adores watching her play.

Chase Coleman, who plays Oliver from The Originals, and Micah Joe Parker, who plays Adrian from The Vampire Diaries, popped out between each panel to hype up the crowd. Coleman founded Mercy Mode, an alternative rock band. Coleman sported a Stevie Nicks shirt and a Nine Inch Nails shirt over the two days, which makes sense once you hear his shredding.

Parker engaged with the crowd, wishing people happy birthdays and discovering that people had traveled from Austria, Sweden, Brazil, and more to celebrate the show in Boston.

Sunday, July 20

"Welcome to my standup, where I pretend to be a standup comedian. So anything I say from here on out, do not take seriously...unless it's poignant" - Matthew Davis (Alaric Saltzman)

Hollywood veteran Matthew Davis kicked off the trifecta of heavy-hitters leading panels on Sunday. He polled the crowd on their favorite supernatural figures, and was surprised when vampires won over witches, given that the event was in Massachusetts after all. He laughed while recounting some of Alaric's most devastating plotlines, admitting that he has an equally rocky love life.

Alaric was seen as the show's father figure. When asked which Gilbert sibling he felt closest to, he instantly said "Damon." That bromance was too strong. Even though he was usually a human in the series, he enjoyed when he had the freedom to play more cheeky characters like Klaus.

Many of the actors who appeared this weekend starred in other beloved projects. Davis shared the sad news that his newest project, Grosse Pointe Garden Society, sadly did not get renewed, putting into perspective how lucky fans of The Vampire Diaries truly are for being here all these years later. When it came to Warner from Legally Blonde, here's what Davis had to say: "Fuck that guy."

Candice King, who plays Caroline Forbes, led the second-to-last panel of the night. The actress, responsible for viral soundbites like "burn it" and "everybody just needs to stop kissing me, " recited the iconic lines for the audience as if no time had passed.

Questions ranged from what her favorite Taylor Swift album was to what other character she would play in the series (the answer was Katherine). On that Sunday, King decided Midnights was her favorite album, but it changes every day.

King dove into the often-overlooked logistical side of the show: the blood tasted bad and was sticky. She felt that she was terrible at making a serious vampire face to show her fangs, and guest stars would laugh when she tried. 

Everyone's favorite portion of her panel was when she pulled back the curtain on personal memories on set:

  • There was not supposed to be a pregnancy storyline, but she was pregnant in real life.
  • The entire cast had to take lessons for the dance scenes, and the boys could never quite get the steps right.
  • During a love scene where Paul Wesley had to look at her chest and make a comment, she pulled an epic prank: "What would relax him...Ian. So I really just wanted to make him more comfortable and give him something that soothes him to look directly at. So I went to our wardrobe and I said, 'I need a pastie for my boobs with Ian's face on it' and she said, 'Of course. Coming right up. We can do that here.'"

To wrap up her panel, fans wanted to know which Taylor Swift song would be Caroline Forbes' theme song. Everyone unanimously agreed on "Long Live," a fitting way to memorialize Forbes and her passionate and fiery legacy on television.

The final and most anticipated act of the night was the iconic on-screen brother duo, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who played Damon Salvatore and Stefan Salvatore, respectively. "All criticism at him," said Wesley, directed at Somerhalder. Their mannerisms gave the impression that they had a deeply genuine brotherly bond, with fans giggling at their banter.

Guests did not hold back, immediately asking who they believed deserved Elena. Both quickly said "neither." Somerhalder pointed out that these were vampires in their 150s-160s, dating 17-year-old high school students, and teased the fans for approving of any relationships.

"You know Stefan he's always tortured and then later I got to play the ripper, I got to have some fun. When we first started the show, we were drinking fake bourbon, and then by season four, that shit was real." - Paul Wesley

A fan held up a bottle of their company's whiskey, Brothers Bond, and the duo noticed it was a model with the new redesigned gold label. They asked him to come to the front to take a closer look. "You're sitting in a sea of estrogen, you might need that whiskey" - Ian Somerhalder

Questions ranged from their thoughts on certain storylines to their weirdest fan moments. Wesley believed his character could have stepped out of the fire, and during the sinking car scene, he could have saved both Elena and Matt. "I'm just glad I don't have to hear the word doppelgänger anymore" - Ian Somerhalder.

Somerhalder revealed how he's "glad people stopped throwing underwear at us…man, I get the passion and all, but I don’t need your dirty underwear." Wesley's story is about a stubborn mom who was insistent on him signing her baby's head with a Sharpie. "We will not sign your babies" - Paul Wesley

They ended the weekend with gratitude, reflecting on how these were their dream characters, and they had the opportunity to play them. "It only lasts so long," remarked Somerhalder. He noted how surreal it felt to be here 16 years later, "Is that not bizarre?"

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley photographed by Samantha Davidson

Creation Entertainment organizes fan weekends and conventions all across North America. Find out about their upcoming events and buy tickets here.

Author's Posts

Samantha Davidson

Boston, Massachusetts 65 Posts