Exclusive Interview: Zach Roerig (The Vampire Diaries)

Exclusive Interview: Zach Roerig (The Vampire Diaries)



Zach Roerig may not play a vampire on The Vampire Diaries, but he's still got a role he can sink his teeth into. The actor co-stars on the hit CW series as Matt, the lifelong pal and ex-boyfriend of Elena (Nina Dobrev). She, of course, is the seemingly average teen who's currently caught between two vampires, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

Audiences may also remember Roerig -- who is 25 years old and hails from Ohio -- from some of his earlier work, which includes a stint on the soap opera As The World Turns, the recurring role of Cash on Friday Night Lights, and the indie film Assassination Of A High School President. TVStar recently had a chance to catch up with Roerig for an exclusive interview during which he talked about what sets The Vampire Diaries apart from True Blood and Twilight, how Matt fits into the overall story, and his plans for the off-season.

Let's start with The Vampire Diaries (TV). A lot of people wrote off the show before it even started, calling it a younger, lighter take on True Blood or a TV version of Twilight. What was your thinking early on about its resemblances/differences to other vampire fare and how confident were you that it would find an audience?

The Vampire Diaries literary series has been around since 1991, which gave us somewhat of an advantage in finding an audience, as it was already a bit of a known commodity. A lot of people attempt to dissect the current vampire phenomenon, ranking each different show and movie in terms of what’s "better" and what is "best," but I truly believe there is room for these franchises to coexist. Twilight is a film series and True Blood is vastly different in terms of content, so I don't believe any of us are going head to head or stepping on one another's toes. Why choose between the three when one can enjoy them all?

What's your sense of what the hardcore fans like most about the show?

I think a lot of fans like the dynamic between the different characters and the constantly evolving plot. It's almost impossible to guess what will happen next, as the fact that we have a whole hour every week gives our writers an advantage in expanding the plot to include many different characters and subplots.

What do you see as Matt's function/purpose in the VD universe and specifically when it comes to Elena?

Matt is a constant reminder that, although incredibly strange, Mystic Falls still has some semblance of the typical American town. Up to this point he is a pretty true-to-life depiction of your all-American boy, and who wouldn’t want to see how the all-American boy will react when placed in such a bizarre situation? In terms of Elena, Matt will always connect her to the way things used to be before her parents' death, the arrival of vampires, and every other crazy thing that she has been subjected to in the series.

We're very happy to see him with a new girl, to see his mother in town. It mixes things up a little bit for him and the show. How important has that been to you, to have him move on a bit and not have everything involving Matt be so Elena-centric?

The more varied Matt's plot lines become, the more the audience gets to learn about him as a person. The more the audience learns about him as a person, the more invested they become in him as a character. So seeing Matt from a perspective outside of his relationship with Elena is quite important to me.

You knew before you wrapped season one that VD would be back for a second season. What's your sense of how that freed up the writers to build to the end of the season? In other words, if the show were on the verge of cancellation, the last episodes might have been designed to provide closure. Now they didn't have to worry about that.

I can't say for sure whether or not the show's renewal impacted what the writers have done with the remainder of the first season. But one can assume that rather than developing other aspects of the plot they would be attempting to tie up any loose ends with the Elena/Stefan/Damon saga in a neat manner.

What are some facets of Matt, maybe a storyline, that you're eager to explore next season?

Although the audience has learned a great deal about Matt's personality throughout the first season, as a character he still has a lot of room for growth.

We're guessing that at some point Matt will be turned into a vampire and become a threat to Elena, making him the opposite of what he represents right now. How much would a turn of events like that intrigue you, story-wise and as an acting challenge?

Well, I don't think my character would end up becoming a vampire, but if he did I would embrace the physicality and challenge of the change.

IMDb has you down having completed a film called Strawberry Wine. Assuming that's accurate, what's the set-up, what do you play, and what's happening with the film?

I can't talk too much about it at this time, but the movie is in post production.

What plans do you have for your off-season?

I am going to stain my barn in Ohio, catch a couple waves in California, grab a bagel in New York, and go for some cheese and baguettes in Paris.

And, last question, what's been the impact of your involvement with VD so far? Are you getting recognized more often out in public? Are you being sent more scripts? Lining up more meetings?

The Vampire Diaries has opened up some great doors and will hopefully open up some more. I am currently really enjoying being on the show and am excited for the next season.