Torrey DeVitto Interview

It’s pretty much Meredith’s fault that Elena is a vampire. Will there be backlash? 

Here’s what I’ve been saying, and I really do stand by this: I think Meredith should be getting praised for this! People don’t realize there would be no more Vampire Diaries if Meredith hadn’t saved Elena’s life. She’d be dead! I think we should all acknowledge that. You’re right. They should really change it to The Meredith Diaries. You know, what? I’m going to have a talk with Julie Plec about that later today. 

Speaking of Julie, she recently said Meredith would be a “stabilizing force” for Damon this season. Can you elaborate?

 I think you’ll see a bond grow between Damon and Meredith. It’s cool because he’s this erratic character, and she really holds her ground with him and with all the other characters. She’s strong-minded and doesn’t put up with his bulls**t. So deep down, whether he acknowledges it or not, he admires that about her. That’s how their friendship begins, really. 

And what about her personal life? What, or who, will she do now that Alaric is gone? 

Well, let’s hope her relationship past doesn’t mirror Alaric’s. He had a terrible relationship track. I think Meredith’s really focused on her work right now. She loves helping people, so I think she’ll devote more of her time to that. She feels totally just in using vampire blood, as long as she’s really saving someone’s life. She’s a strong, independent woman. She’s not thinking about men. 

Will she get mixed up with any of the new characters, or stick to the ones we know? 

As of now, she’s keeping to the ones we know, but we’re not even halfway through shooting the season. I don’t even think [the writers] know at this point! 

True. I remember the last time we spoke, you said you flip to the end of every script to make sure Meredith’s still alive. 

Oh, I still do. But I think Julie heard me say that, so she promised that before I die, she’ll warn me.

Julie Plec Interview With WetPaint - Season 4

What will we see from Bonnie (Kat Graham)?

Bonnie is definitely in a position where her actions in the finale and the actions that she will have to take in the premiere will put her in a very dark place that she will be standing on the precipice of whether to let herself fall into it or step back from the ledge. And when she makes that decision in the first episode, then we’ll see what she's going through the rest of the season.

Is there an overreaching arc of evil this season?
There is an overreaching arc of evil, and this year, we're doing something a little different in that we don't know or say who that is right away. The mystery is who is this evil because clearly it's something or somebody, and we don't know who it is. And so that's a question we'll be asking a lot in the first few episodes as we build up to our first kind of reveal of the season's bad guy.

Do you want to play with Katherine (Nina Dobrev) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) as vampires?
I can't wait for the day when Katherine feels like she has to come back to town and comes face‑to‑face with vampire Elena. I can't say. I don't know when that will be. If it will be early or later, but it's going to be great when it does happen.

And our resident human, Matt (Zach Roerig)?
Matt has a lot to earn in his life and his mind. He got to live and Elena died. Why? What makes him so worth it? Now, we, as an audience, know why we love our Matt Donovan, but he needs to prove that to himself what makes him so worthy in this group of extraordinary people. How he can be extraordinary in his own right, even though he, himself, is just ordinary.

What happens with Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen)?
Jeremy is now the man of the house, for reals, and yet Elena as the fiercest protector of them all is not going to be so quick as to just hand over the reins of authority or big sisterhood. So he's going to be trying to find his way and his place. The thing that we shouldn't forget is that he's got this legacy in his family of vampire hunters, and we have a new vampire hunter coming to town. So, yes. I'm sure there will be some interplay that happens between the new hunter and our Gilbert family legacy.

Will Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) struggle with the decision she made?
Meredith has a big choice to make. She just found herself kind of plopped right in the center of this whole supernatural universe. Does she want to stay in it, or does she want to get out? Does she want to be Damon's new drinking buddy, or does she want to keep her distance? What is her future? So we'll see her asking herself that question too early on.

Torrey DeVitto Interview

Part of an interview with Torrey DeVitto...


As for Vampire Diaries, it was probably a similar situation where you came on not knowing how meaty the role would be, right?
Totally. I got offered to do a 3 episode arc, and it just keeps going. I flip through every script to see if Meredith dies in it and so far, that hasn't happened. It's been so much fun. I feel so fortunate. I just got the latest script and immediately went to see if I die in it. I won't say if I do or not, but that happens with every script.


Not only are you still alive, but you got the big cliffhanger moment in the last episode before hiatus!
Totally! Paul [Wesley] said to me, "It ends on you!" It's so awesome and such a huge compliment. They've given me a lot of good cliffhangers all along, so it's been very cool.


Will we have to wait long to find out what happened after that gunshot?
Not very long. But it's interesting – fans will enjoy what happens


Well TVD never does the expected, so I can't imagine Meredith killed Alaric and that's all there is to it.
[laughs] I know, right – could you imagine if it opened up on Alaric’s funeral!?! No, they really don't ever do what's expected and that's true here as well.


What are you excited for fans to see about this next batch of Vampire Diaries episodes?
You learn a lot about Meredith -- you'll see her unfold and learn a lot about where she's coming from. Her personality comes through a lot more.


Click here for the full interview with Torrey

Torrey promises Meredith’s drama is ‘about to come to a head.’

Torrey DeVitto has a little ritual she does every time she gets a new Vampire Diaries script: ”I flip through really fast to see: Am I dead yet? No? OK, great, I’ll start from the beginning now.” But as one of the only fully human characters remaining on the show, she knows her days are numbered. “It’s kind of inevitable. How long can I really last on this crazy, supernatural show? I’m just thankful I’ve lasted this long.”

Dating Alaric (Matt Davis) certainly isn’t helping Meredith’s chances of surviving in Mystic Falls — let’s not forget what happened about to Jenna (Sara Canning) and Isobel (Mia Kirshner) — but Torrey doesn’t care. She’s fully behind Meredith and Alaric’s rapidly evolving romance.

“I think there’s consequences to every relationship on this show,” she admits. “There are so many components mess them up. It’s hard to maintain a normal, healthy relationship. But I think their relationship is building in a cool way. I like these characters together, I think they work really well. I’m always excited to see where they’re going next.”

And as long as there’s breath in Meredith’s lungs, Torrey says we’ll continue to find out more surprises about her character.

“She’s got her secrets, and there’s a lot of stuff that’s about to come to a head,” Torrey says. "You’ll start to learn more and more about her every episode. Her being a Fell will definitely play into the drama. She’s a really cool, strong, straightforward character that I really like to portray.”

She also likes the changes that Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec have made to her character, who was very different in L.J. Smith‘s original Vampire Diaries books.

“I actually auditioned for the pilot, and when Paul booked it, I went to Borders and bought the whole series,” she recalls. “It was so long ago that I didn’t remember specifics about Meredith, but I did remember her. She’s definitely different on the show, and that’s why I didn’t revisit the books. I didn’t want to get conflicted views in my head.”

Torrey Talks About Her Role As Dr. Meredith Fell

Why were you drawn in to playing Meredith on "The Vampire Diaries?" What about her made you want to portray this character?
Just getting to be on the show alone was a draw enough, but as I have gotten to know this character more, I have just really start to love her more and more.  She's smart, sharp, strong and straight forward.  I love getting to portray females that have a backbone

What hints can you give us about Meredith's motives regarding Alaric - do you think she is a danger to him, as Damon suspects?
That I can not say, but I can say for the sake of Alaric's tragic love track record, I hope she turns out to be good for him and this lasts for a little bit.  

Are there any hints that Meredith Fell is somehow related to Logan Fell, from Season 1 and what her background is?
Same last name, same blood line.  She comes from a long line of founders.

You get to work a lot with Matt Davis, did the chemistry with you two come naturally or did it take some time to develop?
Yeah, definitely.  I have really enjoyed working with Matt.  I think he is a great actor and has a really great sense of humor.  He and everyone else on the cast made me feel really comfortable coming into all this. 

Is there anything you can tease about how long we’ll be seeing Meredith in Mystic Falls?
That's a good question that I would like to get answered myself! ha! I really don't know how long she will be sticking around for.  I just keep learning things script by script! 

What are some of the benefits of getting to work with your husband Paul Wesley?
Our work schedules are so opposite, we rarely ever see each other on set.  But being in the same state for a while is definitely a perk to the job.

You’re a part of the social networking site Twitter, why was it important for you to join and connect with fans that way?
I actually resisted witter for a very long time.  It was the coercion of my manager that forced me to join.  I just never felt like I had anything poignant enough to say, or didn't see the point of it. But I have to say, now that I am on it not only do I get it, but I really like it!  It's fun to see what the fans are saying about things.  I have also connected with a lot of fans about things like Hospice work as well.  I have had a lot of people get involved in volunteering with their local Hospice because of Twitter which has been just incredible! 

Tell us a bit about the work you and Paul do with Global Roots, and what fans can do to support you.
Global Roots is an organization that Paul and I felt was pure and had a really beautiful intention that we wanted to support.  We are both hoping that if our schedules permit it we will be taking a service trip to go work in one of the childrens' gardens this summer.  Anything as little as donating a dollar helps!  

What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?
First that I think it is amazing that I HAVE fans and supporters! And secondly thank you!  All the kind words and support I receive is just mind blowing.  I hope to continue putting out work that everyone enjoys watching!

Torrey DeVitto Interview with EW

When Torrey DeVitto was cast on The Vampire Diaries, she thought it was just going to be a three-episode arc. But with her stay in Mystic Falls continuing — she’s shot more than a handful of episodes and is still filming — you might want to keep an eye on Dr. Meredith Fell.





ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Last week’s episode established that Dr. Fell is a member of a Founding Family and on the Council. So has she been in town for awhile and we just haven’t met her until now?
TORREY DEVITTO: When I talked to [exec producer Julie Plec], my take on it was that she’s obviously from there, left and went to medical school, and she’s just coming back into town.



We saw her in a heated discussion with medical examiner Brian Walters, who was telling her she’d ruin her career and asking if she knew what she was messing with. I assume she’s not interested in Alaric’s supernatural healing abilities and vampires to find a cure for Alzheimer’s or cancer.
[Laughs] Well, it’s really interesting. There’s a lot of little twists and turns when it comes to Meredith, and it’s so hard for me to say anything without giving it away. Even I, when I read that in the script, didn’t know. What’s happening? Why would he say that? I had to wait until the next episode that I read. Let’s just say something I like about her is that she’s fearless in a sense. She’s a very strong-willed woman, and I enjoy playing women like that.

What can you tease about what Brian might have meant when he told Alaric that Meredith was a “psycho case?” I know you won’t tell me if she’s the one who murdered Brian.

What do we have to look forward to when she starts sharing scenes with Damon?

Being married to Paul Wesley, you’ve obviously known the Vampire Diaries cast for awhile. But did Paul give you any fun advice on working opposite Ian Somerhalder and Matt Davis?

I talked to Paul last week about his Bad Stefan arc, and he said you told him, “I’ve always enjoyed watching Stefan. But now that you’re playing him as the bad guy, it’s, like, infinitely more entertaining and pleasurable to watch.” What have you enjoyed most about that arc for him?   

I was telling him that with Stefan, it’s just the best of both worlds. I think when we like a bad boy, we think we’ll be the one who can change him. With Stefan, we know he can be changed. We’ve seen it before. So we can really enjoy Bad Stefan now?

Getting back to Meredith, is there anything you’d like to see her get to do during her time in Mystic Falls?

 For the answers to all these questions visit EW here