Zach Roerig Explains 'Vampire Diaries'

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 26th 2009 02:40PM

When we heard that the CW greenlit 'The Vampire Diaries,' we couldn't imagine what they were thinking. More vampires? In an entertainment space littered with the undead, we didn't think there was any way another teen vampire drama could possibly succeed.

We can admit when we're wrong. With the help of young actor Zach Roerig (Cash of 'Friday Night Lights' fame), 'The Vampire Diaries' has sunk its teeth into the top ratings spot on the network. Roerig plays Matt Donovan on the unexpectedly delightful CW series, and he was kind enough to answer a few of PopEater's questions in an exclusive interview. Get the scoop on Zach Roerig after the jump.

PopEater: The fictional vampire genre is a very crowded space right now, with 'Twilight,' 'True Blood,' etc. How much of the show's popularity relies on the vampire craze?

Zach Roerig: "I think the initial craze was generated from the recent vampire explosion, but now I think fans are genuinely invested in each character. We are also given great material to work with from our dedicated writers."

PE: Are there any supernatural creatures that are particularly fascinating or creepy to you?

Roerig: "Any creature in John E. Keels book, 'Guide To Mysterious Beings.'"

PE: What do you think the next fantasy obsession will be for people so into vampires at the moment?

Roerig: "Aliens seem very possible."

PE: We LOVED you on 'Friday Night Lights'. Is there any chance of you returning to the show?

Roerig: "I appreciate the compliment. I don't think they will be bringing me back due the complete restructuring of the show. 'Friday Night Lights' was a very memorable experience. I've since become a huge fan of rodeos."

PE: Can you tell us the difference between playing a seedy jerk on 'FNL' and such a sweet guy on 'Vampire Diaries?'

Roerig: "Playing a jerk can be fun, but it is nice playing a character that always holds women before himself. I feel very genuine when portraying Matt."

PE: Who are your closest friends on the set, and how do you unwind with them when you're not shooting?

Roerig: "There is no one person, I enjoy and appreciate my time with all of the cast members. I really look up to our supervising producer/director, Marcos Siega... Atlanta offers a variety of festivals on the weekends."

Tags: friday night lights, FridayNightLights, The Vampire Diaries, TheVampireDiaries, zach roerig, ZachRoerig

Comments

(7)

Monday 26 October

By Misty

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I've been telling my coworkers, this show is great! i think it's a mix between 90210 & twilight. just enough drama, a lot of good looking cast members, and a killer vampire storyline to sink your teeth in. :)=

By Lisa

I can't believe that anyone who has read the books thinks this series is any good at all. They did turn a great series into 90210 meets vampires. The book didn't have all the references to sex, drugs, and underage drinking. This is supposed to be a show for young people. They should have a little more responsibility.

By brucelee

What is a vampire. Eye thought vampires were dead people that drank blood to live. If that's true, a vampire isn't truly dead. Hum, dead people that drink blood. What if blood was money, and our politicians all over dosed on our tax dollars, would they come back from the dead to steal more tax. Are they vampires too.

By Nadia

Yeah this series is really cool. I read all the books. The books are great of course. And they were written like ten years before any of the twilight ones which I find cool. They did a good job not making the show cheesy.

Tuesday 27 October

see, i never read the books so, i guess thats why i can like the tv show w/out all of the nitpicking away at exact details of similarity. that almost never happens when u read the book after the movie/tv series though. in regards to the teen drinking...teens drink. they drink, do drugs, sell drugs, kill people, have sex, and all kinds of things people would like to romanticize that they dont do...it's not icarly, it's teen drama-and teens get into adult situations in real life.

Saturday 12 December

By realityindreams

I think it's just loosely based on the novels. I've just started reading it, and the characters in there feel much darker than they do on the show. It's like two totally different things~~

Sunday 16 May

By elizabeth

I absolutely love this show it is amazing! I just started reading the books and like them but I am glad that they changed stuff for the series cuz this show is not just for young people. The entire cast is so talented and good looking.

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