Every role presents a new opportunity for me to do something different and to explore something different.

That love has to always exist.

I started working in front of the camera for the first time when I was 15 years old. I joined a soap opera. We filmed in Brooklyn and I would skip class to shoot my scenes. It was terrifying and I entirely self-conscious in front of the camera.

The first scene I shot on The Originals was the one with Phoebe, Charles (Michael Davis), and Andy Lees when we are plotting our plan and surveying the map and plotting our grand "break in." It was a relatively light scene which was nice because I was able to warm up a bit and get comfortable with being around the new crew. They were all very kind and helpful and I felt pretty at home after a few takes.

I wasn't some weird loner in school, but I definitely wasn't invited to any of the cool parties. Girls didn't like me that much -- I didn't even go to my prom.

Some of my favorite moments from The Vampire Diaries were from season 3. I found the storyline between Stefan and Klaus to be extremely compelling. It was a friend/foe type friendship, rooted in depth that took us back to the 1920s.

As I've grown older, the simple pleasure of sitting on the couch with someone you love and watching a documentary is about as good as it gets for me.