21 Things You Don't Know About Nina Dobrev

Nina Dobrev is gorgeous, has a hot boyfriend (co-star Ian Somerhalder), and gets to play a badass bloodsucker every week on The Vampire Diaries. But did you know she speaks three languages? And that she once competed internationally in rhythmic gymnastics? 

1. Discovered

Lots of struggling actresses dream of being discovered out of the blue, but Nina Dobrev actually was! An agent found her while she was studying at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto.

2. The Perfect Elena

Nina beat out lots of other young actresses to win the role of Elena Gilbert on The Vampire Diaries, including Ashlee Simpson. Can you imagine Stefan and Damen fighting over Jessica Simpson's little sis?

3. Bulgarian Beauty

The brunette beauty plays an all-American teenager, but she was actually born in Sofia, Bulgaria. She moved to Canada at the age of two with her parents.

4. A Way with Words

Nina only speaks English on The Vampire Diaries, but in real life she's also fluent in French and Bulgarian.

5. On-Set Romance

Nina's currently happily dating her Vampire Diaries co-star Ian Somerhalder, but did you know she's also been romantically linked to another castmate? While she was working on Degrassi she was linked to co-star Daniel Clark.

6. Magical Girl

She's a big Harry Potter fan! While in Orlando Nina hit up Harry Potter World with pals and dorkily took pictures in front of the Hogsmeade sign.

7. Words of Wisdom

Nina Dobrev gets her inspiration from the experts. Almost every day she posts an enlightening Quote of the Day to her various social media accounts. Check out her twitter if you're in need of some words of wisdom.

8. Namaste

Nina stays fit by jogging and doing lots of yoga. She even showed off her impressive moves during an interview with Conan O'Brien.

9. Charity Case

Dobrev is an avid volunteer and uses her fame to support lots of charitable causes, including Project Pink and Hunger Bites.

10. She's Got the Rhythm(ic Gymnastics)

As a child, Nina took ballet and jazz classes and even competed internationally in rhythmic gymnastics. In 2005, she participated in both the Senior World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Junior World Championships in Plzen, Czech Republic.

11. Famous Friends

Nina's got some very famous friends. She celebrated her 24th birthday with boyfriend Ian Somerhalder, Twilight stars Anna Kendrick and Nikki Reed, and Dancing with the Stars hoofer Derek Hough.

12. She Doesn't Want to Live Forever

Nina plays a vampire on TV, but in real life she's not so keen to live forever. "I don’t know if I’d want it," she once said of immortality. "I live a pretty cool life, so I’m happy where I am."

13. Sing It, Girl

She's got musical talent! In 2012, she appeared in a Funny or Die music video with comedian Nick Braun called "SPF." The song, written by Dobrev, Braun, and hip-hop producer Jewels Beats, charted as high as #188 on iTunes' Comedy Charts.

14. Music Maven

She loves the independent music scene. Nina and Ian have been spotted enjoying the sweet sounds of Coachella together for the past couple of years.

15. The Joker

She loves a good practical joke. Nina recently posted a tweet that read, "I'm getting married!!!!!!!!" with an attached image. When fans frantically clicked on the picture to see what the deal was, they found the starlet posing with an adorable baby tiger.

16. Cat Lover

Both Nina and her main squeeze Ian Somerhalder are proud cat lovers. “I’m gonna say [I am a] 'cat woman,' because ‘cat lady’ makes me sound 500 years old," Nina told NYLON is an interview last year. "But I love my furry friends." She even dressed up one lucky (unlucky?) kitty for Christmas.

17. She's Close with Her Mom

Nina and her mom, Michaela Dobrev, are very close. They even posed together for a Got Milk? campaign last year that highlighted special moments between mothers and daughters.

18. People's Girl

She's got the love of the people! Nina Dobrev won the 2012 People's Choice Award for "Favorite TV Drama Actress," and she attributed her win entirely to her loyal fans. "I honestly wasn't even initially nominated at all. I wasn't on the ballot," she said in her speech. "They caved in and gave me a nomination, and now I get to take this to Atlanta. Thank you everyone and thank you to the fans. I love you guys."

19. Designer's Dream

All of the hottest fashion designers want to dress the lovely Vampire Diaries star. In 2012, Dobrev earned a spot on numerous best dressed lists when she wore a custom made Donna Karan gown to the Costume Institute Gala in New York City.

20. Perks of Being a Skype-r

Nina auditioned for her role in The Perks of Being a Wallflower in a very unique way: Skype! "I was in between takes, and I kind of had to be like, 'Guys, I'm going to go to the bathroom. I just have to pee for five minutes,'" she told MTV of her audition. "And then I went and Skyped and auditioned and there was a moment definitely a moment that we both knew this was a right fit and it worked."

21. Expert Traveler

Nina does so much traveling that she now considers herself an airline expert. "When I fly, I never check my bags. I bring a carry-on, an eye pillow, noise-canceling headphones, a big pillow and a blanket," she once told SELF magazine. "I usually travel with a castmate and fall asleep in the most contorted positions, with my leg splayed out on the lap of whoever is next to me."