It was back in April when "The Vampire Diaries" star Nina Dobrev first said goodbye to the long-running series and her character Elena Gilbert goodbye, much to the dismay of the vampire show's fans, but even after several months of repeating this fact, Dobrev's fans still find it hard to accept that she would no longer be a part of "The Vampire Diaries."
During the recently-held Teen Choice Awards, Dobrev was awarded with Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and she once again explained her decision to depart from the show.
"The last few months have been a big change for me," Dobrev said, according to Entertainment Weekly. "Change. It's a scary word, or I used to think that, because it meant new beginnings. New beginnings with a future that was unknown. But change is necessary. Necessary for you to grow up and learn and to better yourself, because everything in life comes to an end."
The actress spent six seasons playing Elena, and she cannot help but look back on her role with great pride and "with a grateful heart."
"Just like Elena, I started the show as a young girl, and together we grew up," she said. "We've grown up and over the last six years we've become women. These were six incredible years that I've had the pleasure of sharing with all of you guys. I wouldn't be here with you. I wouldn't be here without Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson. They changed my life with this role. Sorry. Three roles. Four roles. It's hard to keep track these days."
Dobrev then used her transition from the show to inspire her fans to welcome whatever changes the future brings. "So remember, change is coming! So hold on and enjoy the ride, all right?" she said. "It's going to be fun."
As for the show's executive producer Julie Plec, Dobrev's departure has been both "bittersweet and beautiful."
"After six-plus years together, the entire cast and crew of 'The Vampire Diaries' has reached a level of closeness that I don't think any of us ever expected," she said. "Nina is excited to spread her wings, get some rest, travel the world and also take it by storm, and we support her a thousand-fold. We will miss Nina and the four hundred characters she played, but we look forward to the insane and exciting challenge of continuing to tell stories of our Salvatore Brothers and our much-loved and gifted ensemble."
