TV Fanatic
Can Vampire Diaries fans trust Elijah? In one word: yes.
That's what Daniel Gillies said to TV Fanatic this week, telling us in an exclusive interview that his Original is a man of his word. What, exactly, will this mean for Elena and company? Whose bed might Elijah find himself in? Read on. Find out.
You make Elijah look so sweet that you don’t even want to dislike him, but he rips hearts out! The calm and collected bad guys are the scariest.
I never wanted to play him with any menace... He’s not a sweet person, [but] can you imagine if you’ve lived this long? He must have seen so much death, murdering someone must be like hitting a bug... I’m so lucky to play this character. Maybe that’s the joy you’re sensing... I love playing him. He’s so fun.
You and Nina Dobrev work extremely well together.
From the moment I walked on set, she was just immediately kind to me. It doesn’t happen that often. It’s the nicest crew and cast ever... Nina, she’s what? 21? I’m 34... She’s smarter than me. And boy does she work hard, she’s playing both roles. She’s there every day and she doesn’t bitch, and she’s tough and she knows she has a great thing. She cares and she always has a sense of humor. She’s just vicious and she rips on me. We tease each other all day and I think it reads in the performance.
Last week, we saw Dr. Martin take down a pack of wolves to save Elena’s friends. Does that make it safe to say Elijah wasn’t lying about his deal?
Yes, he’s clearly orchestrating these things. That was his mayhem. He’s acting as a godfather at this point... He’s ultimately playing chess with these kids.
Have you met Joseph Morgan? Are you excited to see what he’ll bring to the table as Klaus?
I haven’t. I’ve seen a little bit of his stuff, but I don’t know enough about Joseph to make a comment. I’m excited that there’s the idea that there could be a war between us, because I think that would be the most exciting thing in this show, like an exponential curve at the end of the second season.
Does Elijah know Isobel?
He’s aware of everybody. That’s the thing about Elijah, the only thing that slipped through the cracks was the potential of this doppelganger... The moment there is information to be had, he’ll have it. Nobody will be better researched or more equipped.
Will we see Isobel again this season?
They give me the script right before I film, and I have not seen any Isobel.
Any spoilers for the rest of the season?
Damon has been pissing me off lately, so I’ll give him a slap on the wrist if he gets too close. It’s funny; I’m talking as Elijah now. Elena is going to be in danger if they don’t do what I decree must be done. Also, I like the look of the Jenna girl, she looks sweet. I’ll go hang out with her for a while, she’s cute.
What else do you have in the works?
I’m finishing up post production on a movie called Broken Kingdom, which I performed in, wrote and directed. My wife, [Rachael Leigh Cook] stars in it as well, and it’s a very different role for her. She plays a real woman.