As you guys can tell, I have taken a personal liking to Katerina Graham who plays “Bonnie Bennett” on The Vampire Diaries.  First, because of her amazing portrayal of Bonnie on the show.  My sister and I both think she is doing a phenomenal job with her character, and 2nd, because she is so awesome to her fans.  She goes out of her way to reach out and connect with her fans, and it is so appreciated by each and every one of us.

One fan in particular, Kaylie Rodrigues from Arizona, asked Katerina Graham if she would be willing to let her interview her for her school newspaper, and without a blink of an eye, she agreed.  I personally witnessed the exchange on Twitter, and just think it’s so cool!  Well…I contacted Kaylie on Twitter about the interview and asked her how it went, and from there she and I formed an immediate friendship, and she wanted Vampire Diaries Online to be the first to post the interview, and I told her I would be honored!

First I would like Kaylie to introduce herself and then her interview with Kat will follow.  It’s really an adorable exchange between the two of them.  Like too old friends!  But also very professional and I really believe that Ms. Kaylie Brooke has the potential to become a very successful journalist or writer one day!!  And we at VDO, would like to thank Kaylie for allowing us to post her interview! Enjoy!

I’m Kaylie Rodrigues, known by, Kaylie Brooke, I am sixteen years old. I love journalism and writing. I am actually writing a book named, Timeless. So watch for it! I live in Arizona, and I love the Vampire Diaries. I came in contact with Katerina Graham over Twitter, asked her if I could interview her for my school newspaper and she said yes! She called me a few days later, and we became friends after that! Here is the interview we did, hope you enjoy!

You can follow me on twitter @KaylieBrooke and don’t forget to let @KaterinaGraham know what you think of it!

Revenge against Hollywood

My interview with Katerina Graham:

By: Kaylie Rodrigues

Katerina Graham is a twenty-year old actress, from Los Angeles, California living her dream in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is the city set for the new CW show, The Vampire Diaries. The Vampire Diaries is based off of L.J Smith’s book; the book and show tackles the struggles that Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) has when she finds out her boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), is a vampire. Katerina plays Bonnie Bennett, Elena Gilbert’s physic best friend, who helps fight off evil and protect Elena and Stefan. And I had the honor to interview her.

KG: Sorry, there might be a lot of noise; I just arrived on set.

KR: Oh that’s okay.

KG: Okay, Cool.

KR: So how are you, how is everything going?

KG: good.

KR: How is the show going? Is it fun?

KG: yes it’s a lot of fun, tiring some nights, but still a lot fun.

KR: Yeah! I saw that on your twitter you said you went 20 hours without sleep.

KG: Yeah! I um, well I had woken up because I had some other work I had to do. So I woke up at 6:30(a.m.) and we didn’t wrap until 5:00 or 6:00(a.m.) anyways, so I was like, on edge. I was like, “I want to go to sleep! (Laughs) WHY DID I WAKE UP THIS EARLY?”

KR: It does get tiring sometimes! I know every teen can agree with that, about High School. Waking up to get ready.

KG: Right! It’s true… It’s true… How is school? What school are you in?

KR: Campo Verde High School in Arizona.

KG: My brother is in Arizona, and so is my grandma, and my two nieces and my aunt, and my, um, cousins. Yeah. And my mom, my mom! I’m forgetting the most important one, my mom. My mom is in Arizona right now. (Laughs)

KR: Oh where does she live?

KG: She’s in Glendale like Phoenix/Glendale, yeah. Oh! Nina just walked in looking gorgeous.

KR: Oh are you guy’s friends?

KG: We are friends, we are friends. I love her. So um yeah, no we really get along; we are a really close set.

KR: Well that’s good you guys are all close. It shows on the show! I read the books in 2 days; I loved them! And then I saw that it was a TV show, I was like “I have to watch it!”

KG: That’s awesome! I love that you were a fan of the book before the show, a lot of people were.

KR: Yeah! I know a lot of people think The Vampire Diaries are copying Twilight, but the story line came out 18 years ago. So it’s original.

KG: Yes! It’s so true. It is very original. Yeah! It’s a lot of fun.

KR: So how do you like playing Bonnie?

KG: I love her she’s my favorite!

KR: Do you think you and Bonnie are similar or different?

KG: I think what the producers and writers might have seen is that, the way we are with people are very similar. We have a good heart— I hope I have a good heart like Bonnie! But we’re very selfless and very generous, and giving, and open, and down to earth. Our vibes are a little different in real life. She is very much a hippy style and I’m more fashionista style and a bit more fierce and more brave in terms of my personal style and more brave in terms of things that I say and the things that I do. And I don’t know if Bonnie would say the things I do, just yet. She might become more that person, but right now she is more quiet and more stay out of trouble person and I’m not.

KR: The TV show is different from the books. When I first saw it, I was lost. There are new characters and missing characters. But your character remains the same.

KG: (Laughs) Oh yeah it’s very different! Very different than the books.

KR: So what have you been working on?

KG: Um, you know I can’t really work on much else because the show takes up about eight days of my week. We do eight-day episodes, um, so no, I mean when I’m not working for a few days consecutively I will work on my music, and try to do a show and just keep my chops up. You know, but I’ve been kind of doing this, I can’t really say I’m doing this and this. I mean Nina and I shot a movie called, The Roommate, that comes out in March. And…

KR: Yeah! Isn’t that with Leighton Meester?

KG: Yes that is with Leighton Meester. Other than that Acting wise I haven’t done anything else other than this. And Music is its own beat. So, I can’t really talk about that right now. (Laughs)

KR: Oh yes! Music, I heard your song Sassy, and it’s good!

KG: Thanks I love it! It’s probably going to be the first single, I don’t know, but it won’t come out until December or March, because I won’t be able to promote it until I’m done with The Vampire Diaries.

KR: So I hear that Ian (Somerhalder) scares you when he is all vamped up?

KG: Yeah I mean I’ve never been up—like I’ve seen him when we’re not shooting and it’s pretty scary. But I don’t really have to be close to him, and recently I’ve had to be close to him and I’m not going to say how or why, or if we were shooting scene or anything, but I’m definitely very close to him and it very much freaks me out yes; very, very, very scary.

KR: I heard he likes scaring you guys on set?

KG: He loves like the whole oh, “Boo!” and we scream; he loves that whole thing. And Nina does it too! It’s so funny, I remember I tweeted that. Nina had jumped out of this area and scared the bejezus out of me. That I like screamed bloody murder and everyone on the set turned around and stared at us and I was like, “Just, just, just playing around you guys, get back to work, just joking around.” And I’m like, “Nina, what are you doing?” (Laughs) and she laughed and thought it was really funny but then a couple hours later Ian popped up from behind her while she was talking to me and scared the crap out of her so there’s a lot of scaring people on set. It’s kind of ridiculous…

KR: So you have to watch like everywhere you go?

KG: Yeah I definitely keep my eyes peeled; because there is a lot of popping out and scaring people all the time, and now even the crew is doing it. You know what I mean?

KR: Is it scarier when they are all vamped out and everything?

KG: Well it’s definitely scarier when they are vamped out. (Laughs) Although Nina can scare me pretty good when she is just playing around, but it’s a lot scarier when they’re vamped out. But usually it’s when they’re not; they’re just playing around. We all are.

KR: Anything you want to tell people about yourself?

KG: Um I think from me talking to people and people getting to know me they’re going to be able to express the type of person I am; from Twitter and from communication with me. I want people to have their own opinions. I hope I am the kind of actor or the kind of person that is known for treating people with respect, and love, and kindness and not some diva or jerk. I want to be known for is not just my work and doing good art, but for being a good person because in this industry there’s not many of them. Especially ones that are close to fans, and are friends with their fans, and include their fans in everything and I think that’s what missing and I hope they can know that. And know that I’m always reachable as I really am and I love them and support them too in whatever their dreams are. (Talking about fans)

KR: I think they know that. You express it well, we tell that you care.

KG: Yeah.

KR: I see so many celebs lose their fans because they flick them off their shoulder.

KG: And I see that all the time! The only reason we are where we are is because of the fans. That’s it! You can have the most amazing show with the most brilliant acting but it won’t go anywhere because you don’t have any fan support and honestly I’ve gotten people who are like “Ahh you’re tweeting too much!” but it’s like I’ve never had any fans I came from nothing I never really had one fan who was following me for me not because I’m working with the “Pea’s” or with so and so or doing a Zac Efron film but following me because they enjoy me. I’m really grateful and I can’t express my gratitude enough. Because for me it’s almost like unreal. That I actually have this support and the fan base and I really love you guys. You’re helping create this amazing show, I want the success from The Vampire Diaries not only be my success or the cast success but also the fans success too because it’s you guys that are helping and it’s you guys that are a part of the family. And I just want everyone to know that.

KR: And that’s exactly how it should be. We know that you love us.

KG: Right yeah I really do and at the end of the day I’m an actor and no one is promising anything. You can wake up deaf and blind and can’t walk, you don’t know. Life is so unexpected. You just got to be grateful and appreciative of the days you have, and support you get because you might wake up one day and no one talking to you, and know ones your fan and no one remember who you are. I’ve seen it happen to so many people; I’ve been a fan of someone before. Who shall remain nameless because I winded up meeting them and being their friend so I won’t embarrass myself. I was a huge fan of someone and I loved them so much, and I didn’t really get an opportunity until I became, I guess, what people would say a celeb but I just say more notoriety to actually get me to where they were. But all the times I would reach out to them and I would never get anything back. I would reach out to a lot of music artists and I would send fan letters saying, “Oh my gosh! I think you’re so awesome. I love your music!” and I was like I’ll show them. I’m going to become this HUGE superstar, and I’m going to reply to every one of my fans. Watch! Just Watch! I guess it’s kind of, Revenge against Hollywood. Hollywood hasn’t treated me that well. The decade I’ve been working in and I really had to struggle and I promised myself that I was going to be different from all the celebrities and people on T.V, and radio. I just want to be different.

KR: That’s great! Your right, people don’t make time for it.

KG: well yeah I think its important, super duper important to try and write back. A lot of celebs are like I’m so busy, I’m so busy, I’m shooting and I’m just so freaking awesome. And I’m like gross! I have to wake up at 6:30 – which I did – and I’m going to write back every single fan, even if it takes me three hours – which it did. (Laughs) I don’t care who you are I will send you personal email address, and I will do whatever I can and I will write back to you. It’s not a big deal. You have to make effort and it might take me a week to get back to everything and go through it all but I will get back to everyone. And I think that people don’t make time for things because they don’t think it’s important. But it’s like it is important just like you think you’re so busy what if they are busy and what if they are taking out their time what if they’re in the middle of something. I had a ten year old fan—a girl—who really reached out to me. She felt that because her mom was having another baby that she was going to be forgotten, and I’m talking to everyone about different issues that they may be having and maybe a 10 year old might feel like they can relate to Bonnie more than they can relate to her mom, you know? Being young and being a kid you’re different. You think about things differently, and I’m happy that I can at least help people even a little bit, you know?

KR: Yeah well let me tell you, when you first replied to me I was freaking out, I was like, “What!”

KG: “What!” (Laughs) and now we’re friends isn’t that funny?

KR: Exactly. So I asked my Journalism teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, if we could watch your live chat, because it was on during that class. And she is like, “Sure! Let’s all watch the girl that Kaylie interviewed.” So we are all sitting around my computer screen, and my phone was on the table on vibrate, and you’re like, “I can’t figure out this chat? Someone twitter me.” So I twittered you saying it was working and put my phone back down. And then you’re like, “I’m going to check my twitter.” And then you’re like “Kaylie says its working! Kaylie if you’re watching this answer your phone I’m calling you.” And everyone in my classes head turns toward me, mouth dropped, as my phone starts spinning and buzzing on my desk. I pick it up and I’m like, “Hello?” (Laughs)

KG: (Laughing Hysterically) I’m like Kaylie I can’t figure out this chat! That is such a great story by the way! Such a great story!

KR: And then I sent you a twitter and your phone started going off, and you’re like, “Stupid text messages.” And everyone in my class started laughing at me, because they thought it was from me.

(Laughing a lot more constantly out loud).

KG: No, no, that was for email. I don’t really get that many phone calls only when I’m doing something I get it, but my twitter doesn’t go to my phone so that wasn’t you..

KR: okay, because I get twitter sent directly to my phone like a text message, so it goes off, and acts like it’s a text

KG: Oh Awesome. I get twitter berry, I’m sorry no I get Uber twitter it’s like twitter berry but I don’t get sound from it, so don’t worry that wasn’t for you, that was like my manager calling for something stupid, or something.

KR: Okay because, I was like, “Oh Crap!”

KG: Don’t worry that wasn’t you.

KR: ha ha okay! So how close are you and the cast?

KG: We’re very close. We are ridiculously close. Nina and I talk all the time when we’re not shooting and the cast will go out to dinner together. There is usually a dinner once a week or a movie once a week, or all of us hanging out. This week Nina, Paul and Ian were in New York so they weren’t with us. But a bunch of people and some of the crew members went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant and watch a ballet, so usually the girls are always with us or something like that but if they are doing practice or busy… But usually we’re always together when we go out.

KR: you guys all have great chemistry. It seems real.

KG: Yeah I think it’s real! I don’t think that people can fake the funk. I think that’s why a lot shows don’t do that well because people don’t believe the relationships at all I definitely think our stuff is real and that’s why it looks so good.

KR: After I saw the show, I looked you guys up on twitter, and it was funny, you guys are all twittering each other, and you can really tell that you guys are friends outside the show.

KG: (Laughs) we’re all ‘twittering’ each other even though we’re together; you mean that kind of stuff? (Laughs) Right! Right, no! It’s funny it shows how real it is. We’re like, “Oh I’m trying to get Candice on twitter!” and we do things like that and we definitely all communicate with each other on twitter. I try to look at every single person that writes me back, at least try to read it, but sometimes it happens so quick and there are so many I’m like, “Oh, I will just read a book.” (Laughs)

KR: It gets hard, but I know everyone respects your effort.

KG: Yeah.

KR: So you had to do a lot of preparation for Bonnie’s Character, like the other day you were studying Heroes.

KG: Right.

KR: But hold your answer, because my recording is going to go off in five, four, three, two…

KG: (laughs)

KR: Okay and now go.

KG: I’m getting you a new recorder. (Laughs) I’m getting you a recorder for Christmas. (Laughs)Like I said, I started off with nothing. Like when I was doing beats I did them on a karaoke machine. And I went from like tape-to-tape trying to make, like I would record a song off one side of the tape, and then turn it over and record another set. (Laughs) So I know what it’s like, but you’ll get there. You’ll get a really awesome recorder and do your phone interview and become the next Barbra Walters (Laughs)

KR: Then you can say you got me my first recorder.

KG: Exactly, (Laughs) Alright what were you saying? Preparation for character, yes.

KR: Yes, Did you get annoyed doing the research, did you do any preparation?

KG: Yeah, I had to do a lot of preparation for Bonnie’s character. Because if I miss anything with her it will show and the fans will notice, because they are such amazing fans of the book, that they’ll know, oh Bonnie didn’t do that or Bonnie wouldn’t have said that or, You know what I mean, so I researched everything from Salem to witches in general, to different people with powers, to monks, to gurus, to like to people who are known to have special abilities like saints, to religion, to um to T.V. shows like Heroes or like even Sabrina the Teenage Witch. To study how different people played it. There was this one movie I don’t know if it was called Push or something? It was with Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans it was about psychics and stuff like that.

KR: Yeah it’s called Push,

KG: Yeah Push! Anything like that I’m really, really into anyways. Like my favorite types of movies are that. I’ll watch like Neo the Matrix, The Oracles, and the little kid bending the spoon and like different things (Laughs) you know? Silly thing, different things about her, like there are different pictures I find on the internet when I’m looking at different art sites and I’ll drag them into a folder on my computer called Bonnie and then I will tear out pictures that I would see in magazines that Bonnie would love, and are totally Bonnie and I will decorate my trailer with them. So it never stops, I’m constantly being more and more inspired about her.

KR: Are there any time you see yourself acting like Bonnie outside of shooting?

KG: Yeah definitely! I’ll totally be like, oh! I have a feeling this is going to happen, or like one time Ian and I were at Candice’s aunt’s house. We were all like we all hung out. It’s like a lake house and we were all just hanging out together and I touched his wrist and I looked at his bracelet and I’m like,

“What country did you get these from?” and he’s like,

“Oh! Indonesia blah, blah, blah.” And different places. I’m like,

“See you never told me you got these from another country, but I just knew.” So I have like different Bonnie equip that I think I can do but I think it’s just a really strong intuition so I think that everyone has psychic ability in them. They just need to tap into their own intuition.

KR: Did Ian say anything?

KG: No he said it naturally, he didn’t think twice about it… until after I’m like,

“Hey did you realize I had no idea where you got your bracelets from, I just knew you got them from a different country when you were traveling, isn’t that kind of strange?”

And he’s like,

“Yeah that is kind of strange, yeah.” But so many crazy things happen when you’re in the industry and so many fun things can happen in a show when you’re playing a character with special ability. Really weird things can just happen, you know?

KR: Yeah! What do you want to say to anyone who wants to go into that industry?

KG: Don’t let anything anyone says break your spirit. You gotta stay positive and focus on the positive and pray because I got here from a lot of prayer, and. Also when it comes to certain things get headshots try to get an agent, a good one that will submit you on different things. I started off on commercials when I was young and that’s a great way to get your experience on set. I’ve done ‘extra’s’ work because I wanted to be around the environment. You know? I started at the bottom and I’m not saying necessarily that’s the right way to start for everyone so create your own path, blaze your own trail. And you know? Stay focused on what’s important and don’t let what anyone has to say about you, get to you. Because it’s their opinion it might not necessarily be true. Just stay positive.

KR: Yeah. So I heard you’re a Harry Potter fan?

KG: (Laughs) Yeah I am.

KR: I never read the books or seen the movies?

KG: I’ve done both and you know what a fan was saying,

“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited you responded to my letter! The only time of celeb or anyone ever responded to my letter is the cast of Harry Potter sent me a picture.”

And I wrote back,

“I’m so jealous.” (Laughs) I’m jealous of a fan! But it’s awesome! I love it! I wish more people did that I think it’s completely unacceptable for people not to talk to their fans I think its B.S. I don’t think its right those are the people who root for you and create the sites. And are like really champing you for something that’s almost darn near impossible to get to. And they’re the one who are pushing you. How can you not thank each and every one of them if you had the chance, you know what I mean? I don’t understand it.

KR: I know what you mean. I knew this girl who I was good friends with, and then she became a celebrity and we barley talk, like she is so busy! And it’s like she doesn’t even remember where she came from, she got Hollywood’ized.

KG: True, Oh I know, it’s ridiculous; that’s why I’m like, um, I’m not a celebrity, don’t put me in that category, please. (Laughs) I’m just a normal girl that’s really into art, I’m just doing what I love, and if you wind up becoming famous or huge from it, then so be it. But at the end of the day I’m still going to play Bonnie the way I would play her if I would have been broke, and I would be doing the job for free. And I said I would play Bonnie for free, I would do my music for free; without being paid. And for most of my career you’re going on auditions and you’re not getting paid for driving across the city, or gas. You’re not getting paid for spending three hours waiting for a casting director to see you. You’re doing it all for free, in a hope of a dream of, “One day.” People forget where they come from too easily.

KR: Exactly. So I heard you would Skateboard to your auditions?

KG: yeah!

KG: Yeah, I would have to skateboard to my auditions.

KR: I don’t know how you could do that! I like suck!

KG: I wasn’t even that good when I started but I had no car, so I was like, have to learn. Because my mom’s not driving me anywhere, and I had no ride and I would have to get there. Sometimes I couldn’t even get to coach, because I didn’t have a car. I would have to coach over the phone because I didn’t even have a ride to get over to coaching.

KR: So did your parents support you at all in acting, or singing?

KG: Yeah I mean my dad kind of does his own thing, he is in Europe, and he’s proud of me. And very happy but he is very at a distance but we are very close but it’s hard to keep in contact because he’s in Europe and he is traveling a lot. And my mom had spent her whole life working, you know what I mean? So I didn’t really get to see her that much and the times when I did it was it was after work, after we’d been running around and we were tried. But they were very emotionally supportive of me, but after a certain age I think it was 18, or 19 for me, they kind of expected me do things more independently and live on my own and my mom even talked about me getting a job or a normal job or me doing certain things and I just couldn’t I didn’t know how to do anything else. I can’t—I’m horrible at Math. I can’t work a cashier. I have no experience in retail. I can’t even drink a full cup of coffee. Nina has to make me coffee because I don’t know how to make any coffee, and if she doesn’t make it for me I’m not going to drink it; because she makes the best cup of coffee.

KR: (Laughs) You were homeschooled right?

KG: Yes for high school.

KR: So you went to public school for all the other years?

KG: No I was in regular school for grade school. Seventh grade I did home schooling, eighth grade I went back to school, and then through high school I was doing home school.

KR: So you never went to prom?

KG: I never went to where?

KR: Prom.

KG: No I never been to prom. Not even invited, like I said I was a nerd until I was sixteen. Never really had that many friends, I didn’t have a boyfriend. So I was like, um uh. It’s all right.

KR: AWW

KG: But it’s okay. If I ever had to pick between Vampire Diaries or Prom, I’d pick Vampire Diaries or anything I’ve ever shot. It’s okay you know what I mean. It’s okay.

KR: Well whenever you are in town, I’m going to take you to my Prom, you’ll be my date! (Laughs)

KG: Thanks, That’s awesome. I’ll just tag a long you should take a date, date, I will just be your third wheel. (Laugh)

KR: (laughs) Well Katerina Thank you so much for this interview, is there any last thought about the cast that you want to say?

KG: I mean they are so young and so experienced and I am really fortunate to be working with them. I really love them.

KR: Thank you so much!

KG: Thank you.