Five things you didn’t know about Nina Dobrev, the star of the teen fangst phenomenon The Vampire Diaries

1. She’s a little rusty on her hometown hot spots
“I realized how much I missed Toronto when I came to TIFF for The Perks of Being a Wallflower last September. The whole cast kept saying, ‘You’re the Toronto girl—show us around!’ I didn’t know if everything I loved was still here. I mean, the Drake Hotel used to be cool—is it still? So it was exciting to rediscover the city. Soho House is incredible. And I had a great time going to Spin with a bunch of friends and playing ping-pong all night.”

2. She’s 24, but resigned to being typecast as a teenager
“Because I started working at such a young age, I grew up faster than some of my peers. I have to keep reminding myself that I look a lot younger than I am. I get carded all the time, for everything, and when I meet with directors, they say I still look like a baby. Which is kind of a good thing, and I’ve accepted it. Maybe I’ll have a longer career because of it.”

3. Her fans are obsessive, but not creepy
“If it wasn’t for the people who are super into the show, we wouldn’t be doing what we do. Most of the fans I meet are gracious and sweet, although people constantly call me by my character’s name, Elena.”

4. Turning her good-girl character into a soulless vampire this season was a challenge
“In the first few seasons, we established Elena as sweet and genuine, so to take away everything that defined her was difficult for me. It almost felt like I was a bad actor all of a sudden, because I couldn’t show any emotion.”

5. She watched the Oscars at Elton John’s house
“At Elton’s party, it’s not just about getting dressed up and sitting around watching the awards. After the show, he does an auction to raise funds for his AIDS foundation, which makes the night feel even more special.”