'Vampire Diaries': Torrey DeVitto talks Dr. Fell

When Torrey DeVitto was cast on The Vampire Diaries, she thought it was just going to be a three-episode arc. But with her stay in Mystic Falls continuing — she’s shot more than a handful of episodes and is still filming — you might want to keep an eye on Dr. Meredith Fell.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Last week’s episode established that Dr. Fell is a member of a Founding Family and on the Council. So has she been in town for awhile and we just haven’t met her until now?

TORREY DEVITTO: When I talked to [exec producer Julie Plec], my take on it was that she’s obviously from there, left and went to medical school, and she’s just coming back into town.

We saw her in a heated discussion with medical examiner Brian Walters, who was telling her she’d ruin her career and asking if she knew what she was messing with. I assume she’s not interested in Alaric’s supernatural healing abilities and vampires to find a cure for Alzheimer’s or cancer.

[Laughs] Well, it’s really interesting. There’s a lot of little twists and turns when it comes to Meredith, and it’s so hard for me to say anything without giving it away. Even I, when I read that in the script, didn’t know. What’s happening? Why would he say that? I had to wait until the next episode that I read. Let’s just say something I like about her is that she’s fearless in a sense. She’s a very strong-willed woman, and I enjoy playing women like that.

What can you tease about what Brian might have meant when he told Alaric that Meredith was a “psycho case?” I know you won’t tell me if she’s the one who murdered Brian.

Now, if I told you that, I’d be giving away so much. I think calling her that is all up to interpretation. All these things that you see, they don’t just come out of nowhere. Things will definitely start to piece together as the season goes on. Brian’s death will definitely play a part down the line.

What do we have to look forward to when she starts sharing scenes with Damon?

When you have two strong personalities in the room, they kind of go back and forth with each other because neither one of them is gonna back down. She doesn’t fall for the lure that is Damon. She’s obviously attracted to his friend Alaric. She’s not even scared of Damon. She doesn’t buy it. I think all his little tricks and things don’t work on her like they do other girls. Damon is protective over Alaric as a friend, as he should be. The guy has a really tragic love track record. Damon wants to figure out what this girl’s all about. Is she gonna be trouble, is she not gonna be trouble? Are her intentions true, are they not true? He’s just really trying to scope her out.

Being married to Paul Wesley, you’ve obviously known the Vampire Diaries cast for awhile. But did Paul give you any fun advice on working opposite Ian Somerhalder and Matt Davis?

[Laughs] Let’s see. No, not really. Obviously I ask my family and loved ones for advice here and there, but I kind of have a rule with the people I love that surround me — close family and close friends — that unless I ask for it, I don’t really want advice thrown out. I’m someone who so easily gets in my own head, so if I get some type of conflicting thing stuck in my head, I’ll be stuck on that forever. So I like to test everything out myself, and then if I need help, I come around. [Laughs]

I talked to Paul last week about his Bad Stefan arc, and he said you told him, “I’ve always enjoyed watching Stefan. But now that you’re playing him as the bad guy, it’s, like, infinitely more entertaining and pleasurable to watch.” What have you enjoyed most about that arc for him?

I think he’s such an excellent actor, and I don’t just think I’m being biased. I think with this arc, he’s just able to do so much more and show what he’s capable of. It’s just been so fun to watch him in that light, completely opposite of what he’s been doing the last couple of seasons. But yeah, it was kinda funny, because me and all my girlfriends are like, “God, this is great. This is great.” And Paul and other guys’ take on it is, “This is such crap. We’re so nice for so long and none of you care, and then all of a sudden we’re these jerks and every girl’s swooning. What’s wrong with you females? You guys are all sick.” I can’t even disagree, really. It’s true. Why do we go for the bad guys? It’s a mystery.

I was telling him that with Stefan, it’s just the best of both worlds. I think when we like a bad boy, we think we’ll be the one who can change him. With Stefan, we know he can be changed. We’ve seen it before. So we can really enjoy Bad Stefan now.

It is the best of both worlds. And there is something sexy about danger in someone, I suppose, but when you know underneath that there is someone as redeemable as Stefan is and has been the last two seasons, that’s all together a really great character to watch.

Getting back to Meredith, is there anything you’d like to see her get to do during her time in Mystic Falls?

I just keep going episode by episode because I have no idea where exactly they’re taking her, what’s gonna happen to her, what’s gonna happen next. I just keep riding the ride. Obviously for the sake of Alaric, I would like for things to work out for maybe a millisecond at least, so that he’s not so tragic all over the board. I just hope as the character goes on I make the TV fans happy and also the [Vampire Diaries] book fans happy. I know how that goes. I get so obsessed with books, and turning them into movies and TV shows, you get so stuck on these characters. I know there’s a lot of book fans that love Meredith, and I know she’s a little different on the show, so I just hope I do the book fans justice.

Is there a book adaptation that had or has you nervous?

There is one I’m nervous about if they make it into a movie. I’ve become completely obsessed with The Bronze Horseman trilogy. Have you read that yet?

I have not.

I am telling you, you need to run to the store and buy it. It’s historical fiction, and also the most epic love story I’ve ever read in my life. I’m so terrified that they will make it into a movie and they won’t do it justice. I think I should actually be allowed to sit in on the casting session for this movie so I can have a say. [Laughs] That’s really how I’m starting to feel because I am so wild about these books. So I know what it feels like to be anxious about a character coming in that you love.

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