Early Life: 2001-2008: Early Acting Roles and Fallen

Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski
(Polish: ['pavɛw vaɕi'lɛfskʲi]; July 23, 1982),[1] known professionally

as Paul Wesley, is an American actor, director and producer.[2] He is known for starring as Stefan
Salvatore on the supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017) as well as his role
as James T. Kirk in the Paramount+ original series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (since 2022).[3]
Early life
Paul Wesley was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Polish parents Tomasz and Agnieszka
Wasilewski, and grew up in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. He has one elder sister, Monika Emara
(née Wasilewski), and two younger sisters, Leah and Julia.[4]
In addition to English, he also speaks Polish, having spent four months of every year in Poland until
the age of 16.[5] Wesley attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey, and Marlboro
High School for a period during his high school years. He started his theater studies in New York
City and transferred from Marlboro High School to Lakewood Prep School in Howell, New Jersey,
because the school was able to better accommodate his acting schedule. During his junior year in
high school, he was cast in the soap opera Guiding Light as character Max Nickerson.[4][6] He started
college at Rutgers University in New Jersey but left after one semester when more roles were
offered to him, and he realized he could make a career out of acting.[4][7]
Career
2001–2008: Early acting roles and Fallen
In 2001, Wesley, then credited as Paul Wasilewski, was one of the main cast members of the short-
lived CBS television series Wolf Lake, playing the role of Luke Cates.[8][9] He appeared in the 2008
CBS television film The Russell Girl,[10] and had the lead role in the 2007 ABC
Family miniseries Fallen.[11][12][13] Wesley has had a number of roles in television shows such as 24, 8
Simple Rules, American Dreams, Army Wives, Cane, Everwood, Guiding Light, Smallville, and The
O.C..
2009–2017: The Vampire Diaries and film roles
Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder in 2012
Wesley starred as Stefan Salvatore in the hit television series The Vampire Diaries since its
premiere in September 2009 on The CW. In the series, he played a younger brother to Damon
Salvatore as well as the love interest of a 17-year-old girl named Elena Gilbert. His work garnered
him two People's Choice Award nominations.
Throughout the years, he has appeared in a variety of films. In 2014, he co-starred in, as well as
produced, Before I Disappear, which went on to win the SXSW Film Festival Audience Award and
compete at the Venice Film Festival's "Venice Days" section.[14] That same year he co-starred
in Amira and Sam which was acquired by Drafthouse Films.[15] In 2016, he co-starred in the
comedy The Late Bloomer.[16] His other feature credits include HBO's Shot in the Heart directed
by Agnieszka Holland and Liongate's Peaceful Warrior.
In 2014, he was cast in the film Mother's Day,[17] and it was also announced he was set to star in and
produce a science fiction film called Convergence.[18] He also co-starred in The Baytown Outlaws.[19]
In 2014, Wesley was given the Humane Generation Award for his work with the Humane Society,
speficially farm animal welfare.[20]
Additionally, Wesley has hosted two fundraising campaigns on Represent.com to raise funds for
charity. For his first campaign, Wesley released a cat shirt design to raise funds for The Humane
Society of the United States.[21][22] The campaign sold almost 3,000 units. For his second campaign,
Wesley teamed up with The Vampire Diaries co-star Ian Somerhalder to release a limited-edition
shirt designed by a fan, with the words "Blood Brothers Since 1864."[23] This campaign sold almost
10,000 shirts.[24]
2018–present: Directing, theatre roles, and Tell Me a Story

Wesley began directing The Vampire Diaries in its fifth season and produced the series at the start
of season 8.[25] He directed episode 16 in season 2 of Shadowhunters for Freeform. In November
2016, it was announced that under the label of his newly formed production company, Citizen Media,
Wesley signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television to produce four new television shows,
including Confessions of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher, written by Jason Smith; Pecos,
written by Shawn Christensen; Finding Natalie, written by Hilary Bettis and Shanghai Summer,
written by Oanh Ly.[26]
His theater work includes the co-lead in the well-received off-Broadway production Cal in Camo at
the Rattlestick Theater in New York City.[27] He was also the co-lead in Sensitive Skin, written by
Shem Bitterman.[28] In March 2018, Wesley joined the New York Theater Workshop's production
of Zurich in New York City.[29]
In June 2018, it was reported that Wesley had joined the main cast of the CBS All Access TV
series Tell Me a Story, which was created by Kevin Williamson.[30][31][32][33] Wesley currently has a
development deal at Kapital Entertainment.[34] Other network television directing credits
include Shadowhunters and Roswell, New Mexico. He also starred in the second episode of
the Netflix miniseries Medal of Honor as Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha.

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Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski

(Polish: ['pavɛw vaɕi'lɛfskʲi]; July 23, 1982),[1] known professionally

2009–2017: The Vampire Diaries and film roles

Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder in 2012

2018–present: Directing, theatre roles, and Tell Me a Story

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