Paul Wesley Bio
Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski, known professionally as Paul Wesley, is an American actor and film director who has built a long-running career in television and film. Born on July 23, 1982, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Polish parents, he rose to worldwide prominence for his portrayal of Stefan Salvatore in The CW’s hit supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries from 2009 to 2017. He later joined the Star Trek franchise as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beginning in 2022. Wesley has also stepped behind the camera, directing multiple television episodes and developing projects through his production company, Citizen Media.
Fluent in both English and Polish, Wesley began acting as a teenager and has spent more than two decades working across network television, streaming, independent film, and theater. In addition to his screen work, he co-founded the bourbon brand Brother’s Bond Bourbon with former co-star Ian Somerhalder and is known for his advocacy on behalf of animal welfare.
Early Life and Background
Paul Wesley was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and grew up in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. He is the son of Polish immigrants Agnieszka and Tomasz Wasilewski, and he has one elder sister, Monika Emara, and two younger sisters, Leah and Julia. In addition to English, Wesley speaks Polish, having spent roughly four months of every year in Poland until the age of 16. He has spoken publicly about having partial Jewish heritage as part of his family background.
Wesley attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey, and Marlboro High School during his secondary school years. Because his acting commitments required a more flexible schedule, he transferred from Marlboro High School to Lakewood Prep School in Howell, New Jersey. During his junior year of high school, he was cast in the long-running soap opera Guiding Light as the character Max Nickerson, marking one of his earliest on-screen roles.
After high school, Wesley enrolled at Rutgers University in New Jersey, but he left after one semester when additional acting opportunities were offered to him. He decided to pursue acting as a full-time career and continued his theater studies in New York City.
Path to Acting
Wesley began his professional acting career in the late 1990s, building his résumé with guest roles on popular network television series. He appeared in shows such as 8 Simple Rules, Everwood, American Dreams, The O.C., 24, Army Wives, Cane, and Smallville, where he played Lucas Luthor, the younger brother of Lex Luthor, in 2003. In 2001, credited at the time as Paul Wasilewski, he was a series regular on the short-lived CBS program Wolf Lake, playing Luke Cates.
He continued to expand his profile with the lead role in the 2007 ABC Family miniseries Fallen and a part in the 2008 CBS television film The Russell Girl. These early projects allowed him to work across genres, from superhero storytelling to small-screen drama, and helped him establish the range that would later define his casting as a leading man.
Paul Wesley Career
Early Career (1999–2008)
Wesley began his career in 1999 with appearances in television and small film projects, including a role in the HBO film Shot in the Heart, directed by Agnieszka Holland, and the Lionsgate feature Peaceful Warrior. His early work on soap operas and network shows gave him steady on-set experience, while supporting roles in shows like The O.C. and Smallville introduced him to genre television. These projects laid the foundation for his casting in a major leading role in 2009.
Alongside his television work, Wesley also built a film résumé during this period, taking on smaller parts that allowed him to explore dramatic and independent projects. By the late 2000s, he had established himself as a dependable young actor with a strong television presence.
Breakthrough (2009–2017)
In September 2009, Wesley was cast as Stefan Salvatore in the CW supernatural teen drama The Vampire Diaries, a role that became his signature performance. Over eight seasons, his portrayal of the conflicted vampire earned him two Teen Choice Awards, two Young Hollywood Awards, and People’s Choice Award nominations. The series became a global hit and transformed him into a household name among television audiences.
During his run on The Vampire Diaries, Wesley continued to pursue film work, co-starring in and producing the 2014 independent feature Before I Disappear, which won the SXSW Film Festival Audience Award and screened at the Venice Film Festival’s Venice Days section. The same year, he appeared in the comedy Mother’s Day, the action film The Baytown Outlaws, and the drama Amira and Sam, which was acquired by Drafthouse Films. In 2016, he co-starred in the comedy The Late Bloomer, further diversifying his on-screen work.
Notable Works and Milestones
Wesley began directing episodes of The Vampire Diaries in its fifth season and later produced the series at the start of season eight. He also directed an episode of Shadowhunters for Freeform and later directed episodes of Roswell, New Mexico, expanding his creative footprint beyond acting. Through his production company, Citizen Media, he signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television in 2016 to develop four new shows and later signed a development deal with Kapital Entertainment in 2019. In 2018, he joined the main cast of the CBS All Access series Tell Me a Story, created by Kevin Williamson, and narrated an episode of the Netflix miniseries Medal of Honor.
Paul Wesley Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Paul Wesley has earned multiple award nominations recognizing both his television performances and his broader work in the entertainment industry. His nominations include several People’s Choice Award mentions for his role as Stefan Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, reflecting the strong fan following the series built during its run on The CW. He has also received recognition for his work in independent film and for his on-screen presence in genre television. These nominations underscore a career marked by consistent audience engagement and respect within the television industry.
Paul Wesley Awards Won
Paul Wesley has collected a number of awards across his career in television and beyond. His wins include two Teen Choice Awards and two Young Hollywood Awards tied to his performance in The Vampire Diaries. In 2014, he received the Humane Generation Award from the Humane Society for his work on farm animal welfare. On February 4, 2024, at the 51st Saturn Awards, Wesley won the Saturn Award for Best Guest Star in a Television Series for his role as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a significant recognition of his contribution to the long-running Star Trek franchise.
Paul Wesley Family
Paul Wesley is the son of Polish immigrants Tomasz Wasilewski and Agnieszka Wasilewski, and he grew up with three sisters: elder sister Monika Emara, and younger sisters Leah and Julia. His Polish roots have remained an important part of his identity, and he has spoken about spending part of his childhood in Poland and continuing to speak the language fluently. Wesley has often credited his family background with grounding him as he built his career in Hollywood.
Personal Life
Wesley married actress Torrey DeVitto in a private New York City ceremony in April 2011, after meeting on the set of Killer Movie in 2007. They filed for divorce in 2013, with the divorce finalized that December. He then had a four-year relationship with Australian actress and The Vampire Diaries co-star Phoebe Tonkin, which ended in 2017. In February 2019, Wesley married Ines de Ramon; the couple separated in 2022, and their divorce was finalized in February 2024. In July 2025, Wesley announced his engagement to model Natalie Kuckenburg. He is also known as an ethical vegan and an advocate for animal rights.