The Vampire Diaries' Claire Holt Will Transition To The Originals Pilot

Just when fans might think all the leads have been pretty well cast in The Vampire Diaries spinoff pilot, The Originals, the series has cast another lead character. Australian actress Claire Holt has been added to the cast of the CW’s upcoming pilot, playing the same character she recurred as on The Vampire Diaries.

In The Vampire Diaries, Holt plays Rebekah, a calculating but free-spirited vampire who is always up to various shenanigans. Rebekah is one of the original vampires in the new world and is family to Klaus and Elijah, who are also transitioning to The Originals. According to Deadline, the trio of original vampires almost didn’t happen. The outlet is citing a snafu in contract talks that nearly halted the actress' move to the pilot. This did lead to actress Phoebe Tonkin’s casting in The Originals, so the delay isn’t all that bad.

With Holt’s casting, four members from The Vampire Diaries cast have joined The Originals, which will hopefully prove to be a good thing for the spinoff pilot, as the CW’s new project should have a built-in audience. Since The Originals is a backdoor pilot, audiences will get a chance to watch the endeavor, which follows the original vampire clan living in New Orleans, before the network makes a final decision on whether or not the project will go to series. Fans can catch the pilot during an episode of The Vampire Diaries that will air on April 25.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.