Paul Wesley, the star of Vampire Diaries, recently let his Polish fans know how much Poland means to him. On a new episode of his podcast series for the Mindset self-care app, he talked about the link he has to his Polish ancestry and how it motivated him to become an actor.
Paweł Wasilewski (professionally known as Paul Wesley) was born on July 23, 1982, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is a well-known American actor, director, and producer. Paul is known for his roles in the supernatural drama TV series “The Vampire Diaries” (2009–2017). He also performed in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (since 2022).’
Childhood in the USA
He was raised by his parents Agnieszka and Tomasz, in Marlboro with his three sisters – Monika, Julia, and Leah. During his childhood, he alternated between living in Poland and the U.S. with his grandparents each year until the age of 16. He studied at Christian Brothers Academy but was kicked out due to his tendency to start fights.
Paul began his education at Marlboro High School, and it was here that he began to take acting seriously. In the year 2000, he enrolled at Rutgers University. After only one semester he quitted, recognizing that he had a real shot at success in the film industry.
More ‘American friendly’ surname
In 2005, he elected to alter his surname to Wesley. It was due to the fact that Wasilewski was too hard for Americans to pronounce or recall. He has had roles in a lot of films and TV shows. He played Lancelot in the telefilm “Young Arthur,” and Travor in the drama “The Power of Serenity.” Since 2009, he has taken on the part of a vampire called Stefan in the well-known series “Vampire Diaries.”
Paul in Warsaw in 2019 ⤵️
Check out Paul’s Instagram and Twitter.
Read also the article about Paul where he talks about “feeling more Polish than American.”