It may be trite to use nocturnal references in a story about vampires, but Nina Dobrev is over the moon at how "The Vampire Diaries," her new series on The CW, has been received by both viewers and critics.

"On behalf of the entire cast, I can say that we're very excited and happy that the world has finally had a chance to see the show, because it's like we've had this great little secret, and now we're finally allowed to talk about it," she says. "I'm glad viewers seem to be relating to Elena. We're trying to make her very real."

Starring opposite Ian Somerhalder ( "Lost") and Paul Wesley ("Fallen"), Dobrev, 20, is a fresh face to U.S. viewers who didn't see her in the Canadian high-school drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation." In fact, she moved to the United States only a few months ago from Toronto, where she grew up after her parents moved the family from their native Bulgaria when Dobrev was 2 years old.

"Bulgaria is a beautiful country, but a few years before I was born it was communist-occupied, and life was difficult for a lot of people," she explains. "As soon as people were allowed to leave the country and explore, my parents took that opportunity, and we moved to North America. I have spent most of my life in Toronto, but I also have gone back and forth to Bulgaria during summers and Christmas breaks. Most of my extended family is still there, and I definitely am bilingual and relate to both cultures."

Growing up as a tomboy, Dobrev attended a performing arts high school, then took additional acting classes, got an agent and began auditions. "I've really grown and changed within the past four years," she says.