It was a surprise when Nina Dobrev, who plays as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce, decided to leave the popular TV series, "The Vampire Diaries." In a recent talk, the actress finally revealed the real reason for her departure.

When she quit the show, it left a noticeable gap since she played two of the most important characters in the story. Fortunately, she returned to the series for its finale — bringing a nostalgic feeling both to her co-stars and the viewers. She has been relatively open regarding her motives of bidding goodbye.

Now, she spoke out in a recent interview with Rogue magazine about the real reason behind her decision. She said, "I wanted to prove everyone wrong who said I would play this one role my whole life or be stuck playing younger roles. I've always wanted to take big risks."

"I grew with the show and I wanted to continue to grow outside of it. Mentally, it was a crazy time. I was 27 when I left the show. I was ready to do something different," she added. Dobrev spent seven years in the American fantasy TV series. It is quite reasonable for the now-28-year-old actress to grow up and out of her characters as it was her time to move on.

Her current remark for leaving "The Vampire Diaries" is more plain-spoken than the reason she gave earlier in August. In a talk with Harper's Bazaar, she explained, "If anything, the fact that [leaving] terrified me drove me even more. I needed to feel that fear of 'Oh, my God, what if I never get a job again?'"

Dobrev added that she wanted to play adult roles, not the teenager ones anymore. It sounds like she sought to break free from the world of "The Vampire Diaries" for a season to explore other worlds.