Nina Dobrev: Gymnastics made me competitive

Actress Nina Dobrev is ambitious and competitive thanks to gymnastics.

The American is best known for her work on The Vampire Diaries, although she left the series earlier this year (15). Nina is determined to keep developing her acting career and that willingness to succeed comes from her childhood pastime.

“I started (gymnastics) really late for my age, and everyone said I would never amount to do much,” she told WhoWhatWear.

“Because I was older, they put me in the age group with much better gymnasts. And when I was around them, because they were so good and I felt insignificant in comparison, it made me work a lot harder. That’s the Capricorn in me: very ambitious and very competitive.”

While Nina chose to go into the acting profession rather than continue with sport, it hasn’t made her any less motivated. Now that she’s free from The CW series, the 26-year-old wants to be pushed to her limits and tested as an actress.

“I want to do something dark and gritty,” she confessed. “I want to work with directors that I admire and that will make me better and actors that will challenge me and scare the sh*t out of me.”

When she isn’t busy seeking out the ideal role, Nina is also working on her first home in Los Angeles. She admits it’s been a long process, and eye-opening at times, but there have been some nice parts to becoming a homeowner too.

“I’ve been getting ideas from ( designers, Brandon Qattrone and MyDomaine editor at large Mat Sanders) and stepping out of my usual patterns and doing things that I never would have done,” she added. “I’ve been trusting them a lot and taking risks, but it has paid off.”