‘The Vampire Diaries’: Is Bonnie’s dad coming into play?

This Thursday on “The Vampire Diaries” Season 4 premiere, Bonnie (Kat Graham) will make a drastic move in a last-ditch effort to save her friend’s life — and suffice to say, her witch “sisters” on the other side won’t be pleased by her umpteenth rebellion against their precious balance of nature. With the witches turning against her, Bonnie will be in need of some guidance. First, she’ll find that in Professor Shane, who works at the University where her grandmother used to teach.

But Shane won’t be the only adult male figure in Bonnie’s life this year. Producers are currently casting the role of Rudy Owens, a handsome African-American man in his late thirties to early forties. (Say, just old enough to have fathered an 18-year-old Bonnie Bennett?) The only thing we know about Rudy is that he’s “a protective parent.” It’s a recurring guest star role that will first be introduced in Episode 10.

Bonnie, of course, gets her surname from her mother’s side, passed down through Abby and Sheila, and we haven’t heard her father’s name before on the show. In fact, we know very little about Bonnie’s primary caregiver. Early in Season 1, we learned that he wasn’t particularly thrilled about Bonnie spending a lot of time at her Grams’ house, and in Season 2, it was mentioned that Bonnie’s dad didn’t want to know about her involvement in witchcraft. His side of the family is the “normal” side, but given how long he’s lived in Mystic Falls, he can’t be all normal… right?

We have to say, if Rudy is Bonnie’s dad, it’s about freakin’ time his protective instincts start to come out. When your kid gets that many nosebleeds, you’re supposed to worry.

Who do you think should play Bonnie’s dad? Weigh in with your dream casting suggestions in the comments below.

Photo/Video credit: The CW