‘TVD’s’ Arielle Kebbel flips the vampire script in NBC’s ‘Midnight, Texas’

Adapted from Charlaine Harris’ popular book series, NBC’s “Midnight, Texas” features an ensemble cast of recognizable faces, including actress Arielle Kebbel — best known for her roles on “The Vampire Diaries” and “UnREAL.”

In NBC’s new summer series, Kebbel plays Olivia Charity — a protective hitwoman out to keep the town’s supernatural citizens safe. When spoke with Arielle, she was quick to point out the “Vampire Diaries” connection — Olivia is a human who is in love with a vampire.

“I felt like because I had lived in the vampire world for so long that I really knew a lot about Lem’s life and what he’s gone through —  what it’s like to be 300-years-old,” Kebbel tells Screener during Saturday’s (April 1) Wondercon. ” So, I used that kind of real life Arielle experience and translated it into the Olivia/Lem experience.”

RELATED: NBC’s ‘Midnight, Texas’ is like Charlaine Harris’s books ‘on steroids’

Peter Mensah (“Sleepy Hollow”) plays Lem: An empathetic, yet powerful vampire who lives in the city of Midnight. His charisma and deep understanding of humanity easily make Olivia and Lem’s pairing the power couple of “Midnight, Texas.”

“They see each other on such a deep level, and they know each other in such a personal way, that oftentimes they don’t need to talk,” Kebbel continues. “So, I feel like I kind of used my years of the vampire world on other shows to understand who he is as a human and as a vampire. Obviously, [Peter] adds his own to it as well — but that helped me feel more connected to him, just from the get-go.”

The goal was to build a unique relationship for the fans to connect with in “Midnight, Texas,” according to Kebbel. “We wanted to show people that, you know, a hitwoman and a vampire can fall in love too!”

“Midnight, Texas” premieres Tuesday, July 25 on NBC.

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