Paul Wesley - The Vampire Diaries - Live with Kelly - Pictures

What’s the next best thing to Chicago’s The Vampire Diaries Convention, which took place on Saturday and Sunday? Paul Wesley on Live with Kelly! It was with some skepticism that I woke up at 4AM to head for the city but it was all worth it in the end.

Ever since this uber-cheesy-but-somehow-amazing TV movie/mini-series Fallen, I have been kind of in love with Paul Wesley. Sure, he was a lot younger then, and a hell of a lot less buff, but that charm. That charisma. That hair. Seriously, I think the hair might be my favorite thing. His charm is something that has solidified the awesomeness of Vampire Diaries since the show started, and it has helped carry it a long way into finding a developing a fanbase. In short, I deeply adore Paul Wesley.

Naturally, when I read he was going to be on Live with Kelly in the coming weeks, I jumped at the opportunity even if very few of my friends actually watch the show. I never know what to expect when I go to wait at Live with Kelly anymore. There’s always way too many people, it’s disorganized, and the guests rarely ever seem to stop by the garage anymore. Strangely enough, when I arrived outside the studios before the crack of dawn at 6AM sharp, there wasn’t even a soul. Not a single person in the standby line, ticket line, or near the garage. I met up with my friend Victoria by 6:45, and still there was only like three people by the time she got there.

Things were still looking great for awhile. I was tempted to burst out in song (“Just the Two of Us” probably would have worked), and then by the time he arrived they had put us behind a barricade. At the studios, a barricade is a scary place to be. If crazy people jump the guest, you have zero chance of meeting them standing twenty or so feet away behind a barricade.

When he tweeted he was on his way, there was about seven or eight people. We all kind of squirmed in glee because, well, it’s Paul Wesley. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t stop on the way in for anything because he arrived after the show already started. Still, girls were screaming for him to roll down his window as his black SUV pulled up. He smiled a wide smile as my friends and I waved to his car. I didn’t get a picture of that, but in my mind that is one of the most perfect moments of the day. That moment you can’t capture, where you are truly acknowledged. Just seeing that smile made the whole day worth it, even if it got much crazier shortly after.

Around this time, more and more people started piling in by the minute. By 9:30 when Ice T’s car pulled forward to leave the studio, there were crazy autograph hunters with their boards and paparazzi everywhere. Of course, there were like two Ice-T fans and the crazy people who threw themselves at his car got first dibs. I wasn’t about to go out of my way to meet the guy, although his performance in Leprechaun in the Hood is pretty epic. After he left though, that’s when the madness really started.

First, nobody was staying behind the barricades anymore. Random people that had just got there were crowded near the garage door anxious for a glimpse of Paul Wesley even though we had gotten there much, much earlier. The security came out a few minutes later and got things under control, screaming for everyone to go back behind the barricade. I booked it and hopped over the barricade to get to the other side quickly, as did another chick. I was not about to give up my spot after waiting there for hours.

When Paul finally came out, he was absolutely gorgeous. As he approached all of us in the barricade, he didn’t really seem too perplexed at all. He was very friendly, acknowledging people when they said things to him (“You finally tweeted!” “Yes, I did!”). He signed my Vampire Diaries season 1 DVD (I wanted to be that cool fan who had Fallen on DVD, but I just haven’t gotten around to buying it yet) and then took a picture. He looked very at ease despite the crazy situation.

The second he went down the first row of the barricade, people started getting pretty crazy and going around it just to get near him. He took a step back and then there was some crazy pushing. Right after that, he left and headed back to his car, and he was off. We all waved bye as he left in his car, still giddy from meeting him in the flesh.

The sun was beating down hard, so I’m squinting, but I still love the picture. It’s a memento of a really bizarre day that almost didn’t work out. Paul Wesley is awesome, and I’m just glad he even came over to us at all. The hiatus is almost over for more Vampire Diaries! Don’t miss an all-new episode this Thursday at 8pm on The CW.