Season four of The Vampire Diaries will be a momentous one, full of riveting storylines, crazy supernatural drama, and new characters. So far viewers know that Jeremy’s childhood friend April (played by Grace Phipps) will be returning to Mystic Falls and that a new vicious vampire hunter by the name of Connor (played by Todd Williams) will be setting his sights on poor Elena. However, who’s going to fill in the intellectual educator void that used to be claimed by Alaric Saltzman (history teacher extraordinaire)? Professor Shane of course.
According to TVD updates, Professor Shane — who is a paranormal pundit — will be a recurring character whose story arc stems from the Season 2 episode “Bad Moon Rising” (during which Ric, Damon, and Elena dropped by Duke University’s campus to get caught up on Isobel’s research). His presence will help our favorite Mystic Falls seniors begin to think about the transition from high school to college. Moreover, he will be working closely alongside Bonnie Bennett, and word on the street is that there will be considerable chemistry between the two of them!
So who will be portraying this mysterious university scholar? No one’s been cast yet but here are a few actors who would be perfect for the part!
Matthew Gray Gubler
As Dr. Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds, Matt pretty much portrays a genius on television already -- but he would be so perfect as Professor Shane. He's handsome, likeable, and just geeky enough to pass for a supernatural mastermind!Columbus Short
Alaric may have been a huge history nerd -- but he was a tough guy who clocked many hours in the supernatural battlefield. We'd love to see an educator who's not only smart, but also confident, and capable in deadly situations. Columbus Short rocked us a step dancer who defied the odds in Stomp The Yard so he won't have any trouble dealing with paranormal drama, that's for sure! (Plus, we've seen him in recent episodes ofZach Gilford
Who's this Zach fellow? If you're a huge Friday Night Lights buff, then you'd know him best as Matt Saracen, a Dillon Panther with plenty of heart and potential. (And if you're a hardcore Taylor Swift fan, then you've probably seen him getting cozy with Tay-Tay on a pile of autumn leaves in her music video for "Ours.") Zach is able to dive right into the complexities of an underdog character and make him 100% memorable. Plus, we kind of picture Professor Shane being on the younger side of the spectrum and an everyday kind of guy -- with the ability to rock a thesis and a peacoat!Wentworth Miller
This Hollywood stud and Princeton graduate has everything who seek in a quality educator -- brains, brawn, and plenty of charm. Our homegirl Bonnie deserves a decent man in her life and Wentworth would definitely make for one steamy hookup. Moreover, we know he's got what it takes to play a super smart guy who happens to pack a mean punch -- after all, he did orchestrate a couple of successful jail breaks as Michael Scofield in Prison Break! (On a side note, we're kind of hoping that Professor Shane has something bad ass about him -- perhaps a hot tattoo that maps out the entire supernatural world in a secret language? We can only dream...)Anthony Mackie
Anthony is a big-time movie actor (The Adjustment Bureau, The Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby) with a busy schedule so who knows if he even has time to drop by Mystic Falls for some monster cruising and Bennett witch loving. What we do know is that he's debonair, gifted, and manages to convey so much emotion with so few words -- and that he possesses an air of sophistication and intelligence which we feel a college professor should have. Moreover, his deep, brown eyes make us melt and we're pretty sure they'd have the same effect on Miss Bonnie! And just in case you didn't already know, he's got plenty of fang experience under his belt -- he beheaded a few bloodsucking fiends in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter this year so he's certainly got experience dealing with supernatural baddies.Zachary Quinto
American Horror Story, Heroes, Charmed and Star Trek as Spock...yep, Zach has what it takes to take on the role of a paranormal obsessed scholar! Additionally, not only is intriguing to watch as an actor but he's a handsome devil who looks damn good in glasses -- the key accessory to any quintessential college professor! (Thanks to @VampireDiaries twitter follower @HuseyinBerik for this suggestion.)Who would you love to see take on the role of Professor Shane on The Vampire Diaries Season 4? Post your top recommendations in the comments!
matthew gray gubler !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Matthew Gray Gublerrr!!! He is an amazing actor!