Candice King

Candice Accola possessed innate talent and an approachable charisma that made her a breakout star on television. Prior to acting onscreen, she launched her career as a recording artist and even sang back-up for tween pop star Miley Cyrus. But it seemed Hollywood had bigger plans for the hardworking and driven Accola.

She made her mainstream feature debut in the surprise hit "Juno" (2007), the award winning, slice-of-teen-life movie written by Diablo Cody, and immediately landed roles in independent features and on primetime TV shows. Eventually Accola made her mark on "The Vampire Diaries" (The CW, 2009-17) - a sexy and thrilling series that surpassed expectations that it was merely a "Twilight" (2008) rip-off - as a former bad girl-turned-vampire. Accola's layered and often times moving performance on the hit program won her a loyal fan base while also establishing the actress as an ingénue capable of a multifaceted entertainment career.

Candice Accola was born on May 13, 1987 in Houston, TX to Kevin, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and Carolyn, an environmental engineer-turned-homemaker, but was raised in Edgewood, FL along with her younger brother. The family moved to Los Angeles during her junior year of high school. Prior to acting, Accola initially pursued a music career, signing a record deal at the age of 16. Her vocal talent even landed the aspiring star a spot as one of Miley Cyrus' back-up singers in the musical film "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" (2008).

She continued to tour with the pop princess as well as made a second appearance in yet another Cyrus film, "Hannah Montana: The Movie" (2009), a full-length feature based on the hit Disney Channel sitcom that had made Cyrus a star.

Moving away from music, Accola made her mainstream acting debut in the 2007 film "Juno," the Academy Award-winning comedy written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman. The film starred Ellen Page as Juno, a quirky teen dealing with her unplanned pregnancy. In one hilarious scene, Accola played the title character's feisty and loudmouthed lab partner who argues with her boyfriend in class.

Following "Juno," Accola's film career shifted toward indie projects, with featured roles in the sex worker drama "On the Doll" (2007) and in the horror film "Deadgirl" (2008). On television, she scored guest starring roles on hits such as "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 2005-14) and "Supernatural" (The WB, 2005-06; The CW, 2006- ). In 2009, Accola joined the cast of "The Vampire Diaries," a supernatural drama series based on the young adult novels penned by L.J. Smith.

While it was initially written off as merely capitalizing on the blockbuster success of the similarly themed "Twilight" film franchise, the series' engaging plot lines and cast made "The Vampire Diaries" a unique hit. Accola played Caroline Forbes, the friend and former nemesis of protagonist Elena (Nina Dobrev), who turns into a vampire during the second season.

By Candy Cuenco