<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley drank so much tea during "Vampire Diaries" they had "anxiety issues."</li><li>The cast and crew eventually realized the solution to their problem was switching to decaf tea. </li></ul>Filming the first season of "Vampire Diaries" wasn't a cakewalk for Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who drank so much caffeine it harmed their mental health. While shooting scenes for the CW supernatural drama series, the cast knocked back loads of tea pretending it was whiskey. But all that caffeine over the course of a season had a negative effect on them. "We had the most insane anxiety issues because there was so much caffeine," Somerhalder <a href="https://pagesix.com/2023/03/23/ian-somerhalder-paul-wesley-had-anxiety-on-vampire-diaries/">told Page Six</a>. Wesley recalled doing "take after take" with copious amounts of tea. "You're drinking 20 to 30 cups of tea, so by the end of the day you're, like, 'Ahh!,'" Somerhalder added. "We didn't [sleep]."After shooting the first season in 2009, the cast and crew realized the solution to their anxiety issues was actually pretty simple. "We switched to decaf, so we felt a lot better," explained Wesley, adding that they drank "herbal tea."Somerhalder and Wesley, who played Damon and Stefan Salvatore on the show, would eventually go on to shoot eight seasons of "Vampire Diaries." During <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/vampire-diaries-stars-ian-somerhalder-paul-wesley-reflect-bond-playing-t214722">an interview with TODAY</a>, Somerhalder recalled the moment he knew the show was a hit with viewers. "We were trying to leave the hotel," he said. "And there was, like, 1,000 people on either side of this little hotel where we used to stay at all the time. And we had to go through secret entrances and we had multiple cars. Two dummy cars, one we were in, one we weren't. One for full security and the guy at the time who's the head of Warner Brothers International just said, 'The only time I've seen this, like, this was the launch of 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' believe it or not."While the show's two stars picked up multiple People's Choice Awards for their work, perhaps the most important thing to come out of the experience was a lasting friendship. The two also formed a business partnership and launched the bourbon brand Brother's Bond Bourbon in 2021. "The amount of times and the amount of screen grabs I have of Stefan and Damon bonding over a bourbon…and, you know, it's so cool to be able to, like, re-create that in a sense, you know?" Wesley also told TODAY. "This is our reunion."

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley developed 'insane anxiety' on 'The Vampire Diaries' because of all of the caffeine they had to drink for certain scenes

A complete timeline of 'The Vampire Diaries' costars Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley's friendship

A complete timeline of Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley's friendship, from 'Vampire Diaries' costars to alcohol brand collaborators

11 things you probably didn't know about 'The Vampire Diaries'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On "The Tonight Show," Martha Stewart shared that she follows "fan pages" for actor Brad Pitt.</li><li>"I've been sort of fascinated with this very handsome young boy on Instagram," Stewart said.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/martha-stewart-thirst-trap-instagram-drew-barrymore-show-2022-10">Martha Stewart</a> said that she wouldn't know how to act if she ever met <a href="https://www.insider.com/brad-pitt-career-last-leg-movie-gq-actor-hollywood-2022-6">Brad Pitt</a> as she is such a huge fan of the actor that she follows a fan account for him on Instagram.Appearing on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aH7bY175Go">"The Tonight Show"</a> on Thursday, the lifestyle guru chatted to host Jimmy Fallon about her friendships with some of the biggest names in entertainment, namely the <a href="https://www.insider.com/martha-stewart-says-kardashians-all-eat-very-little-kris-jenner-2022-6">Kardashian family</a> and rapper Drake. She was then asked whether there is any celebrity she has been left starstruck by.While Stewart, 81, couldn't think of anyone, she did share that there is one star she would love to meet that she hasn't had the chance to yet: Brad Pitt."Well, if I could meet — I was asked this question once — I've been sort of fascinated with this very handsome young boy on Instagram," Stewart said. "He's called Brad Pitt."<div type="image" title="Martha Stewart during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, November 17, 2022." height="2000" width="2666" msid="95605153" hostid="261" sizebytes="257524"></div>"You follow Brad Pitt?" Fallon asked, and the "Martha Stewart Living" host explained that the account she follows is a "Brad Pitt fan club" since the 58-year-old actor does not use the social media platform."They're fan pages, I guess, I don't know, but whatever it is, he looks better and better as the years go by," she said, laughing."I just sort of melt when I look at those pictures," she continued. "I mean, he is so cute!""I love that you love Brad Pitt," Fallon said, and Stewart responded: "I do, I do."Last month, Stewart gave an <a href="https://www.insider.com/martha-stewart-update-possible-date-pete-davidson-kim-kardashian-cfda-2022-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update on a possible date with Pete Davidson</a> after she was informed on "The Drew Barrymore Show" that the internet is fascinated with the idea of the two hooking up.She <a href="https://www.etonline.com/martha-stewart-talks-pete-davidson-date-and-holiday-planning-with-mariah-carey-exclusive-194041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Entertainment Tonight</a> on the red carpet at the CFDA Fashion Awards that she had not yet had her date with the "Saturday Night Live" star. "Well, one day, you'll know when we have our date," she said.Stewart might have missed her opportunity as Davidson, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-pete-davidson-relationship-everything-said-break-up-2022-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">split from Kim Kardashian in August</a>, is reportedly now dating model <a href="https://www.insider.com/pete-davidson-girlfriend-emily-ratajkowski-dating-relationship-pictures-2022-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emily Ratajkowski</a>, according to a <a href="https://people.com/style/pete-davidson-emily-ratajkowski-are-seeing-each-other-source/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">source quoted in People</a>. According to <a href="https://people.com/movies/brad-pitt-ines-de-ramon-have-been-dating-for-a-few-months-exclusive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a>, Pitt is also off the market. The Oscar winner — who is currently dealing with a <a href="https://www.insider.com/angelina-jolie-and-brad-pitt-relationship-history-2018-10">divorce and custody battle</a> with ex-wife Angelina Jolie — has reportedly been dating Swiss jewelry exec Ines de Ramon, 32, "for a few months.""They met through a mutual friend. She is very nice," a source said of de Ramon, who separated from her husband, "Vampire Diaries" star Paul Wesley, earlier this year.

Martha Stewart wants to meet Brad Pitt after following an Instagram account dedicated to the actor: 'I just melt when I look at those pictures'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dayana Sabatin was working in tech in Seattle and feeling miserable with her career.</li><li>She decided to make a major life change — so she moved to Los Angeles without a clear plan.</li></ul>Four years ago, I was a financial specialist at a tech company in Seattle — in a cubicle for eight to 10 hours a day, and beyond miserable. I decided I wanted to change my life. I always dreamed of living in a city like Los Angeles. So I made a plan and left my life in Seattle behind to move there.Since then, I've made a life for myself in LA — I'm a writer, blogger and YouTuber — but getting here was a journey. I've heard the stories of people moving to LA with less than $200 in their bank account, and I applaud them — but I wasn't one of those people. I spent three months trying to pay off school debt and save at least $10,000 for my move.I set a specific amount of money aside for rent, car payment, phone bill, gas, and groceries from every paycheck. Everything else went into savings. The goal was to move with enough money in my bank account to feel comfortable until I could get another job. I didn't give myself the option to spend money on unnecessary things. I'm not a saver — I'm strictly a spender, so it was challenging.What helped was knowing I was moving towards something that would radically change my life. Mostly though, what got me through was knowing that I was doing this purely because I wanted to. It was exhilarating. <h2>I didn't like the path I was on</h2>When I was young, my whole life revolved around the idea that I should go to college, get a degree in the tech field, secure a job that pays well, and sell my soul to the corporate world. I was homeschooled in high school, which allowed me to go to college during sophomore year, and it was decided that because my cousin made the most in our family as a software engineer, that I should become one too.I wasn't the most confident growing up; I didn't have a "passion" for anything. It was incredibly easy for me to be influenced by my family and everyone around me, because there wasn't anything specific that I wanted to do with my life. I had interests. I've always loved the idea of becoming a writer — but those dreams felt unrealistic in the world I was raised in.<h2>The change was difficult for the people around me, but I was determined</h2>By moving to LA, I was leaving behind everything I'd ever known — my mom (who's also my best friend), my baby sisters, my cousin who was also my roommate, my dog, and the friends I'd made. I've always been a huge introvert and making friends was a challenge, so the idea of having to make new friendships was scary to think about. My family felt blindsided by the news that I was moving. When I told my cousin, she looked at me like I was crazy — my mom was worried I'd be kidnapped or that I'd be all alone because I didn't know anyone. She didn't like that I'd be so far away.I told her that this was my one chance to do something different and exciting with my life. I had my mind made up — I was going to LA. I'm incredibly indecisive, so to feel so sure about something felt strange, but good. <h2>Some people in my life tried to stop me from going</h2>My boss tried to stop me leaving my job, promising me a six-figure salary if I stayed and kept my financial specialist position — I said "no thanks" — and my friends also tried to stop me, telling me it would be extremely tough to survive in LA. My ex even tried to get me to stay and then tried to convince me to take him with me.When people hear that you're chasing your dreams or doing something they don't understand, they get jealous. Usually, it's because they're unhappy with their own lives, and the idea of someone else escaping and thriving bothers them. <h2>When I saved enough, I found an apartment on Craigslist</h2>I moved to LA before securing an apartment, with around $9,000 in my bank account after paying for a hotel. I still remember the drive from Seattle to Los Angeles. I woke up at 4 a.m., feeling elated. I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing, and all those years before that moment had set me up to be where I was.I doubt Craigslist is all that safe nowadays, but I lucked out when using it for my apartment search. The place I found was only 25 minutes from the beach and I had two great roommates — I loved it. I used LinkedIn to find a job and I worked remotely for a tech startup for the first few months — I was making $2,000 a month and my rent was $1,200. My pay was enough to cover rent, food, and my coffee addiction, but the hours were infuriating. I felt like I was back in my cubicle in Seattle. After a few months, I quit and took a waitressing job at a hip restaurant in Venice, where I made around twice as much as I did before.I was still pretty lost in terms of my career, but I was living a life I was genuinely enjoying and building on my own terms. I met celebrities — like <a href="https://www.insider.com/author/jillian-michaels">Jillian Michaels</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/ian-somerhalder-paul-wesley-friendship-relationship-timeline-vampire-diaries">Paul Wesley</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/emilia-clarke-facts">Emilia Clarke</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-garnett-career-earnings-minnesota-timberwolves-2016-9">Kevin Garnett</a>. I met my now-boyfriend who introduced me to all of his friends, and I went to the beach every single day and ate incredible food.I started writing on Medium and identified my passion for writing about self-improvement and relationships. The first few months I made a few dollars, eventually those few dollars turned into a consistent few thousand. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/-how-to-earn-six-figures-as-a-freelance-writer-freelancer">monetization of my content </a>came after a whole lot of grinding and hustling. I reached out to brands, did a lot of work for free, and eventually started getting paid here and there for sponsorships and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/tips-starting-freelance-writing-business-2022-9">writing articles</a>. I stopped waitressing once I was making enough from writing. Now I'm growing my lifestyle blog, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNfFNfl7GqGLqP4-i9M-Slg/videos">my YouTube</a> channel, and working on my book about dating and relationships. Eventually, I want to publish more books — both fiction and nonfiction.<h2>My goal is to be financially free</h2>I want to be able to take care of myself and my family while doing what I love, every single day. I know what it's like to live a life dictated by outside pressure or family expectations, so I want to be an inspiration to other girls who also feel lost in their careers. I can confidently say I'm on the right path now, and I've never felt more excited about the direction my life is headed in. If you feel destined for something outside of what you currently have, then go for it. Don't be afraid to color outside of the lines.

You Searched For "Paul Wesley" and got 7 results

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley developed 'insane anxiety' on 'The Vampire Diaries' because of all of the caffeine they had to drink for certain scenes

JP Mangalindan

A complete timeline of 'The Vampire Diaries' costars Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley's friendship

Olivia Singh

A complete timeline of Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley's friendship, from 'Vampire Diaries' costars to alcohol brand collaborators

Olivia Singh

11 things you probably didn't know about 'The Vampire Diaries'

Olivia Singh

Martha Stewart wants to meet Brad Pitt after following an Instagram account dedicated to the actor: 'I just melt when I look at those pictures'

Eve Crosbie

I quit my tech job in Seattle because I was miserable here's how I moved to Los Angeles and started over as a freelancer and content creator

Dayana Sabatin

Nina Dobrev said she 'couldn't be more proud' of Shaun White after his final Olympics. Here's a timeline of their 2-year relationship.

Gabbi Shaw