Paul Wesley, born Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski on July 23, 1982, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is an American actor and director. He grew up in Marlboro Township, New Jersey, and spent part of his childhood in Poland, where he learned to speak Polish fluently. Wesley attended Christian Brothers Academy and Marlboro High School before transferring to Lakewood Prep School to accommodate his acting schedule. He briefly attended Rutgers University but left after one semester to pursue acting full-time.

     Wesley began his career with roles in television series such as Guiding Light, Wolf Lake, Smallville, and Everwood. His breakthrough came in 2009 when he was cast as Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, a role he played for eight seasons until 2017. His performance earned him Teen Choice Awards and Young Hollywood Awards.

     Beyond The Vampire Diaries, Wesley has appeared in films such as Before I Disappear (2014) and Amira & Sam (2014). He has also directed episodes of The Vampire Diaries and Roswell, New Mexico. In 2022, he joined Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Captain James T. Kirk, reprising the role in Season 2.

     Wesley was married to Torrey DeVitto from 2011 to 2013 and Ines de Ramon from 2019 to 2024. He co-founded Citizen Media, a production company, and has been involved in various philanthropic efforts.