Nina Dobrev can’t go back to her home country Bulgaria without being the centre of attention.
The ‘Vampire Diaries’ star was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, but moved to Canada with her parents when she was just two and although she grew up in Toronto she goes back to the Eastern European country every year.
Nina – who was named Nikolina Konstanti at birth – always feels a lot of love from her countrymen when she’s back in Bulgaria and she is very proud of her heritage.
In an interview with Prestige Hong Kong magazine, she said: "I’ve gone back almost every year, since I was little, to visit my grandparents and my family there. It’s changed so much over the years, just like Toronto has, but more so because after the wall fell the country had to rebuild itself – I’ve seen it morph and change in such a beautiful way.
"I get recognised quite a bit in Bulgaria. There have been a lot of amazing people from Bulgaria that are very talented. But I’m one of the few in the entertainment industry of Bulgarian descent and so there’s a lot of national pride and love and support. I definitely feel it when I go to visit."
Nina, 28, is now based in Los Angeles for her career and although she likes living in the home of Hollywood she admits she’s a bit of a "hermit".
She shared: "I’m a new baby to LA. I’m such a hermit. I love to be actually in my home when I’m in Los Angeles. I’ve built myself a little movie room that I spend most of my time in and also I redid my kitchen so that I can cook a lot. I’ve learned how to cook since I’ve been back. I love to have dinner parties and host people and watch movies and sleep in my bed and chill."
When she’s not working the ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’ star loves to go travelling because she enjoys learning more about the world, and of all the places she has visited Bali had a profound effect of her life.
She said: "I just love discovering new cities and cultures and learning about traditions. The world is so big and there are so many of us and we all live in such a unique way I guess I’m a student … Bali would probably be my number one place. The spiritual energy that surrounds it is palpable. It’s also very rough and raw. Parts of it are built up and parts are very deconstructed and it just feels like you’ve gone back in time. There’s serenity about the water and air and the culture. I just really, really loved Bali. After that I love Tokyo. The energy in Tokyo is very different than in Bali. It’s very high-energy, a lot of people, a lot of clutter, but there’s so much visual stimulus everywhere. Then of course China."
Nina Dobrev is a big deal back home in Bulgaria
