Zach Roerig

Zach Roerig is an American actor best known for playing Matt Donovan on The Vampire Diaries. Born in Montpelier, Ohio, Roerig attended Montpelier High School, where he was active in football and wrestling, and later worked for his father and grandfather at their Fackler Monuments business. After high school, he moved to New York City to pursue modeling and acting opportunities, studying at the Barbizon Modeling and Acting School as he worked to establish himself in the entertainment industry.

Roerig got his start in Hollywood with roles on daytime television, appearing as Casey Hughes on As the World Turns and Hunter Atwood on One Life to Live. His early success led to primetime opportunities, including a recurring role on Friday Night Lights. In 2009, he landed the role of Matt Donovan on The Vampire Diaries, which ran for eight seasons and propelled him to mainstream fame. He went on to reprise the role on spinoffs The Originals and Legacies.

Some of Roerig’s later work includes projects like The Last Full Measure (2019), Days of Reckoning (2025), The Waterfront and Boots.

Roerig has a daughter, Fiona (born in 2011), whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Alana Turner. He previously dated his The Vampire Diaries costar Candice King and, in 2025, he began dating Arielle Kebbel. The pair confirmed their split the following year.