Vampire Diaries star Steven R. McQueen ‘Jeremy Gilbert’ makes rare appearance after 7 years: ‘So happy to see him’
Steven R. McQueen reflects on career during fan event panel discussion
After seven years away from the public eye, Steven R. McQueen received a heartfelt welcome from The Vampire Diaries community.
The 38-year-old actor, best known for playing Jeremy Gilbert on the CW drama, attended a two-day fan convention in Paris on October 3 and 4. It was his first public appearance since 2019. Throughout the weekend, he posed for photos with attendees and took part in a panel discussion about the series.
McQueen was joined by several former co-stars, including Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham and Riley Voelkel, which made the gathering feel like a reunion for longtime viewers.
Fans rally around a familiar face
As photos and clips from the event spread online, a few social media users remarked on how the actor looked. Many fans quickly pushed back. They shared supportive messages and said they were simply happy to see him again. One fan on X described feeling protective of McQueen and vowed to defend him from unkind comments.
A look back at his career
On The Vampire Diaries, McQueen played Jeremy, the younger brother of Nina Dobrev's Elena Gilbert. He was with the show for six seasons before leaving. He later came back alongside Dobrev for the 2017 series finale and played Jeremy once more in a 2018 episode of the spinoff Legacies.
In 2015, McQueen joined NBC's Chicago Fire as firefighter Jimmy Borrelli and stayed for two seasons. His character was eventually written out. Co-creator Michael Brandt told Entertainment Weekly at the time that the change came from the writers' need to streamline a crowded ensemble and focus the storytelling on fewer characters. Brandt also said he believed McQueen deserved a bigger role than the show could offer him.
His return in Paris showed that the affection fans have for him has stayed strong over the years.
