‘Fam’ Star Nina Dobrev Details Which ‘Friends’ Character Inspired Her New CBS Role

Nina Dobrev found inspiration for her sitcom character debut from a beloved Friends character.

The former The Vampire Diaries star will be stepping into a comedic role for her new CBS series Fam, and dished on how she got ready the new role and her inspirations.

“The reason I took the show when the opportunity presented itself was that it was so different from anything I’d ever done before,” Dobrev told TVLine. “It was also scary, which only made me want to do it more. Anything that’s challenging and scares the s— out of me is exciting. The laugh lines on my face are getting deeper and deeper, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

On the new series, Dobrev stars as Clem, a city girl whose plans for a perfect future with new fiance Nick (Tone Bell) are put on pause when her estranged half-sister (Odessa Adlon) arrives and asks to stay with them in their apartment.

The show also introduces Clem’s deadbeat dad, played by Gary Cole, who also re-enters her life, making things more complicated since Clem had previously told Nick that her father was dead.

Sounds like Clem’s family will be bringing the drama, and the laughs, to the new CBS series, though Dobrev told the outlet that the main theme of the show is a message of acceptance.

The actress also opened up about preparing for the role, which included paying visits to other CBS comedies, including The Big Bang Theory and Mom. And while she got to see sitcom veterans in action, she admitted it took some time to get used to filming in front of a live studio audience.

“I’ve grown so much,” she said looking back at the season, which wrapped filming in late 2018. “I was terrified when we filmed that first episode, but as the season progressed I got much more comfortable and really began to understand who Clem is. She evolves a lot as the season goes on. If you like the pilot, it only gets better from there.”

When it came to figuring out Clem’s look, Dobrev revealed she drew inspiration from Jennifer Aniston’s iconic Rachel from Friends.

“We told the wardrobe designer that we wanted the looks to be effortless,” she told the outlet. “Kind of like Rachel’s were.”

The first season of Fam will lead up to Clem and Nick’s wedding, and all the drama that goes on in preparation. Will the couple make it down the aisle?

Fam premieres Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.