The Vampire Diaries' Michael Malarkey Reveals Why Enzo Is Hesitant to Take the Cure

by Sadie Gennis | Feb 2, 2017 2:40 PM EST

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While the Salvatores are off dealing with the devil, Enzo (Michael Malarkey) is facing a dilemma of his own on The Vampire Diaries this week.
After Bonnie (Kat Graham) turned down Enzo's offer to become a vampire, she turned the offer back on him and asked Enzo to take the cure and become human. And now, after 141 years on this planet - 114 of which have been spent as a vamp - Enzo must decide which is more important: love or immortality?
Michael Malarkey spoke with TVGuide.com about why Enzo is hesitant to become human, how far he'll go to protect Bonnie and if there's marriage on the horizon for the happy couple.
Bonnie and Enzo go on a roadtrip this week with the Bell. What do they get up to?
Michael Malarkey: It's kind of equal parts romantic getaway and also a bit of a bucket list ticker. Bonnie is trying to convince Enzo to take the cure and also wants to take advantage of his immortality before he does that. She's like, "What are the things you want to do the most?" And so they go on this bucket list trip. We're going to see him, for example, driving a race car around a race track, which we shot at Atlanta Speedway, which is pretty cool. And he does things like skydiving and all that sh--. It's kind of a fun, little trip and also romantic, but not without its dangerous hiccups along the way.

Where is Enzo's mind at when it comes to the prospect of becoming human?
Malarkey: It's taken him this long to find acceptance and a family environment. This relationship he's in -- this is the most meaningful thing that's happened to him in his haggard, tortured, long life. And so he wants to do whatever he can to have a normal relationship, I believe. And so I think he feels this is perhaps an opportunity for that to be reality. Although, he loves being a vampire. So I'm sure it's somewhat hard to digest.
What do you think Enzo would miss the most about being a vampire?
Malarkey: Probably that he could win pretty much any fight. If you're just in a bar and you're human and a brawl happens, you could get shanked.
Do you think Enzo is scared of his own mortality?
Malarkey: I think so. He feels very protective of Bonnie and if he were to become a human, there would be a part of him that would feel unable to protect her in certain situations, especially with the crowd that they tend to hang with.
The Vampire Diaries' final season might be its best ever
Do you think if Bonnie and Enzo were to both be human, they would be able to settle into a normal life, or would they always be drawn to the supernatural drama?
Malarkey: That's a good question. I think generally people who are wrapped up in a form of darkness, metaphorical or otherwise, tend to be somewhat addicted to that. So perhaps there would be a part of them wouldn't be able to stay away from it. But I think they would do everything they could to try and live a normal life after all the sh-- they've been through.
Is it hard for Bonnie and Enzo to balance such a potential turning point in their relationship with also fighting the devil?
Malarkey: Yeah. It's a super mutli-layered situation going on here. They're trying to save the world as well as save themselves and build a relationship while all that sh-- is going on. But they're solid. They're in a great place and really love each other. We get to see a lot of that in this upcoming episode.
We know later this season, Cade (Wolé Parks) actually targets Bonnie. How does Enzo respond to that?
Malarkey: He's definitely a really strong and present influence on her to find her own strength in the coming episodes when she goes through all that.
What role does Enzo take in helping to stop Cade as the season progresses?
Malarkey: It's more about how he's supporting Bonnie in her fight for that, because she's much more active in that particular fight. And so his role is for her psychological support and really being there for her and helping her regain her own strength and fight as strongly as she can.
The Vampire Diaries exclusive: Damon tries to quit Cade!
When you look back at how far Enzo has come since he was first introduced, what's your favorite part about this journey?
Malarkey: I really loved the Armory storyline in Season 7 because it was about his origin. It was his origin story and his family. I quite enjoyed delving into his backstory like that and getting to know him more and flushing out my own story as an actor with a lot more weight to it. I feel like that's informed a lot of who he's become and finding all those things out has made him a stronger person and more grounded.
When you first learned Bonnie and Enzo were going to be paired up, did you ever expect they would become such a great couple?
Malarkey: I thought they would be feistier for longer. They seemed to have really completely embraced this relationship, which I think is amazing. I think often times when you get people who have been tortured and been through the mill, they do throw themselves into that and find a loving, grounded support. But no, I didn't know it was going to be all like that. It's been fun.
If Enzo is so ready to commit to Bonnie that he's considering becoming human, does that mean he's also ready to commit to marriage?
Malarkey: I'm sure that's something he's been thinking about. That's all I'll say about that.
Nina Dobrev has been back on set for the finale. What's it like to have her around again?
Malarkey: Nina's always been like the cheerleader of the show. And I mean that in a good way. She brings a lot of energy, she likes to plan things and do social stuff. It's really nice to have that energy back.
Is there anything you can tease about what fans should expect from the finale?
Malarkey: There's blood, sweat and tears. And also a little bit of joy. There's a little bit of something for everybody. You'll get to see some familiar faces. There's going to be a lot of tears shed, I'm sure.
Is it a happy ending or more bittersweet?
Malarkey: It's kind of different for some of the characters, but I feel overall it's going to definitely feel bittersweet. There's always a silver lining, and we definitely get that at the end of the series.

‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 8 Spoilers: Ian Somerhalder Used Michael Malarkey’s Music In Winter Premiere

By Nicole Massabrook @NKMass On 01/10/17 AT 11:13 AM

It’s no secret that the cast of “The Vampire Diaries” is musically talented, but Michael Malarkey won’t just be strumming the guitar as Enzo in the winter premiere. Season 8, episode 8 will feature an original song the actor wrote.
Ian Somerhalder, who directed the hour, revealed that Malarkey’s song “Scars” fit perfectly into this episode. It will be used at the end of the midseason premiere for a montage, and the actor even recorded a special extended version just for “The Vampire Diaries.”
Somerhalder told Entertainment Weekly “Scars” was a great fit for the CW drama. “The song basically sums up a lot of what we’re seeing in the episode, and it timed up perfectly with the last five minutes of this episode, which is this really beautiful montage that interacts with and is sort of scored by this song,” the Damon Salvatore actor said.
Somerhalder added that he enjoyed getting to work with Marlarkey behind the camera. “It was really special getting to work with someone who is dear to me,” he said.
Fans of Marlarkey know that he has been playing music for a long time, and he isn’t just strumming the guitar when he is in character. “I have a guitar and amp and pedals in my dressing room, so sometimes in between scenes, if I have some time and am feeling it, I’ll sit and play, see what happens,” he told WYSO last month. “Actually, two of the songs off the new record were written in my dressing room between scenes.”
Malarkey’s new album is expected to be released this summer, and fans can track the album’s progress and pre-order it through his Pledge Music page. However, his single “Scars” will be available for download after the winter premiere airs.
Malarkey isn’t the first member of the “TVD” cast to contribute a song to the soundtrack. Kat Graham, who plays his love interest Bonnie, added a cover of Garbage’s “Only Happy When It Rains” to the “Vampire Diaries” soundtrack in Season 2. Both actors are expected to focus on music more after the CW drama ends in March.
The winter premiere of “The Vampire Diaries” Season 8 airs Friday at 8 p.m. EST on The CW.
Michael Marlakey and Kat Graham have both contributed to the soundtrack of “The Vampire Diaries.” Malarkey’s song “Scars” will be in the midseason premiere. Photo: CW

new Pix and a few old

'The Vampire Diaries' Season 8 Premiere Q&A: Michael Malarkey

October 21, 2016 8:43 AM PDT

Damon and Enzo are not quite themselves on The CW's "The Vampire Diaries."
When the show returns on Friday night with the premiere of its eighth (and final season), the boys are leaving a bloody trail across the country -- behavior sparked by something that happened to them inside The Armory at the end of Season 7.
But not everything is as it seems. Michael Malarkey's character, Enzo, may have a light hold on reality, as he fights for self control against the demonic creature making him do things.

PHOTOS: 'The Vampire Diaries' Season 8

With the show beginning it's final season, Access Hollywood turned to Michael for more insight into Enzo's fight, when we might see the vampire reunite with girlfriend Bonnie, and more.
AccessHollywood.com: What did Enzo and Damon get up to on their 'summer vacation' (that's what I'm going to call it)?
Michael Malarkey: Wasn't quite a Euro-trip. They've mostly been cavorting around different parts of America, I believe, and finding victims and butchering them in a warehouse is what we see teased in the teaser. And yeah, they've been working under this mysterious force of evil whose been encouraging them/forcing them to commit these murders for reasons which will be made clear in the first episode.

Access: A lot of us are curious -- obviously with good reason -- as to how your characters became the [murderous/possessed vampires] we saw at the end [of Season 7]. Will that be explored a little bit? Have you started to dig into that? Michael: Well … we find out that they are basically having their minds controlled a little bit by this mysterious evil force and they don't really have a choice in the matter, and Enzo is a little bit more reluctant to being mind-controlled than Damon. He has a lot more of his guard up, he's undergone torture a lot, he doesn't like working for anybody else, as we've discerned from seasons prior, so that's a bit of a conflict there between the two of them. But yeah, basically they are having to do these things and commit these unspeakable things. Whether they enjoy it or not is up to their personality traits, I guess.
Access: [Does it feel] like playing two characters when your character is forced to do things? Is it kind of a different Enzo that we're going to see? Michael: Yeah, in fact it's really been quite a joy as an actor to play that because he has to be quite guarded in certain respects. I mean, it's like being a double agent. He had a little bit of that last season with The Armory, and that was great to play because I just pretended I was James Bond, and now this one runs a little bit deeper. It's a lot more of a psychological double agent type thing, so it's pretty fascinating stuff what they concocted here, and God, I wish I could tease a bit more, but there's going to be so many more questions that open up once we see the first episode and a lot of questions answered as well.
Access: You mentioned James Bond.  … [Are] you a huge James Bond? Michael: James Bond and I go way back to the holiday I took in Turkey awhile back, where I was looking for something to read and I just grabbed this like Ian Fleming -- the first three Bond books. They were in one edition and reading that on a beach, in Turkey, with a martini – it was pretty incredible. … It was the first time I'd really discovered how much of a badass Bond was. And in the books, his personality is a lot more that of Daniel Craig. He looks more like Sean Connery, I suppose, but the personality is definitely hard-nosed and [he's] got a hard edge to him and you would be, wouldn't you? But yeah, I'm a huge Bond fan. I've seen almost all the movies and I do particularly love Daniel Craig's interpretation.

Access: Awesome. Let me wrap this up by asking you how soon until we get a reunion between Enzo and Bonnie, as tough as it's going to be to watch considering what's going on for him?Michael: Well, it's going to happen, for better or worse, at some point. I mean, we will see them together -- I believe in a flashback form -- in the first episode, so at least fans will appreciate getting a little bit more to the story. And, yeah, there's a lot of stuff we're doing currently, so you'll see under what pretense that falls further on down the line. But yeah, it's been really great. This season is a pretty rollicking ride and I'm having a lot of fun this season.
"The Vampire Diaries" Season 8 premieres Friday at 8/7c on The CW.

-- Jolie Lash

Michael Malarkey on the Final Season of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and Enzo’s Redemption

by Christina Radish   

The CW series The Vampire Diaries is back for its eighth and final season, which finds Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) still gone and wreaking murderous havoc, after falling under the sway of an evil creature, while Stefan (Paul Wesley) tirelessly pushes forward with their search and Bonnie (Kat Graham) questions whether they’ll ever be found. As they realize that whatever has a hold of them may have a more damaging grip than they could have ever imagined, they will have to decide what drastic measures they’re willing to use to break them free.
During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Michael Malarkey talked about the show’s twisted final season, that Enzo doesn’t like being told what to do, how this situation will affect the dynamic between Enzo and Damon, whether he can find redemption, that he’s rooting for Enzo and Bonnie, what it’s like to know that they’re shooting the final season, and what he’ll remember most about this experience. He also talked about the music he’s currently writing and recording for the album he’s working on, due out in 2017.

Image via The CW

Collider: Your character took a really interesting journey last season, which set up a dark and crazy final season. Will it be as twisted as it looks?
MICHAEL MALARKEY: It definitely starts out pretty damn twisted. We end where we left off, at the end of last season. Damon and Enzo are on their no good murder path. We find out a bit more about that and why they’re doing what they’re doing. We find out that they’ve basically been overtaken by this evil spirit who’s kind of the puppet master, although Enzo is fighting it a bit more than Damon is. In the first episode, you’ll find out that Damon is very much his malicious old Season 1 self.
Is it fair to say that Enzo does not necessarily want to be doing what he’s doing?
MALARKEY: If we’ve learned anything about Enzo it’s that he doesn’t like being told what to do. He doesn’t like being someone’s henchman, just for the sake of it. He needs to know why things are happening. He has a really strong moral code. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, at all, but he wants to be doing it for his own reasons and for a reason, in general, as opposed to some wishy-washy thing where he’s like, “What the hell is even going on?!” He’s also been succumbed to 70 years of torture, so he has a hardened skin, as far as fighting things goes.
Enzo hasn’t been in this kind of situation with Damon before, so how is this going to change their dynamic?
MALARKEY: Also, Enzo is accustomed to being a solo operator. He’s a bit of a lone wolf. Having to work with somebody else, especially somebody who isn’t quite on the same wavelength as him, can be maddening. So many movies are made about that. That’s the issue that Enzo is dealing with. Also, Damon is his pal, so the conflict of, “Do I stay by his side? And if he becomes even more of an overlord, when do I cut my ties?” It delves into finding the cracks in their friendship, a little bit.
We’ve seen Enzo be a bit of a villain, at times, or at least do some villainous things, but he’s also been a sympathetic enough character to come back from it. Can he come back from this?
MALARKEY: The big question that a lot of people have been asking is, what is redemption? That’s a question that a show like this oftentimes asks because it does touch on points of good and evil. Does pure evil and pure good even exist? I don’t know exactly what will happen, as far as that goes, but I think they’re going to touch on that nerve, a little bit more, throughout the season. Who’s truly going to be saved and who’s going to meet their maker?

Image via The CW

On a scale of bad, really bad, and really, really bad things that have happened on this show, where does all of this fall? Is it the worst that it’s been?
MALARKEY: It’s pretty gruesome, the things that they’re doing. I don’t know how to say it without giving something away, so I’ll just say that it’s about a 7, and then move on.

This season, everyone will have to work together to try to set Damon and Enzo free from what’s controlling them. What’s it like to have everyone involved in the same storyline, this season?
MALARKEY: I think it’s a really, really great move to have everybody involved together. I’ve enjoyed working on all of the past seasons, but sometimes when your character is a C-storyline, which has happened a few times, you’re barely working. In this instance, everybody is on the same page and on board, and we’re all working a lot together. I think that’s good for camaraderie, for the last season. It’s just good to see everybody more.
One of the highlights of Season 7 was the relationship that developed and evolved between Enzo and Bonnie. He’s had to help save her, and now she has to help save him, so how challenging will this be for them? Are you rooting for them to figure this out together?
MALARKEY: Yeah. They’ve really, really had to fight for each other, and I think that’s something we see with this couple that we haven’t really had since Damon and Elena. I really appreciate the work that Kat [Graham] and I put into it, and I think the fans do, too. I’m rooting for them because, after so many years of playing Enzo being tortured, torturing himself, and not finding what he’s looking for, for him to finally have a certain sense of satisfaction, as an actor, you feel that, too. You want that satisfaction for your character because you have great empathy for all the characters that you play. I hope things turn out “all right,” in the end.

Image via The CW

How does it feel to make this season, knowing that it’s the last season and that you’re living through the conclusion of a story that’s been given eight seasons to be told?
MALARKEY: It’s great that we’re able to know that. I think it gives the writers a chance to wrap things up in a tidier package than it would have been otherwise. For me, it gives me a chance to focus on the future, as well, and to start making plans. I’ve approached my work on this season with a bit of a different scalpel. I really wanted to go back to the work and check to see if I’ve gotten lazy in any areas, and really fine tune my work, as I move into this next chapter of my life.
What have you most enjoyed about playing Enzo that you think will be the thing that stands out for you about this character, once you have to say goodbye to him?
MALARKEY: It’s the first time I’ve had a believable British accent that fooled people. No. All jokes aside, although that is fun to notate, I’ll never forget working with this group of people in Atlanta, Georgia, and falling in love with the city, as well, and rekindling my love for America and the American people. I’d been away from it for a decade, before getting this job. Part of my Americanness slipped away a bit, and coming back here has really helped me reconnect to that. I’m proud to be an American.
You’ve also got an album of your music that you’re currently working on. What are you looking to get out of that experience, and how do you feel things are shaping up with that?

Image via The CW

MALARKEY: I’ve written music since I was just leaving high school. It’s always been a huge passion of mine, from being a record collector to being a love performer, as well as a studio musician. I’ve also performed on the West End in a musical before. So, it’s been a huge part of my life, and it always will be, no matter what happens. This particular batch of songs, I’m super proud of. I feel like I’ve gotten to this point in my life and my musicianship where I’m hitting a certain stride of songwriting. We’re literally banging the songs out in the studio like hotcakes. Everybody is on fire right now, so I’m really buzzing about it. Also, last summer, I went on tour in the U.K. and Europe, and it was the first time I’d toured with a band since playing in a punk band, just after high school. That really rekindled the desire in me to be a music performer again. By no means, am I leaving acting behind, but I definitely actively want to pursue music as a sideline career, as well, and take these new songs on the road. They’ve got a fuller band sound and they’re a lot more orchestrated. It’s going to be a pretty legit tour when it happens, so I’m super stoked.
Where can people go to buy the album and keep up-to-date on all things pertaining to your music?
MALARKEY: On all of my social, I have a link at the top, which goes straight to my page where you can pre-order the new full-length that comes out next year. I’m doing a whole Pledge Music campaign, which basically means that, by pre-ordering it, you’re actively helping me get this project finished. It’s an exciting and interactive way to do it. If you pledge, you gain access to my journal of writing and my updates from the studio, telling you how it’s been going and sending videos. It’s a super active and exciting way for people to get involved with the project. Also, my two old EPs are available at iTunes and Spotify, so you can check that out, in the meantime.
The Vampire Diaries airs on Friday nights on The CW.

The Vampire Diaries Season 8: Benzo, the end of the show, the Big Bad … Michael Malarkey (Enzo) tease upcoming episodes!

As the season 8 of The Vampire Diaries will be the last of the show, Michael Malarkey took advantage of his visit to Comic-Con in San Diego teaser for the next episode!
Enzo does manage to find the reason? And yes meltynautes now haunted by an evil creature, Enzo and Damon will they have the strength to get out? While the editorial ‘of melty proposed to discover the secrets of Julie Plec about the return of Sarah Salvatore in Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries , know that Michael Malarkey took advantage of his visit to Comic-Con in San Diego to trust on the next episodes in an interview with the site ShowbizJunkies . First, Enzo will be the only one trying to fight against the New Big Bad: “At the end of the season, Damon and Enzo headed for a murderous path and we will find out why they do what they do and their real motives. We will also see that Enzo tries to fight against the new Big Bad more than Damon. He tries to regain control of himself. During the first part of the season, we will learn to know the relationship uniting Enzo and Damon to this creature. ” that’s what we put water in his mouth all the young actor told that last season would be more collegial : ” what’s cool in this final season, it ‘ is that all attention will be focused on the group. Previously, everyone had more or less his own plot while all the storylines this season will focus on the group as a whole. ”
In addition, Michael Malarkey confessed that he thought it was the right time to make the series farewell: “I think this is the right time to stop the series otherwise it would become a police series in the long. what’s interesting now that the writers know we are moving towards the end, is that they can really focus on a conclusion rather than wondering where they will go. 22 episodes is long enough because you have to find the material to fill in the blanks. I am very excited by this prospect and I have the feeling that all the characters also. I am eager to know what will happen to me! ” Finally, know that the couple Bonnie / Enzo continue to amaze us in the last season : “There . are still Benzo happens that will be complicated puisqu’Enzo is controlled by this strange power.” One thing is certain, we will duty savor every episode since it’s almost the end of the show. Pending more information, see the characters of The Vampire Diaries that should settle in New Orleans in season 4 of The Originals . What do you think of these confidences?

‘The Vampire Diaries’ Season 8: Michael Malarkey Talks ‘Supreme Evil,’ Bonnie And Enzo, Damon Salvatore, And More ‘TVD’ Spoilers

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August 19, 2016

‘The Vampire Diaries’ Season 8: Michael Malarkey Talks ‘Supreme Evil,’ Bonnie And Enzo, Damon Salvatore, And More ‘TVD’ Spoilers

Taylor Rios

The Vampire Diaries Season 8 is coming up in just a few months. Recently, Michael Malarkey spoke about what to expect from Enzo when TVD returns. Find out what the actor had to say about his character, Bonnie and Enzo, Damon Salvatore, and the “supreme evil.”
TVD spoilers for Season 8 are ahead. If you do not want to know what is coming for the characters, then stop reading.

A photo posted by Michael Malarkey (@mkmalarkey) on Aug 5, 2016 at 10:50am PDT

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, expect a lot of old faces to return to The Vampire Diaries. Even though fans are excited for former characters coming back, the issue on everyone’s mind is Damon and Enzo’s predicament. Will they be saved? Are Damon and Enzo doomed? Will the monster inside the vault be dealt with once and for all or is everyone in deep trouble?
According to Showbiz Junkies, Michael Malarkey had some things to say about Enzo in The Vampire Diaries. What can fans expect from the character, who is affected by the monster inside the vault?

“How we left off last season was Damon and Enzo going on this killing rampage. We will find out why and what they’re driven by and it’s something to do with this new supreme evil that has been lurking in the vault, that has escaped the vault. Enzo, however, is kind of grappling with this a bit more, he’s fighting it a bit more than Damon and how we start the season is seeing the whole relationship with Damon and Enzo and this creature, you can call it.”

It is interesting that Damon will not be fighting as hard as Enzo. Perhaps this is because the creature affected Damon first, which means it has had control over Ian Somerhalder’s character for a longer period of time. It might also explain why Enzo leaves Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) clues, as the actor revealed in an interview with TV Line.

As for Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, don’t expect him to completely give up. He will be fighting, even though it might not be as hard as Enzo. In TV Line‘s interview at Comic-Con 2016, Ian Somerhalder said that fans will see a lot of “push and pull.” He was referring to the power struggle between Damon, Enzo, and the creature that was inside the vault. It sounds like the vampires will still have a part of themselves. However, just how strong is the creature’s influence on Damon and Enzo? Can they be saved, and if so, how and by whom?

Land Ho.

A photo posted by Michael Malarkey (@mkmalarkey) on Jul 29, 2016 at 8:21pm PDT

The interview also revealed that Bonnie, Alaric (Matt Davis), Caroline (Candice King), and Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) will be working together as a group. In previous seasons, there was too much going on separately with the characters. However, in Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries, they will have a common goal. That is to find Damon and Enzo in order to save them.
Another spoiler for The Vampire Diaries Season 8 comes from Julie Plec’s interview at Comic-Con. She said it was their goal to have the characters use as little magic as possible until later on in the season. This means that if Bonnie gets her magic back, it will not be for a while. Finding Damon and Enzo would be a lot easier if they could use a locator spell. It also brings up how they will deal with the monster in the vault without using magic. It is ancient and powerful. How will The Vampire Diaries characters destroy it without magic before it destroys Damon, Enzo, and anyone else it is controlling?