# Candice King
**Candice King** (born 1987 as Candice Rene Accola) is an American actress and singer best known for playing Caroline Forbes on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw) supernatural drama *The Vampire Diaries* (2009–2017) and its spinoffs. She began her career in music as a backup singer for [Miley Cyrus](https://www.edgepedia.org/miley-cyrus) before moving into film and television.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Candice Rene Accola; professionally credited as Candice Accola during *The Vampire Diaries* years[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/candice-king/credits/3030884206/) |
| Born | 1987, Houston, Texas; raised in Edgewood, Florida[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) |
| Signature role | Caroline Forbes on *The Vampire Diaries* (The CW, 2009–17), a role she reprised in *The Originals* and *Legacies*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) • [3](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621227753) |
| Music career | Record deal at age 16; backup singer for Miley Cyrus; debut album *It's Always the Innocent Ones* released independently in December 2006[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127038/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Recent work | Bess Sinclair in *We Were Liars* (2025); title role in *Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story* (2022)[5](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/years-after-the-vampire-diaries-ended-what-is-candice-accola-king-doing-now/) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) |
| Podcasting | Hosted *Directionally Challenged* with co-star Kayla Ewell; currently hosts *A Superbloom Podcast*[3](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621227753) • [5](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/years-after-the-vampire-diaries-ended-what-is-candice-accola-king-doing-now/) |
| Personal life | Married musician Joe King in 2014, with whom she has two daughters; later engaged to actor Steven Krueger[6](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Candice%2BKing-680316/biography) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) |
## Early life and music career
Candice Accola was born in Houston, Texas, to Kevin, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and Carolyn, an environmental engineer who later became a homemaker. She was raised in Edgewood, Florida, with her younger brother, and the family moved to Los Angeles during her junior year of high school.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/)
Her first professional path was music. She signed a record deal at 16, and her singing landed her a spot as one of Miley Cyrus's backup singers in the concert film *Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert* (2008). She toured with Cyrus and appeared again in *Hannah Montana: The Movie* (2009).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) In December 2006 she had released her debut album, *It's Always the Innocent Ones*, independently in the United States.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127038/?showAllCredits=true)
## Screen career
**Film debut and indie roles.** Accola made her mainstream feature debut in *Juno* (2007), the Academy Award-winning comedy written by [Diablo Cody](https://www.edgepedia.org/diablo-cody) and directed by [Jason Reitman](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-reitman), playing the title character's loudmouthed lab partner. She followed it with independent projects, including the drama *On the Doll* (2007) and the horror film *[Deadgirl](https://www.edgepedia.org/deadgirl)* (2008), in which she played JoAnn.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) Her earlier credits include *Pirate Camp* (2007) and guest roles on *How I Met Your Mother*, *Supernatural*, and *Greek*.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/candice-king/credits/3030884206/)
**The Vampire Diaries.** In 2009 she joined the cast of *The Vampire Diaries*, a supernatural drama based on the young adult novels by L.J. Smith, playing Caroline Forbes, the friend and former nemesis of protagonist [Elena Gilbert](https://www.edgepedia.org/elena-gilbert) ([Nina Dobrev](https://www.edgepedia.org/nina-dobrev)). The character turns into a vampire during the second season, and Accola's performance through the character's transformation from a insecure high-schooler to a vampire won her a loyal fan base.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) The series ran on The CW from 2009 to 2017, and she also received a performer credit for music on the show.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/candice-king/credits/3030884206/)
**The franchise and beyond.** King reprised Caroline Forbes as a guest star on the spinoff *The Originals* (2013) and later appeared in two episodes of the second spinoff, *Legacies* (2021–2022).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127038/?showAllCredits=true) Her other television work includes a producing credit and acting role on the web series *Dating Rules From My Future Self*, a recurring part as Solana Kitan on *The Orville* (2017), and the TV movie *Reba McEntire's Christmas in Tune* (2021).[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/candice-king/credits/3030884206/) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/candice-king/) On film she played Kimberly in *After We Collided* (2020) and the title role in *Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story* (2022).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/)
**Recent work.** King plays Bess Sinclair in *[We Were Liars](https://www.edgepedia.org/we-were-liars-tv-series)* (2025), the Prime Video adaptation of E. Lockhart's young-adult novel, described in press coverage as a new series-regular role.[5](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/years-after-the-vampire-diaries-ended-what-is-candice-accola-king-doing-now/) In interviews around the release she connected the show to her *Vampire Diaries* audience and reflected on fifteen years since that series began.[8](https://parade.com/tv/candice-king-we-were-liars-vampire-diaries-interview)
## Podcasting and other work
King hosted the podcast *Directionally Challenged* with her *Vampire Diaries* co-star [Kayla Ewell](https://www.edgepedia.org/kayla-ewell); the show featured guests from the franchise, including Nina Dobrev.[3](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621227753) She later began hosting *A Superbloom Podcast*, a show about hardship, grief, and growth.[5](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/years-after-the-vampire-diaries-ended-what-is-candice-accola-king-doing-now/) She has also worked as an audiobook narrator, reading titles in [Cassandra Clare](https://www.edgepedia.org/cassandra-clare)'s *Ghosts of the Shadow Market* series.[9](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/69470465.Candice_King) Along with co-stars [Michael Trevino](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-trevino) and Ian Somerhalder, she has supported the It Gets Better Project, which aims to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127038/?showAllCredits=true)
## Personal life
King married musician Joe King on October 18, 2014; the couple has two daughters, Florence May (born 2016) and Josephine June (born 2020).[6](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Candice%2BKing-680316/biography) In May 2025 she announced her engagement to [Steven Krueger](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-krueger), an actor from *The Originals*,[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/) and IMDb lists a marriage to Krueger dated February 28, 2026.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127038/?showAllCredits=true) On a June 2025 episode of *The Viall Files* podcast she said that despite her daughter Florence's interest, *The Vampire Diaries* remains off limits for her nine-year-old, explaining that the show is scary and that her role involved more adult content than her daughter assumes.[10](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/candice-king-explains-why-vampire-diaries-is-off-limits-for-her-9-year-old/)
## References
1. [Candice King – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/candice-king/)
2. [Candice King List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/candice-king/credits/3030884206/)
3. [Candice King – Movies, TV Shows, and Podcasts, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621227753)
4. [Candice King – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127038/?showAllCredits=true)
5. [Years After The Vampire Diaries Ended, What Is Candice Accola King Doing Now?, DocumentaryTube](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/years-after-the-vampire-diaries-ended-what-is-candice-accola-king-doing-now/)
6. [Candice King Bio, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Candice%2BKing-680316/biography)
7. [Candice King – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/candice-king/)
8. [Candice King Talks Why 'Vampire Diaries' Fans Will Fall in Love With 'We Were Liars', Parade](https://parade.com/tv/candice-king-we-were-liars-vampire-diaries-interview)
9. [Candice King (Narrator), Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/69470465.Candice_King)
10. [Candice King Reveals Why Watching 'The Vampire Diaries' Is 'Off Limits' for Her 9-Year-Old, Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/candice-king-explains-why-vampire-diaries-is-off-limits-for-her-9-year-old/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Jo to Kl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license