After years away from fan events and the public spotlight, Steven R. McQueen returned to some very familiar faces over the weekend. McQueen, 38, reunited with several of his former “The Vampire Diaries” co-stars at a fan convention in Paris on Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4.
According to People, the gathering marked his first public appearance in seven years.
The actor played Jeremy Gilbert, the younger brother of Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert, for six seasons of the hit CW supernatural drama.
Steven R. McQueen Reunites With His Former Co-stars
McQueen joined Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham and Riley Voelkel at the two-day event, where he posed for photos with fans and took part in a panel, People reported.
His return quickly became a talking point among longtime viewers, many of whom were simply happy to see him participating in a “Vampire Diaries” event again.
Fans filled the comments with support for Steven R. McQueen. One fan defended McQueen after comments about his appearance began circulating online.
“Seeing videos of steve mcqueen at the tvd event is making me feel so maternal🥹🥹,” the fan wrote on X. “I will punch anyone who says something bad about him.”
“People can be mean. Don’t take it personally. It says nothing about Steven, but a lot about them,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “He’s so nice! I met him at the first vampire diaries convention and he attended the decades dance and was walking around engaging with everyone!”
“So good to see him! I hope we see more work from him and maybe see what environmental projects he’s working on these days, I saw he was doing that a couple years ago!!” wrote another.
“Love to see Steven again with fans ❤️,” another wrote.
One more added, “He was my fav character and absolutely adored him so much 🥹 seeing him again brought back those feelings.”
His ‘Vampire Diaries’ Story Continued Beyond the Original Series
McQueen joined the “The Vampire Diaries” cast when the series premiered in 2009.
Although Jeremy eventually left the show as a regular character, the actor returned alongside Nina Dobrev for the series finale in 2017.
He later returned to the role for a 2018 episode of the spinoff “Legacies.”
McQueen also expanded his television career beyond Mystic Falls. He joined NBC’s “Chicago Fire” in 2015 as firefighter Jimmy Borrelli and stayed for two seasons.
Why Steven R. McQueen Left ‘Chicago Fire’
After Jimmy was written out, “Chicago Fire” co-creator Michael Brandt explained that the decision came down to the show’s crowded ensemble.
“We were, as writers, finding it hard to feed all the mouths that we have on the show,” Brandt told Entertainment Weekly at the time.
“We wanted to get a little leaner and meaner in terms of our storytelling and what characters we were focusing on. So Jimmy leaving was a byproduct of that.”
Brandt also said McQueen “deserves to be a bigger part on a show than probably we can give him.”
McQueen Has Faced a Personal Loss in Recent Years
The convention appearance comes two years after the loss of McQueen’s father, Chad McQueen.
Chad, 63, an actor and race car driver and the son of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, died in September 2024, according to the Los Angeles Times.
McQueen has remained largely out of the public eye since his television work slowed, making his Paris reunion an especially welcome sight for “The Vampire Diaries” fans who wondered when they might see him again.
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‘Vampire Diaries’ Heartthrob Makes Rare Appearance After 7 Years: VIDEO