Team USA all the way! Nina Dobrev might’ve grown up in Canada, but she is happily rooting for her American boyfriend, Shaun White, to take home the gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“We’ll be anxiously watching from home and cheering him on,” the Vampire Diaries alum, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly on Friday, February 4, while promoting her new movie, The One. “I’m very, very excited for him. I can’t wait.”
The actress was busy celebrating the world premiere of her short film, The One — which is her directorial debut — in Mammoth Lakes, California, when the Winter Games kicked off this week, so she missed the opening ceremonies. (The Olympics officially started on Friday evening in China but aired in the U.S. at 6 a.m. ET.)
“I taped it, so it’s at the house, and as soon as I get home, I’m gonna sit down with my girlfriends and we’re gonna catch up and watch,” Dobrev, who debuted her short at the Mammoth Film Festival one day prior, explained.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower actress, who has been dating the 35-year-old snowboarder since early 2020, expressed excitement over watching her beau compete in one last Winter Games. White previously made it clear that he plans to step back from the Olympics after this year.
“I support him in whatever decision he makes, always,” Dobrev said. “He’s the only one who could make those decisions.”
The Degrassi alum pointed out that White has had “such an incredibly long and amazing, successful run of the sport” after already earning three gold medals.
“He knows when the time is to throw the hat in, and he’s decided that it’s now,” she added.
As she patiently waits to see whether White will bring home another medal, Dobrev is focused on her own career, having completed her first film as a director. Now, the Fresh Vine Wine cofounder is ready to add more behind-the-camera work to her resume.
“This is just the first step on a new adventure I plan on embarking on. I’m not gonna not act anymore. I’m definitely gonna do both and produce and continue to write,” Dobrev told Us on Friday. “’Cause I cowrote this with William Day Frank and it’s just exciting to have all these different things going on. But directing really kind of felt like an all-encompassing thing. And I loved it.”
The xXx actress noted that she “loved being on set” and speaking with the actors as well as “guiding them in certain places because I’ve been there.”
In addition to going on the film festival circuit with The One, Dobrev has a few other movies coming out soon that she is excited about, including The Out-Law, Sick Girl, Reunion and Woman 99.
“I think the common theme between all of them is that [they’re] all comedies, which is really fun. Sick Girl is one that I produced and started, so I guess I’m really excited about that one because it’s another one of my babies,” she told Us. “It was a real passion project for all of us to bring it together because it was a very low budget film.”
White is equally as supportive of his girlfriend, exclusively telling Us in October 2021 that Dobrev is “incredibly talented.”
With reporting by Diana Cooper
Listen to Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood as each week the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories!
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!