Give a stream of consciousness and then the final answer. Nina Dobrev (/ ˈdoʊbrɛf /; born Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva; Bulgarian: Николина Константинова Добрева; January 9, 1989) is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She is known for portraying the role of Mia Jones in the drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation and then Elena Gilbert on The CW's supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries.

Answer this question: who plays elena in vampire diaries season 8?
The important part for answering this question is: She is known for portraying the role of Mia Jones in the drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation and then Elena Gilbert on The CW's supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries.
So, the final answer is Nina Dobrev.