Candice Accola, born on May 13, 1987, in Houston, Texas, is an American actress and singer best known for her role as Caroline Forbes in The CW's supernatural drama series "The Vampire Diaries." Raised in Edgewood, Florida, she attended Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando.

Her parents, Carolyn, an environmental engineer, and Kevin Accola, a cardiothoracic surgeon, were natives of southern Illinois. Candice has one younger brother.

Her career began in music with the release of her debut album, "It's Always the Innocent Ones," in December 2006. She co-wrote 12 of the 14 tracks on the album, which was later re-released in Japan in 2008, achieving greater success.

She also toured as a backing singer for Miley Cyrus's Best of Both Worlds Tour and appeared in the 2008 3D concert film "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert."

In addition to her music career, she made guest appearances in several television series, including "How I Met Your Mother," "Supernatural," and "Drop Dead Diva." In 2009, she starred in the horror film "Deadgirl" and had a bit role in "The Hannah Montana Movie."

Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Caroline Forbes in "The Vampire Diaries," a role that earned her widespread recognition and two Teen Choice Awards. She reprised this role in the spin-off series "The Originals" and "Legacies."

Her personal life has also been of interest to her fans. She began dating musician Joe King of The Fray in February 2011, and they became engaged in May 2013. The couple married on October 18, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Candice became a stepmother to Joe's two daughters from his first marriage. They have two children together. However, the couple announced their divorce in 2022.