"The Vampire Diaries" cast
Actors (L-R) Katerina Graham, Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev, co-stars of the new series "The Vampire Diaries", participate in a panel discussion at the CW Television Network Summer 2009 Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California August 4, 2009. Reuters/Danny Moloshok

“The Vampire Diaries” has identified the actress that will play Alex, a new character in the series’ upcoming season. However, it is still unclear whether the new character belongs to the bad guys or the good guys.

The series’ Salvatore brothers Damon and Stefan, played by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, respectively, will be meeting another new character when “The Vampire Diaries” returns from its midseason 7 break. According to TVLine, the new character’s name is Alex who is the head of a mysterious organization. Alex was described as a “beautiful, charming and cocky” but is also considered a “viper in sheep’s clothing.” The actress set to portray the new role is Mouzam Makkar.

Makkar is known for movie projects such as “The Night Before the Morning After,” “Disgruntled” and “Communicators,” according to IMDb. She also appeared in various TV series such as “The Following,” “American Horror Story,” “Bones” and many others.

“The Vampire Diaries” showrunner Caroline Dries told TVLine that Makkar’s character Alex has a link with the Enzo (Michael Malarkey). “She has ties to Enzo’s backstory. As he’s trying to find his place in the world, she comes in and says, ‘Let me help you out with that.’ Is she good? Is she bad? What’s her bigger agenda? We’ll pull back her layers as the season goes on,” Dries explained.

Meanwhile, aside from Makkar, another new character to join “The Vampire Diaries” season 7 is the new vampire hunter Rayna. The character has been described as “fierce, driven, smart and confident” and will be played by Leslie-Anne Huff. The actress was said to bear a striking resemblance to “The Vampire Diaries” alum Nina Dobrev, who previously portrayed Elena Gilbert in the series.

However, Dries told TVLine in a previous interview that it was “just a coincidence” that they casted a Dobrev look-alike for “The Vampire Diaries” season 7. “We looked at a lot of actors, and I was like, ‘I think she looks exactly like Nina.’ I was convinced otherwise. I actually haven’t met her yet in person, though, and everyone says she doesn’t look like her in person. She’s a great actress, and she’s perfect for the role.”

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 will return on Jan. 29 in the US on CW.

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