∙ Ian Somerhalder Talks Damon's 'Softer Side' On 'Vampire Diaries'
That old adage about villains having more fun couldn't be more fitting for "Vampire Diaries" star Ian Somerhalder. The 31-year-old actor (who moonlights as an alternative-energy activist) has created quite a stir — and obsessive fan following — with his portrayal of devious Damon Salvatore.
And yet, according to Somerhalder, all of Damon's dastardly acts are motivated by one thing: love.
"The dynamics in which this guy lives by are so skewed," Somerhalder told MTV News recently. "But at the end of the day, and it sounds so cliché, but at the end of the day, he does everything — like all of us do — for love. In some fashion or another, that is why he does what he does. He may go about it in very unconventional, unorthodox, unethical ways, but he does them nonetheless, and he believes in what he's doing and he has a blast at what he's doing."
Somerhalder said one thing that has tripped him up a bit this season is playing out the changes in Damon's sensitivity. "There's been this turn, and it's tough," Somerhalder said. "It's not easy to play. This softer side of Damon is really difficult for me to find. It's very counterintuitive."
Regarding what's next for Damon, and the rest of the characters on the show, Somerhalder offered a craftily worded teaser for Thursday's (September 23) new episode.
"We find out some interesting stuff," he said. "The whole werewolf aspect, Mason poses a massive threat to Damon and Stefan and everyone, really. It's a big problem, and I think we address a lot of that, which people have been very eager to know."
Another question on fans' minds is how Elena is feeling after witnessing a horrific act in the previous episode.
"The question of 'How does Elena feel right now? Can she even look at [Damon]?' She's going to have to deal with him, because he's around," Somerhalder explained. "There are a lot of issues to deal with. He wants to kill her best friend, Caroline, one of her best friends, and there's this problematic supernatural element that's running around the town, and it literally poses a serious threat to all of them — every single one of them: Katherine, Damon, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, everyone. So dealing with that and getting into that is necessary, and that's what this episode is going to start to touch upon."
Sounds like the makings for action-packed TV, aside from one missing element: "Unfortunately, Damon doesn't get to make out with anyone," Somerhalder said with a sigh.
∙ Ian Somerhalder On A Damon-Elena Romance: It's Just A 'Pipe Dream For Damon'
Now that we've heard Ian Somerhalder's thoughts on a "Vampire Diaries" musical episode, and how playing Damon's softer side is a challenge, what else did we have to discuss with the CW superstar?
Why, the possibility of a hook-up between his character, Damon, and Nina Dobrev's Elena, of course. Unfortunately for "Dalena" fans, Ian said the forecast for their romantic future is pretty bleak.
"Look, here’s the thing, I don’t know how he's going to get back into her good graces. He killed her brother, there is no better way to tell someone you love them then to snap their brother's neck. Most people do flowers," Ian told MTV News recently. "I've heard [fans want] that and even in talking to Kevin [Williamson] and Julie [Plec]... How? That's the question: How in the hell is he going to get back in her good graces? How is she ever going to trust him again? How is she ever even going to want to look at him again?"
Somerhalder went on to say that he doesn't think a relationship is in the cards for Damon and Elena, that it's just "a pipe dream for Damon." He had similar thoughts regarding fans' wanting a Damon-Bonnie pairing.
"Again, she hates him! Hates him. And not like the kind of hate that could eventually turn into love, she despises the guy," Ian said. "Five generations for her family have despised the guy, you know what I mean?
"How many times could he be rejected?" he added. "Poor guy. He would probably be better off leaving Mystic Falls and going to the Caribbean for 100 years."
Somehow we sincerely doubt that. Even in the Caribbean Damon would find a way to incite death and destruction.
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