Ian Somerhalder
Gossip

He isn't exactly making people forget about Robert Pattinson just yet.

But Ian Somerhalder continues to receive rave reviews for his role as Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries.

One part evil, one part sarcastic and all parts hot, Somerhalder's work on The CW hit is a major reason it's been picked up for an entire season.

In an interview with August Man, the actor says Damon is his ideal role. The former model also talks about his transition from modeling to acting, which has clearly gone well.

But don't get Ian wrong: he still knows how to strike a pose. These photos from the magazine are evidence of that:

We gotta hand it to The Vampire Diaries.

Accused of being a rip-off of the Twilight Saga, even though the aforementioned book series came out prior to Stephanie Meyer's novels, The CW hit winked at the controversy this week.

During an exchange with another character, Damon Salvatore - played brilliantly by Ian Somerhalder - puts down the book he's been reading and says:

What's so special about this Bella girl? Edward's so whipped!

We almost spit out our Strawberry Kimi Gatorade at the line. Damon then says the book "has it all wrong," regarding how humans are turned into vampires. It was a funny, unexpected moment; one we hope Twilight fans have a sense of humor about.

Considering the rave reviews Somerhalder has been receiving, it might be more apt to now ask again: Who makes the hotter pretend vampire?

Based on its impressive ratings to so far, millions of people around the country love The CW's Vampire Diaries.

But there's one important individual that is especially pleased with the series: L.J. Smith, the author that penned the novels on which this small screen version is based.

"I think they have done an incredible job of interpreting it, especially presenting it for a teen audience," she told MTV. "I love the music. I love the cinematography, I think the cast is fabulous. I especially like Damon. Ian Somerhalder does very well. But I really, really like the Elena that they picked, Nina Dobrev... she's a great actress. And I love the Stefan that they've picked."

We love them all, too, but we're especially taken with Somerhalder.

Facing inevitable comparisons to Robert Pattinson and the Twilight Saga, Somerhalder has created a unique character, one that can go from sweet to savage in seconds. These screen shots are a great example:

You really don't wanna make Damon Salvatore angry; or hungry, for that matter.

Have you been watching Vampire Diaries? Are you happy with it?

Did you catch the series debut of The Vampire Diaries last night?

If not, you're in the minority: the show set record ratings for a premiere on The CW, as over 4.8 million viewers tuned in to see if Paul Wesley really could make people forget about Robert Pattinson.

The answer? Of course not. But the opening episode was still very entertaining and suspenseful. It was highlighted by Ian Somerhalder's turn as Damon Salvatore, a blood sucker fans can finally hate.

While 2009 has clearly been the year of the vampire, pop culture followers have been stuck with metrosexual, kind-hearted creatures of the night; from Pattinson in the Twilight Saga to Stephen Moyer's Bill Compton in True Blood. Even Alexander Skarsgard's Eric, from that same HBO series, lives by a certain code.

But not Damon, at least not yet. Check out a clip from last night's episode of The Vampire Diaries and see if you're as taken by this bad ass as we are:

Ian Somerhalder appeared on MTV's It's On with Alexa Chung this week.

During the interview, the actor was asked about The Vampire Diaries and whether or not there's room in pop culture for more pretend blood suckers. His short answer? Yes. His reasoning? Find out below:

Chung also compared Somerhalder to one younger actor (Chace Crawford) and old older actor (Rob Lowe). We're sure The CW would be thrilled if viewers agree, considering it airs both Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries.

Let's take a look at the trio of stars...

See any resemblances?

As you ponder that question, follow this article's jump for another sexy Vampire Diaries poster.

Continue Reading...

Ian Somerhalder understands the comparisons.

He's not offended by the comparisons.

But he has to set the record straight about the comparisons.

Even though Somerhalder plays one of the key role in The Vampire Diaries, he wants it to be clear: his character of Damon Salvatore is nothing like Edward Cullen!

The actor was asked by French publication Séries Mag if Damon was the anti-Edward. The former Lost star replied:

"Yes, absolutely. From the little I know about the character of Edward. I'll let you in on a secret, I've never seen Twilight... I've heard a lot about it and know the general story lines. And I know that Vampire Diaries will be different from Twilight. What we've shot so far is very intense, very physical, sometimes even brutal."

Somerhald doesn't completely dismiss Robert Pattinson and the Twilight Saga, however.

He freely admits that his new show would never have been made if not for the popularity of that franchise.

"Twilight is a phenomenon the like of which we rarely see, and I'm not complaining about this because thanks to it, I could make a return on the small screen. So, thank you, Twilight!" he said. "However, to those who think that Vampire Diaries is but a pale copy of Twilight, I want to remind that L.J. Smith's books, from which the show is adapted, were written before Stephenie Meyer's."

Will you give The Vampire Diaries a chance? It premieres on The CW on September 10.

By an overwhelming margin - when we tried to make the case that he's no longer the best looking fake vampire in Hollywood - Robert Pattinson fans let us know how they felt about the man that plays Edward Cullen.

Indeed, Paul Wesley got smoked in a poll that compared him to Pattinson.

But will Wesley's new co-star in The Vampire Diaries go down as easily?

In the new CW series, premiering this fall, Ian Somerhalder plays Damon Salvatore, the bloodsucking brother of Wesley's character, Stefan. Each of these vampires is in love with a high school student named Elena.

The setup may sound like a carbon copy of a certain popular franchise, but the books on which The Vampire Diaries are based were actually released years before Twilight. So take that, Stephenie Meyer!

And take this, Robert Pattinson? You tell us. Vote in the poll below.

Who is the hotter fake vampire?