The Vampire Diaries
Gossip (Page 2)

This just in: Ashlee Simpson is not sexy.

Chalk it up to the plastic face; the overbearing father; the annoying sister; the tool of a husband; or, likely, all of the above.

But if the new Melrose Place is looking for an actress to stare seductively into the camera as part of its promotional campaign, allow us to suggest star Katie Cassidy. She's hot - and, unlike Ashlee, she's actually an actress.

The following photo, courtesy of TV Guide Magazine, demonstrates Simpson's utter lack of sex appeal:

Conversely, the stars of The Vampire Diaries know how to do dark and sexy. Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder may have taken their cues from the cast of the Twilight Saga, but that doesn't make them any less desirable.

If you're a fan of that film franchise, you've gotta tune in to this new CW show. It premieres on September 10.

Finally, in its fall television preview, TV Guide Magazine recommends Community, Eastwick and FlashForward. The strongest appeal of each these shows? None of them stars Ashlee Simpson.

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.

All week long, we've been pitting The Vampire Diaries against the Twilight Saga in a round of analytical comparisons.

Now, producer Kevin Williamson - who created Dawson's Creek and wrote the movie Scream - is speaking out about the upcoming CW series. He wants potential viewers to know that it's anything but a Twilight rip-off.

"It's not just about vampires, its about all sorts of things that go bump in the night, Williamson told MTV. "I kept reading [the books] and I realized, this isn't Twilight at all, this is actually where a girl falls in love with a vampire, but that's where [the comparison] ends. It's like a modern-day sexy Dark Shadows and that was appealing."

The Vampire Diaries premieres on September 10 on The CW. We'll tune in for it. Will you?

When The Vampire Diaries takes on New Moon, everyone that likes hot guys, beautiful gals and forbidden romance wins!

As we've chronicled in two other investigative specials this week, the upcoming CW series The Vampire Diaries shares many similarities with the Twilight Saga.

While both franchises focus on vampires and love triangles, however, there are also significant differences. Compare and contrast Jacob Black with Damon Salvatore to see what we mean.

Now, in the third part of this series, we take a look at the two high school hotties that are in such demand: it's Bella Swan vs. Elena Gilbert!

SIMILARITIES:

• Both are crushed on by a vampire; (spoiler alert!) eventually become more than human; have dark hair; are 17 years old when their respective franchises begin.

DIFFERENCES:

• Bella lives with her father, Elena's parents are dead; Bella has a private mind (so Edward cannot read her thoughts), Elena pours everything out into a journal; Bella is an only child, Elena has a younger brother.

Welcome to the second part of our investigative series into similarities and differences between the Twilight Saga and The Vampire Diaries.

Almost all readers are familiar with the former, of course, as Robert Pattinson and company have become an international sensation.

But what to make of the latter? Fans have been wondering if the upcoming CW drama is merely a rip-off of the Twilight franchise. As mentioned in yesterday's analysis of Edward Cullen vs. Stefan Salavtore, that answer is no; The Vampire Diaries novels were actually published long before Twilight.

Now, it's on to part two of this special inside look: Jacob Black vs. Damon Salvatore!

SIMILARITIES:

• Both have dark hair and dark features; are fiercely loyal; are considered the third point of an unusual love triangle; possess a unique family history.

DIFFERENCES:

• Jacob is a werewolf, Damon is a vampire; Jacob is a different species than his rival Edward, Damon is the brother of his rival Stefan; Jacob has a long mane, Damon has short hair.

Coming tomorrow: Part III - Bella Swan vs. Elena Gilbert!

As a celebrity gossip site that dutifully follows the Twilight Saga, we've been receiving numerous emails that essentially ask the same questions:

What's the deal with The Vampire Diaries? Is this upcoming show just a rip-off of the Stephenie Meyer-based franchise?

The answer is: yes and no. It's hard to believe The CW would air The Vampire Diaries if not for the recent success of blood suckers on the big and small screen, from Twilight to True Blood.

But The Vampire Diaries is actually based on a series of books that came out long before Twilight, as author L.J. Smith published The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening in 1991.

Do these stories have a lot in common with the Twilight Saga? Should fans of Edward Cullen and company tune in to the pilot of The Vampire Diaries on September 10?

Over the next few days, we'll preview the highly-anticipated show by comparing aspects of it to the beloved big screen world inspired by Meyer's novels. First up: Edward vs. Stefan Salvatore.

SIMILARITIES:

• Both are vampires; possess similar facial features (high cheekbones, angular jaw, wavy hair); seriously crush on a human high school student; neither drinks human blood.

DIFFERENCES:

• Edward is physically unaffected by his disdain for human blood, Stefan is noticeably slow and weak; Edward's family supports his love for Bella, Stefan's brother is vehemently against his feelings for Elena; Edward can read minds, Stefan cannot; Edward is played by a Brit (Robert Pattinson), Stefan's portrayer is from New Jersey (Paul Wesley).

Coming tomorrow: Part II of this comparative series - Jacob Black vs. Damon Salvatore!

Okay, okay, Robert Pattinson fans. You win. We'll stop comparing other young actors to this Twilight hunk.

In a pair of recent polls, readers have strongly supported Pattinson when asked if he was the hottest actor in Hollywood to portray a vampire on screen.

But what about Robert's rumored girlfriend? Is Kristen Stewart the prettiest actress to play the object of a bloodsucker's affection?

Best known for her role as Bella Swan in the movie version of Stephenie Meyer's book series, Stewart might wanna keep an eye on Nina Dobrev. This 20-year old has landed the role of Elena Gilbert on the upcoming CW series The Vampire Diaries.

Like Bella, Elena is totally crushed on by a vampire (actually, two vampires), prompting us to wonder: Which actress would you prefer to sink your teeth into? Let us know below!

Which star is the cuter vampire crush?

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?

It's time for a battle between blood suckers!

For months, Robert Pattinson has held the honor of Best Looking Fake Vampire in Hollywood. It hasn't even been close, as millions of women would claim we could even remove the words "Fake Vampire" from that title.

But the Twilight hunk might face stiff, scary competition this fall, as The Vampire Diaries premieres on The CW.

Paul Wesley, best known for guest-starring stints on 24 and Army Wives, anchors the series. He stars as the character of Stefan. How does he stack up against the man that brought Edward Cullen to life?

Who is the hotter pretend vampire?