"Do you know how liberating it is not having a master plan? Because I can do whatever the hell I want."
Damon Salvatore may not have a master plan at this point in the first season of „The Vampire Diaries“ - but the actor portraying him surely has!
Ian Joseph Somerhalder, born on December 8, 1978 in Covington, Louisiana, very early knew that he wanted to be an actor. After working as a model in his early teens, he chose his career path when he was 17 by studying acting in New York. He had acted in the school drama group and the local theater group and therefore knew what to expect. After roles in different productions, such as „Young Americans“, a spin-off of „Dawson's Creek“, „CSI“, „CSI: Miami“, „Law & Order: Special Victims Unit“ and „Smallville“, his breakthrough role was the one of Boone Carlyle in the hit TV show „Lost“, which he began filming in 2004. Unfortunately, the character died very early in the series, but he nevertheless returned in several flashbacks in seven episodes between 2005 and 2010, also including the final episode of the series! Despite the fact that he was devastated to be out of the series at such an early point, he now makes fun of it, which can be seen on his self-written short biography on Twitter: „Dead guy on Lost, now undead on The Vampire Diaries“. Afterwards, numerous movies followed, such as „The Tournament“ in 2009. The role which made him famous and loved by the audience, however, again was in a TV show.
After playing Boone in “Lost”, a character which may be hot-headed, but still helpful and keen on saving others, the role of Damon Salvatore turned out to be something completely different. The brother of Stefan Salvatore suddenly appears in Mystic Falls and soon turns out to be the anti-hero – opposite Stefan, who his in touch of his human side and also ruled by his feelings. Despite his good looks and charm, Damon is the stereotypical vampire – brutal and not afraid of killing for fun. As there has always been a rivalry between the two brothers, Damon's mission seems to be to make Stefan's life miserable. The two of them could not be more different, as Stefan seems to be really gloomy and Damon has a rather loose tongue – always speaking his mind, being cynic and sarcastic.
Ian Somerhalder himself, however, could not be more different than Damon Salvatore! He is known for being involved in numerous aid organisations and projects, such as the St. Tammary Humane Society, as well as „Love letter to the South“ for, which pays tribute to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the well-known project „It Gets Better“. He was also involved in the clean up after the Deep Water Horizon oil drilling disaster. However, these engagements weren't enough for him and so he founded the Ian Somerhalder Foundation in December 8, 2010 – his 32nd birthday. The main goal of this foundation is the protection of animals and nature.
Being in touch with his fans is also very important to Somerhalder. He is very active when it comes to his Twitter account, keeping them informed on his life, as well as his work and of course his numerous charitable projects.
As his fans are really important to Ian, he is very much looking forward to spending time at Bloody Diaries in Neuss, Germany! He surely has a lot to tell about working on the TV series again, as well as about his other projects and his foundation!
