From The Ground Up
Schön! Magazine|Schön! 37 | The Anniversary Issue #10yearsofSchon
Whether he’s playing a bloodthirsty vampire, saving the planet or doing an interview while running through an airport, Ian Somerhalder pulls off any role with infectious charisma.
Sarah Osei
From The Ground Up

As we speak to Ian Somerhalder, he’s sprinting through JFK, racing to catch his next flight, but you wouldn’t know it from his gracious demeanour. He couldn’t be further removed from the cruel vampire the world got to know him as. It was exactly a decade ago that the Louisiana native first mesmerised audiences as the sarcastic, suave Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, a milestone the actor proudly shares with Schön! “Staying in business in the entertainment world for ten years, whatever you’re doing, is an impressive feat,” he proclaims, “so I’m glad we’re having this ten-year anniversary together.”

Now, as he’s gearing up for a new project, Netflix’s highly-anticipated V-Wars, Somerhalder wants us to see a completely different side to him: “After playing Damon for so many years – the fun, sexy, kind of crazy, very dangerous, very self-centred vampire – I wanted to play someone who was very human. His only superpower is just being a dad, being a great doctor.”

This story is from the Schön! 37 | The Anniversary Issue #10yearsofSchon edition of Schön! Magazine.

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This story is from the Schön! 37 | The Anniversary Issue #10yearsofSchon edition of Schön! Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

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