Blood-Sucking Fiend Ian Somerhalder breathes new life into the undead on 'The Vampire Diaries.'

From Backstage

In prepping to audition for "The Vampire Diaries," Ian Somerhalder employed an unusual approach. "I found out about the meeting at 9 o'clock the night before, and I was in Vegas, a five-hour drive away from L.A.," he recalls. "I taped my sides together in the car and drove across the desert in the morning. That's how I worked on my script."

While this may not be the method most recommended by in-the-know acting coaches, it appears to have worked: Somerhalder nabbed the role of nefarious Damon Salvatore, a devilish bloodsucker who spends most of his time tormenting his younger, more earnest sibling (Paul Wesley). Somerhalder brings a wicked sense of fun to the role; with his well-timed smirks and smooth line delivery, he steals nearly every scene he's in. In a way, he makes it all too easy to root for the bad guy.

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