"Hello, brother."
If those two words don't immediately trigger a specific, gravelly voice in your head, you probably missed one of the biggest shifts in supernatural TV history. When Ian Somerhalder first sashayed onto the screen as Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries pilot, he wasn't just another TV heartthrob. He was a wrecking ball. He was dangerous, unpredictable, and—let’s be honest—completely toxic. Yet, here we are in 2026, and the internet is still obsessed with him.
Why? Because Ian didn't just play a vampire; he lived in that character’s skin for eight years. He turned a one-dimensional villain into a tragic hero that people still argue about on Reddit until 3:00 AM.
The Audition That Almost Didn’t Happen
It’s wild to think about now, but Ian Somerhalder almost didn’t get the role. He has talked openly in interviews—and recently in Samantha Highfill’s book I Was Feeling Epic—about how he bombed his first test for the network. He was tired, he was unprepared, and he just didn't "click." But he went back. He fought for it.
Basically, he knew Damon better than the casting directors did at that point. He understood that Damon wasn't just "mean." He was lonely. That nuance is what saved the show from being just another Twilight clone.
The "Eyebrow Acting" and Emotional Range
People used to make fun of "the eyebrows." You know the look. That arched, skeptical, "I’m about to kill you or kiss you" expression that Ian perfected. It became his signature. But if you look past the smoldering, there was some genuinely heavy lifting going on.
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Take the episode "The Descent" in Season 2. Damon spends the whole time dealing with Rose dying from a werewolf bite. For a guy who supposedly "flipped his switch" and didn't care about anything, seeing him give her a peaceful dream before she died was a gut punch. Ian played that scene with a raw, shaky vulnerability that made it clear Damon was just a guy who had been hurt too many times.
Why We Forgave the Unforgivable
Damon did some truly horrific stuff. He killed Jeremy Gilbert (Elena’s brother!) in a fit of pique because he got rejected. He turned Vicki Donovan into a vampire just because he was bored. In any other show, he’d be the guy you want to see staked by the ten-minute mark.
But Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore worked because he brought a level of self-loathing to the role. He didn't want to be good because he didn't think he deserved it. When he tells Elena, "I am not the good guy, I’m the selfish one," you believe him. But you also see the guy who sat by a tomb for 145 years waiting for a woman who didn't even love him.
The Delena Factor and the Toxic Fandom
You can't talk about Damon without talking about Elena. The "Delena" vs. "Stelena" wars were legendary. Honestly, they got a bit scary toward the end. Ian has actually gone on record recently saying the fandom became a "toxic cancer" because people couldn't separate real life from the show.
He was dating Nina Dobrev in real life, then they broke up, but their characters stayed together. That’s a nightmare for any actor. Yet, their chemistry on screen never flickered. The Season 3 motel scene or the dance at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant? That wasn't just good writing. That was two actors who knew exactly how to play the "push and pull" of a soulmate connection.
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What Really Made Damon the Main Character
Even though the show started as Elena’s diary, it became Damon’s redemption. By the final seasons, specifically Season 7 and 8 after Nina left, the show leaned heavily on the brotherhood between Damon and Stefan.
Damon’s growth was the most consistent thing about the series. He went from:
- A guy who killed for sport.
- A guy who killed only to protect the people he loved.
- A guy who was willing to die to save a town he once tried to destroy.
When he finally gets his "peace" in the series finale, reuniting with Stefan in the afterlife, it feels earned. He wasn't a hero because he was perfect; he was a hero because he tried really, really hard to be better than his worst instincts.
Ian Somerhalder’s Life After the Fangs
If you're looking for Ian on screen today, you won't find him much. He’s essentially retired from acting. These days, he’s more likely to be found on a farm with his wife, Nikki Reed, or talking about regenerative agriculture in documentaries like Common Ground.
He’s leaned into his Bourbon brand, Brother’s Bond (which he started with his TV brother Paul Wesley), and his environmental work. He seems a lot more at peace than Damon ever was. He’s said he doesn't need to "chase awards" anymore. He did his time in the spotlight, and he’s good.
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How to Channel Your Inner Damon Salvatore (The Healthy Way)
If you're still rewatching TVD for the 50th time and wishing you had a bit of that Salvatore swagger, here are the actual takeaways from the character:
Stop waiting for permission. Damon was decisive. If he wanted something, he went for it. Obviously, don't go around snapping necks, but there’s a lot to be said for his "ask for forgiveness, not permission" attitude in your career or personal goals.
Loyalty is everything. For all his faults, once you were in Damon's inner circle (Alaric, Bonnie, Stefan), he would literally walk through fire for you. He was the "burn the world down to save you" kind of friend. Be that friend.
Own your mess. Damon never pretended to be a saint. He was incredibly honest about his flaws. There’s power in saying, "Yeah, I messed up, I’m working on it."
If you're looking for a deep dive into the show's history, check out the 2025 oral history book I Was Feeling Epic. It covers the behind-the-scenes drama that we only guessed at for years.
To keep the legacy alive, you can support Ian’s environmental initiatives through the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) or try a glass of Brother's Bond Bourbon while you rewatch the Season 1 finale. It’s the closest we’re getting to a reboot anytime soon.