“This is Twilight on TV, I don’t care at all”: 15 years ago, this actor almost missed one of the 2000s of the most famous fantasy series

Fifteen years ago (already!), Vampire diaries hit the screens and attracted millions of viewers around the world. In the Mystic Falls of Virginia, there was a teenager in the series, performed by Nina Dobrev, who was torn between the two vampire brothers, performed by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder.

We have already told you how the latter published the door during the 3rd season, dissatisfied with the treatment of his character. But the actor may never play in the series as the book reads I felt the epic – the oral history of vampire diaries Samantha Highfill, where the author is also a journalist Entertaining a weeklyRetreats, at the actors and crew company, creating a show and legacy that made CW character from 2009 to 2017.

“I don’t even read it. “

During the casting, Ian Somerhalder had already appeared on Lost and did not want to return to another network series. He was looking for a bold and fun project and admits that he had not been able to overlook the products that were left unnoticed several times: “It was a period of restoration and humility, but one thing that I promised that I wouldn’t do it was the main network series. So when they sent me this pilot and I told myself: “It’s in TV, I don’t care at all.” I don’t even read it. ”

While in Las – while in Vegas, he decided to give the project a chance and bring the script: “I told myself ‘Damn, it’s a wonderful scenario, but what happened to me? After changing the mind, the actress received the audience the next morning: “So, I wrote the script pages in the hotel, put them on my car board and starting from five in the morning, I was in the wilderness in the wilderness, because it wasn’t light yet.”

A difficult audit

Casting Director Leslie Gel-Raymond remembers the casting of the actor, which he has already lost, but also in the laws of attraction and pulse: “When he came to listen to us, it was a little rude, but it was obvious that it was.

However, for Somerhalder, things have not yet won. Because if it went through the flying colors, the second anudice in the studio was devastating in front of the channel. Geles-Raymond says: “It was very difficult to watch, and it was for the first time when the heads of the network met him, so they didn’t see any magic we’ve seen before.”

Kevin Williamson, one of the creators of vampire diaries, adds: “I think he was nervous and his mind was elsewhere. He just didn’t do a good job, but I watched the lost first season and I knew him from the pulse, the movie I was working on at the time, so I knew a little about his abilities.”

Ultimatum

Fortunately, the president of the channel, Dawn Ostroff, gave him a second chance and asked Williamson to intervene with the first interested party who knew he had missed Audit. But three times he tried that the actor still could not control the stress. If it was obvious to the creators that he was Damon, the network was not sure and wanted to offer a role in Travis Van Vinalin.

In the end, Williamson won “The only time in my career” And the channel gave the ultimatum: “If he doesn’t get a role, I’m going to leave the show.” Similarly, producer Jennifer Breslow played a stunning card (“I did this for the first time”) And went to Ostroff’s office to ask him to trust: “I read the books. I need you to have faith in me. That’s what you pay for. Ostroff and Peter Roth, Warner Bros. The Chairman of Television gave the green light to Jan Somerhalder.

He concludes: “I got a call from my agent who said: “So you want to be a vampire?” The rest is history. ”

Vampire Diaries are available for Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Max.