Ian Somerhalder Explains Why He Almost Quit During Season 3 Of Vampire Diaries

Vampire Diaries heart-throb Ian Somerhalder almost quit the fans' supernatural show during its third season, which is sure to leave fans in shock as they reminisce about Damon Salvatore's brooding charm. The Lost star confesses he was worried when Damon developed feelings for Elena Gilbert, portrayed by Nina Dobrev.

"I was so upset about the trajectory of Damon, so much so that at one point I was sitting across from Julie in her office in Atlanta almost in tears actually, my eyes were quite misty and asked out of the show," he told Powell when he called him about it, according to the forthcoming book I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries, an excerpt of which was released by Variety Tuesday. "I was so angry about it. I wanted off. Because I saw the writing on the wall. Damon was heading toward the love-interest role."

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At the time, Ian, in his early 30s, had been feeling claustrophobic about what he perceived as a tightening of his role. "I was like, 'Shit, I'm in my early thirties, I've got a lot of this heat because of this show, I'm sure I could go find something that's really cool and dark and edgy,'" he said. The revelation came during a candid chat with Vampire Diaries co-creator Julie Plec. At first, Ian worried that if Damon got caught up in romantic storylines it might hold him back, but Julie assured him it was all part of something greater. She pointed out how the show's master plan also involved a darker storyline for his onscreen brother, Stefan Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley. This assurance, and the obligation in his contract, convinced Ian to remain.

Looking back on it now, Somerhalder says he learned a valuable lesson in trust and patience in the creative process. "I had to trust in that process," he says, adding that Damon's character would ultimately transform in ways that would allow him to delve into darker, more complex storylines, but still exude the charm that had made him so popular with the fans. Fans of The Vampire Diaries can now look back on Season 3 in a different light, recognizing the unwavering determination behind Damon's famous taunt and smirk in the face of Ian's own personal commitment to his work, no matter how doubt-filled and tempting it was to quit.