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Ian Somerhalder Was Jealous of ‘Vampire Diaries’ Costar Chris Wood’s Character Kai Parker During Season 6

Ian Somerhalder Was Jealous of Vampire Diaries Costar Chris Wood
Ian Somerhalder and Chris Wood Shutterstock (2)

The greatest villain in all of Mystic Falls! Just as fans of The Vampire Diaries have their favorite onscreen villains, the show’s creators and stars do too.

Related: ‘Vampire Diaries’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ian Somerhalder, who played Damon Salvatore on the CW series, joined show creator Julie Plec for the latest installment of Entertainment Weekly’s “Binge: The Vampire Diaries” podcast on Friday, August 20, to discuss the sixth season and notorious villain Kai Parker’s (Chris Wood) arrival in the Virginia town.

After the siphoner joined the show that season, Somerhalder, 42, noted a significant shift in the series, giving Damon a more heroic arc.

“I was so upset about the trajectory of Damon [around the third season],” the Lost alum said during the podcast, noting that he was initially hesitant about Damon being a good guy. “So much so that at one point I was sitting across from Julie in her office in Atlanta almost in tears, so angry about this.”

Related: Never Really Gone! Every 'TVD' Character Who Died and Came Back to Life

Plec, 49, explained that her fellow producers knew that the brooding Damon couldn’t end up being a “one-trick pony.” Instead, he had to be a villain at times and a hero at others. The Brother’s Bond Bourbon cofounder noted that logic made him jealous of what the Supergirl alum, 33, was able to do as Kai in each episode.

Ian Somerhalder and Chris Wood Vampire Diaries
Ian Somerhalder and Chris Wood in ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ The CW

“That’s why I was always so in love with what Chris Wood was doing onscreen because up until that moment, there was never a character in the show, other than Stefan in the Ripper age, that actually had the ability to not be so serious, to do horrific things but do it with a smile,” Somerhalder added.

The Carrie Diaries alum also appeared on the podcast, explaining that much of his inspiration for Kai came from notorious serial killer Ted Bundy —“if he was really funny.”

“It was the worst person in the world who’s also, like, maybe a good hang if you can get him to shut up for a second,” the Ohio native added. “That was sort of what I was always going for.”

The Vampire Diaries first premiered on the CW in 2009 and ran for eight seasons before ending in 2017. The show took place in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, where mortals and vampires coexisted.

Related: Most Memorable TV Spinoffs Over the Years

The mythical series later spawned two spinoffs — The Originals and Legacies — after its emotional conclusion. In February 2020, Wood returned to his villainous role for a guest arc on the next-generation spinoff and reunited with his onscreen nieces, Josie (Kaylee Bryant) and Lizzie (Jenny Boyd), as well as his brother-in-law, Alaric (Matthew Davis).

“[The reunion] is every bit as confusing and full of anger and spite as you would imagine that it would be,” Wood teased of his cameo to E! News at the time. “Kai loves nothing more than a toy, and for him, someone to play mind games with, to torture, to trick. I mean, that’s when he feels things. So that’s his one fuzzy place is ruining people’s equilibrium, so it’s full of that.”

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