Already have an account?
Get back to the

Ian Somerhalder’s ‘V Wars’ Character Is the ‘Polar Opposite’ of The Vampire Diaries’ Damon Salvatore (Exclusive)

From playing a killer vampire to trying to stop them. Ian Somerhalder may be taking on another blood-sucking series with Netflix’s V Wars, but his latest role is nothing like Damon Salvatore, the dark killer he played on The Vampire Diaries.

Related: TV and Movie Vampires Through the Years

“Luther Swan [is the] nicest guy, lives a wonderful, simple life. He goes for a run in the morning with Michael Fayne, his best buddy,” the actor, 40, told Us Weekly exclusively at the New York junket for the series. “He’s just the polar opposite from Damon. His star really rose, and he studies infectious disease. He’s young. He’s 38, so he became a very well-respected scientist/research doctor in the field of infectious disease, in the hopes of saving and protecting the world. … Once you start, sort of opening up the curtains and you start peeling back the layers of the onion of Luther Swan, you’re going to find things start to unravel. The deck is very quickly stacked against this man, but he’s doing the best he can trying to save humanity.”

Ian Somerhalder's 'V Wars' Character Is the 'Polar Opposite' of The Vampire Diaries' Damon Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder as Dr. Luther Swann in ‘V-Wars’ and Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore in ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ Peter H Stranks/NETFLIX; Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock

While the character is very different, Somerhalder did admit he was a bit hesitant to take on another vampire series after starring in the CW hit from 2009 to 2017. However, his longtime agent convinced him the script was worth taking a second look at.

Related: Every 'Vampire Diaries' Character Who Died and Came Back to Life

“He just said, ‘I know what you’re going to think, but there’s a whole other world here, and it actually has nothing to do with what you’ve been doing for the last decade.’ And it doesn’t. It has nothing to do with the energy and feel the Vampire Diaries was,” the activist told Us. “This story is incredibly relevant. It was written in 2012. Vampire Diaries was written in ’92 in the Valley in Los Angeles. So, this is a very relevant, very hard-hitting story.”

For more from Somerhalder, watch the exclusive video above.

Related: TV Relationships Shippers Can't Get Enough of

V Wars debuts on Netflix Friday, December 6.

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!