Skip to main content

The teen horror fantasy, The Vampire Diaries, premiered on The CW in 2009. Based on the L.J. Smith book series of the same name, the show followed vampire brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore on a journey of death, pain, and redemption.

Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder
Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley became friends on ‘The Vampire Diaries’ set

In The Vampire Diaries, the brothers played by Ian Somerhalder (Damon) and Paul Wesley (Stefan), competed for the affections of Elena Gilbert and her doppelgänger, 500-year-old Katherine. Somerhalder and Wesley worked closely together on the show during the eight-season run.

They also developed a close personal relationship outside of work. Now, they have partnered again on a new project, which Somerhalder revealed to Kelly Clarkson while on her Feb. 24 show.

Kelly Clarkson’s fangirl moment with Somerhalder

“I’m such a fan. Like seriously. Such a fan. You know this,” Kelly Clarkson gushed upon greeting Somerhalder as the talk show host and her studio audience gave him a warm welcome.

Clarkson is a self-proclaimed “superfan” who, while on a break from concert touring, once visited the set of The Vampire Diaries when the show was still in production. Like many fans around the world, Clarkson says she is “obsessed” with vampire shows.

Somerhalder is — it seems — also a fan of Clarkson’s. He expressed appreciation for her hospitality as she sent him a handwritten note prior to his appearance on her show.

As a personality who “knows what it’s like to make the rounds,” Clarkson revealed that she provides the welcoming touch of a personal letter to all of her show guests.

Clarkson’s guests for the episode also included the members of the music group, Wilson Phillips, who Somerhalder referred to as “legends.” And he experienced a fanboy moment of his own when he recalled his childhood crush.

He also called Wilson Phillips “the biggest thing since peanut butter.” At least one of the members of the group seemed enamored with Somerhalder due to what Clarkson called his “gravitational pull.”

Witty banter aside, Clarkson spoke with Somerhalder about his newest project. The actors who made fans swoon as the Salvatore brothers have teamed up again. But their latest venture may surprise fans.

A new partnership for Somerhalder and Wesley

Somerhalder told Clarkson that he and Wesley are collaborating again, but this time it’s not a television project. The on-screen brothers — and off-screen friends — have developed a brand of bourbon.

The spirit is sure to appeal to whiskey aficionados and The Vampire Diaries fanatics. Somerhalder is keeping mum about the brand name of the liquor for now, but more information will be available once he and his partner iron out some legal details.

It appears that the bond between Somerhalder and Wesley is tight. Of their relationship, Somerhalder told Clarkson, “We love each other. We have wanted to kill each other about 800 times. But that means brothers.”

Although Somerhalder is busy with his bourbon business, he still makes time for acting. These days, fans can watch him on Netflix’s V-Wars, a sci-fi vampire drama. In it, he plays a human doctor who is dealing with a viral epidemic that causes vampiric symptoms. The actor also serves as an executive producer on the show.

All eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries are now streaming on Netflix.

Best in Entertainment