‘The Vampire Diaries’: Ian Somerhalder’s ‘Craziest’ On-Set Experience Involves Nudity
As The Vampire Diaries TV show fandom continues to thrive and grow, there will always be an interest in hearing behind-the-scenes tales from the cast and crew.
Though Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley have moved on with their Brother’s Bond bourbon, no one will forget all the dramatic, spicy, and heartbreaking memories they’ve given viewers as Damon and Stefan Salvatore.
Of course, TVD brought plenty of laughs too. Those memories also happened off camera, and Somerhalder once shared his “craziest” on-set experience. It happens to involve him being naked.
Ian Somerhalder’s birthday cake arrived during a bathtub scene
Ian Somerhalder and some of his Vampire Diaries castmates appeared at the 2012 Crimson Sky Convention in Vienna. During a fan Q&A segment, they answered a question about the wildest things that happened on set. Somehalder had a legit story about his birthday suit.
“Actually, I had my birthday cake delivered to me while I was naked in a bubble bath with Dawn Olivieri — Andie Star — covered in bubbles,” he said. “All of a sudden, out of nowhere. It’s like 11 o’clock at night and I’ve been shooting in a bathtub naked for four hours. I’m so pruny.”
Somerhalder said it worked because he was there with a beautiful woman, but the cake caught him off guard. “All of a sudden the lights go down, and they bring out this giant birthday cake,” Somerhalder recalled. His face was covered in blood because in the scene, Damon bit Andie’s neck.
When the cake came out, he had fake blood dripping down his mouth. “I’m in a bubble bath, I don’t have any pants on, and now I have my birthday cake. So, of course, what did I do? I stood up! And there are crew members everywhere,” he laughed. Somerhalder added that as Damon, he was naked all the time. No big deal.
Damon Salvatore made fans swoon with Andie bathtub scene
Diehard TVD fans can count on seeing certain elements with regularity. They include sex scenes, bourbon, torture, and the Salvatores soaking in their mansion’s bathtubs.
Damon in particular loves to nurse a glass of wine or champagne while kicking it in bubble-filled tub. But the scene Somerhalder referenced happened in season 2.
That’s when Damon spent quality time with Andie Star, the Mystic Falls reporter. Remember her? After Rose died, Andie sort of became his rebound lover. As they shared a bubble bath, he confessed his love for a woman who was with another guy (Elena).
But he also confessed his bad deeds. “I’m bad, Andie. I do things. I kill people,” said Damon. He compelled her to be calm, bit her neck, and feasted on her blood. Andie was Damon’s walking blood bag and friend before ripper Stefan made her jump to her death.
Fun fact: Somerhalder told the convention audience that Olivieri was his friend’s girlfriend, so filming the bath scene with her was cool. Fans can watch season 2, episode 13 of TVD knowing that off camera, Somerhalder received a birthday surprise covered in nothing but suds.
